DeWalt Heavy-Duty Dust Box Assembly

A compact part that makes a big difference

I spend a lot of time drilling overhead anchors and working in occupied spaces where dust control isn’t negotiable. The small plastic box clipped to the side of the drill rarely gets any attention—until it doesn’t work. DeWalt’s dust box for its on-board extractors turned out to be one of those quietly effective parts that keeps a job moving, keeps me compliant, and keeps the cleanup minimal.

I tested the dust box as a retrofit on DeWalt’s on-tool extractors (DWH303DH and DWH304DH), where it serves as the removable HEPA filter housing and collection container. If you’ve ever cracked a dust box latch only to find a filter caked solid and fine silica rolling out like talc, you’ll appreciate what this unit does differently.

What it is and where it fits

This is a replacement/retrofit dust box assembly with a built-in HEPA filter rated at 99.97% at 0.3 microns and a back-flush mechanism to clear the filter during use. It’s designed for specific DeWalt on-board extractors and snaps in without tools. The body is clear, so I can see the fill level at a glance. The assembly itself is labeled to indicate HEPA filtration and OSHA 1926.1153 (Table 1) compliance, which matters when you’re working under a silica plan or being spot-checked on site.

Compatibility is straightforward: it’s meant for the D25303DH, DWH303DH, and DWH304DH. I ran it on the 303 and 304, and the fit was tight and rattle-free, with positive latch engagement and no wiggle in the housing.

On-site performance

I put the dust box through a mix of common on-board extractor tasks: overhead drilling for 1/4- to 3/8-inch wedge anchors in cured concrete, tie-wire spikes for grid, and some drilling in hollow metal door frames. Across those jobs, two things stood out:

• Capture at the hole is consistent as long as I keep the shroud seated and the box under about two-thirds full.
• Suction stays usable longer thanks to the back-flush.

On overhead work where fine silica can fall directly into your face, the difference between a clean box and a choked filter is night and day. With this setup, I could drill sequences of holes in concrete without that telltale puff of dust that signals the filter’s loaded. The on-board extractor motors aren’t shop vacs and never will be, but paired with this box they remained effective in real-world conditions.

Drilling into metal door frames isn’t a silica issue, but it’s still housekeeping. The box captured chips and fines well enough that I didn’t need to break out a magnet or broom until the end of the run.

The back-flush mechanism matters more than you think

The built-in filter cleaning is the star here. I made a habit of pausing every few holes to actuate the back-flush—quick and simple—and suction would noticeably rebound. Less resistance across the filter means the little turbine in the on-board unit doesn’t work as hard, and you get steadier capture at the bit.

One practical note: back-flush is most effective before the box is overloaded. I try to empty at half to two-thirds full instead of pushing it to the brim. That keeps the filter from embedding fines so deeply that cleaning is just a gesture.

Capacity and visibility

The clear, high-capacity body is more than a gimmick. Being able to see the gradient of fines as the box fills helps me time emptying without guesswork. On a typical morning of overhead anchors, I could run a surprising number of holes before needing to stop. Emptying is controlled if I keep the box oriented upright, crack the latch slowly, and have a liner or bucket ready. For silica, I always bag debris immediately and seal it—no sweeping into open trash cans.

I also noticed that the box’s transparency makes it obvious when larger chips or concrete crumbs start bridging near the filter intake; a quick shake or pre-emptive empty avoids clog-related surprises.

Build quality and ergonomics

The dust box is a simple assembly, but DeWalt got the details right. The latch action is crisp, the hinge doesn’t feel flimsy, and the housing material hasn’t shown cracking or crazing after bumps and a couple of cold mornings. The fit to the extractor module keeps the unit from rattling during hammer drilling, and I didn’t see dust leaking from seams or joints—no telltale gray smear around the mating surfaces after a day’s work.

Weight and balance are inevitably affected by any on-tool extractor. With this dust box, the change felt modest, and the drill remained controllable overhead and at shoulder height. If you’re drilling at arm’s length all day, you’ll still want to pace yourself, but the box itself doesn’t add anything objectionable.

Compliance and documentation

OSHA Table 1 compliance is about more than a sticker on a part. It’s the system—the right shroud, HEPA filtration, filter-cleaning capability, and using it as intended. This dust box checks the filtration and filter-cleaning boxes, and the labeling makes conversations with safety personnel faster. When I’m pulling a permit or responding to a GC’s silica plan, being able to point to HEPA and Table 1 markings saves time.

As always, compliance lives and dies on use: seat the shroud, match the bit size to the extractor’s spec, clean the filter periodically, and don’t run the box overfilled.

Maintenance and best practices

This is a HEPA element, so I treat it accordingly.

• Don’t blow it out with compressed air. That can damage fibers and aerosolize fines.
• Use the back-flush frequently during drilling.
• Empty into a bag or sealed container—don’t dump into open bins.
• If dust adheres to the inside walls, a light brush or vacuum is safer than banging the box.
• Inspect the latch and mating surfaces for wear; leaks start at the edges.

The filter is integrated into the box assembly, and while it’s durable, it is still a consumable in the long run. Plan for replacements on a realistic cycle if you’re drilling daily in hard, dusty concrete.

Limitations and trade-offs

• It’s not universal. If you’re not running the compatible DeWalt on-board extractors, this box doesn’t help you.
• On-board systems have airflow limits. For deep holes, large diameters, or heavy demo, a tethered dust extractor with higher CFM will outperform any on-tool unit.
• You need to commit to the back-flush routine. Ignore it, and performance falls off as you’d expect.
• Working in high-alkali or very soft, dusty concrete, the filter can load faster than you’d like. That’s the nature of HEPA capture; it’s a fair trade for real dust control.

None of these are deal-breakers if you choose the right tool for the task. For the intended jobs—overhead anchors, conduit hangers, tie-wire spikes, drilling in occupied or clean spaces—the dust box is squarely in its lane.

Warranty, service, and value

DeWalt backs the assembly with a 3-year limited warranty, 1-year free service, and 90-day satisfaction guarantee. For something that rides in and out of cases, gets banged around on lifts, and sees daily cycles, that support matters. From a value standpoint, I factor in how many hours of cleanup and compliance headaches I avoid. On that metric alone, this little box earns its keep in my kit.

Recommendation

I recommend the DeWalt dust box to anyone running DeWalt’s on-board extractors for overhead or point-of-work drilling. It combines HEPA-level capture, practical filter cleaning, and clear, high-capacity storage in a package that installs in seconds and holds up on site. It won’t replace a high-CFM tethered vac for heavy drilling, and it’s only useful within the compatible ecosystem, but within that context it does exactly what it should: keep dust out of the air, off the floor, and off your punch list—while keeping you on the right side of OSHA’s Table 1.