Connecting a DeWalt Drywall Sander to a Makita Dust Collection Vacuum: A Practical, Static-Safe Solution

If you’ve ever tried to hook up one brand’s power tool to another brand’s dust extractor, you already know the struggle: great tools, incompatible connections.

A recent customer question came in through www.centecsystems.com looking for a clean solution to connect a DeWalt drywall sander to a Makita dust collection vacuum. Here’s the approach—and two solid options—depending on how you want your setup to work.

The main challenge: tool-side fit + vacuum-side compatibility

In this situation, you’re really solving two separate connection points:

1. The sander connection (tool-side): getting a snug adapter fit that won’t fall off while you work
2. The vacuum connection (tank-side): ensuring the hose connects properly and keeps static under control

Drywall dust is messy, fine, and notorious for generating static electricity, so you also want to preserve dissipative / anti-static properties wherever possible.

Step 1: The tool-side adapter that actually grips

After researching common DeWalt drywall sander port sizes, the best match is typically our 1.50" TPE Adapter.

Here’s why that works even if your sander’s male port measures a little bigger than 1.50":

• The adapter is molded from a 55 shore thermoplastic rubber (TPE).
• That material is designed to stretch roughly 15% in diameter.
• Inside the adapter are concentric crush rings that compress as you push it onto the tool.

Those crush rings do two really helpful things:

✅ They help the adapter expand for a better fit
✅ They increase the surface contact area, which makes the connection much more secure

Translation: your hose stays put while sanding, instead of popping off mid-job.

Step 2: The Makita “Quick Click” wrinkle (and why static matters)

Makita describes a “Quick Click” connection, but it’s a Makita-specific design, and it isn’t the same as Cen-Tec’s Quick Click system.

On top of that, Makita’s hose specs often don’t fully describe details like:

• exact internal/external diameters at the ends
• thread styles
• whether the hose maintains dissipative continuity end-to-end

So we can make a strong recommendation—but without measurements in-hand, we can’t guarantee 100% certainty on every Makita hose variation.

One thing we do know: drywall dust can generate static charge, and maintaining dissipative performance is a very smart move for comfort, cleanliness, and safety.

Two Recommended Options

Option A: Keep your existing Makita hose (but it may be limiting)

If your Makita hose is truly 1.25" as described, one option is to cut off their hose end and thread on a Cen-Tec collar to use our system.

Why we usually don’t love this route:

• It could interfere with or eliminate compatibility with Makita accessories you already own.
• Once you modify the hose, going back is tough.

That said, if you want the adapter set for the sander (and other tools too), our 95347 set is a strong option:

95347 — Dissipative Adapter Set

• Includes the right adapters for the drywall sander
• Also covers common shop tools (palm sanders, etc.)
• Dissipative
• $39.95

Option B (Recommended): Upgrade to a complete dissipative Quick Click hose solution

If you want the cleanest setup with the fewest “ifs,” this is the route to take.

95578 — Cen-Tec Quick Click System with Dissipative Hose

• Includes the same adapter coverage as above
• Adds a 1.25" x 16' dissipative hose
• Includes a tank-end connector that should fit your Makita vacuum if the tank port measures approximately 2.25" across

Price:

• $66.80

And here’s the real reason this is recommended:
For about $30 more, you get a complete system that:

✅ preserves your Makita vacuum setup (without hacking up hoses)
✅ keeps dissipative properties intact
✅ gives you adapters for most major tool brands (DeWalt, Festool, and many others)
✅ future-proofs your shop for other tools you already own or will add later

The measurement that makes this airtight

If you want total certainty before ordering, the two most helpful measurements are:

1. Diameter of the male end of the sander port
2. Diameter of the Makita vacuum inlet (tank port) — if it’s around 2.25", Option B is highly likely to be the right fit

Bottom line

If you want the simplest, most reliable path—with strong tool grip and static-safe performance—go with the complete dissipative Quick Click hose solution (95578).

If you’re determined to keep your existing Makita hose and don’t mind the limitations, the 95347 adapter set can still get the job done.