Orbital Sander Replacement Pads: Which One Fits Your Sander

Updated on September 18, 2026

Editor’s Choice

Short on time? Of all the orbital sander replacement pads: which one fits your sander I tested, this is the one I'd buy.

Makita 743081-8

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• Also recommended Bosch RS034
• Also recommended POLIWELL interface pads

When sanding discs start flying off your random orbital sander, or won’t sit flat, the problem usually isn’t the discs. It’s the backing pad: the hook-and-loop plate the disc sticks to. Its hooks wear out, heat melts them, and a worn edge makes the sander gouge. A new pad costs far less than a new sander and makes an old one feel new again. The best replacement pad is the one made for your model: match the diameter, the mounting and the dust-hole pattern, and buy the maker’s own pad when it’s available.

Below is a compatibility table for the most common sanders, my picks for Makita, Bosch, DeWalt and Milwaukee owners, and a guide to finding the right pad for any sander, including when to replace it and how to make it last.

Orbital Sander Replacement Pads: Comparison

All six are in the lowest price tier ($). The Amazon buttons show the live price. The “fits” column is what the maker or seller states in each listing; always check it against your sander’s model number.

Orbital Sander Replacement Pads: Reviews

Fitment and specs are quoted from each listing, from the maker when it’s the maker’s own part and from the seller when it’s aftermarket. Every pick was in stock on Amazon when I checked it.

Makita 743081-8 5″ Hook and Loop Backing Pad

Best Replacement Pad for Makita Sanders

743081-8 is Makita’s own 5″ hook-and-loop backing pad, the part replacement listings match to the BO5010, BO5030, BO5031, BO5041 and XOB01Z random orbit sanders. It has the 8-hole pattern for dust extraction and takes standard 5″ eight-hole hook-and-loop discs. Makita designs it for sanding flat surfaces.

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Buying the maker’s part means the screw pattern, thickness and balance match the sander exactly, which matters on a tool that spins at thousands of orbits per minute. If you want a softer feel for curves, add an interface pad on top rather than buying a soft aftermarket pad.

• ✅ Makita’s own part
• ✅ 8 dust holes for extraction
• ✅ Takes any 5″ 8-hole hook-and-loop disc
• ✅ Built for flat sanding
• ❌ Check your model: Makita’s 6″ sanders use other pads
• ❌ Single pad per pack

Best For: Owners of Makita 5″ random orbit sanders whose discs no longer stick or whose pad edge is worn.

Bosch RS034 5″ Sanding Pad for ROS20VS and ROS20VSC

Best Replacement Pad for Bosch ROS20VS

The Bosch ROS20VS is one of the most common 5″ random orbit sanders in home shops, and RS034 is Bosch’s own replacement pad for it and the ROS20VSC. It fits all standard 5″ hook-and-loop discs. Bosch’s older 5″ sanders, the 1295D family, 3107DVS and 3725DVS, take a different pad: the Bosch RS032 hard 8-hole pad, which Bosch lists for those models.

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• ✅ Bosch’s own part for the ROS20 series
• ✅ Fits standard 5″ hook-and-loop discs
• ✅ Easy to confirm: model in the title
• ❌ Only for the models listed
• ❌ Listing gives few other specs

Best For: Bosch ROS20VS and ROS20VSC owners.

Replacement Pad Kit for DeWalt DWE6421 and DWE6423

Best Replacement Pad Kit for DeWalt Sanders

DeWalt’s current 5″ sanders, the DWE6421 and DWE6423, and the cordless DCW210B use pad part DWE64233 (N329079). This aftermarket kit is sold as a direct replacement for that part and also lists the DWE6420. It’s an 8-hole hook-and-loop pad, and the pack adds four 5″ 8-hole foam interface pads and 30 aluminum oxide discs from 100 to 400 grit.

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It’s a good-value way to refresh an older DeWalt in one order. It’s not a DeWalt part, so if you’d rather have the original, search for DWE64233. Older DeWalt models, the D26450, D26451, D26453 and D26456, use a different pad: DeWalt’s own DW4388, which DeWalt lists for those sanders.

• ✅ Replaces DeWalt part DWE64233 (N329079), per the seller
• ✅ Includes four foam interface pads
• ✅ 30 discs from 100 to 400 grit
• ✅ 8 dust holes
• ❌ Aftermarket, not a DeWalt part
• ❌ Doesn’t fit DeWalt’s older D264xx sanders

Best For: DeWalt DWE6421, DWE6423 and DCW210B owners who want a new pad, interface pads and discs in one pack.

Replacement Pad for Milwaukee 2648 and 6021 Sanders, 2-Pack

Best Replacement Pad for Milwaukee Sanders

This two-pack replaces Milwaukee pad part 51-36-7100 on the M18 2648-20 and 2648-21 and the corded 6021-21 and 6034-21 5″ random orbit sanders. The seller also lists fitment for several Ryobi (RS290, RS280, P411, P410), Ridgid (R2600, R2601, R2501) and Craftsman 315 models, which share the same mounting.

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It has a metal back plate with a rubber layer, 8 dust holes and 4 screw holes. The listing gives the measurements that decide fit: a 1″ (26 mm) center hole and 1-1/8″ (28.5 mm) between adjacent screw holes. Measure your old pad before you order. The screws aren’t included: reuse the old ones.

• ✅ Two pads per pack
• ✅ Metal back plate
• ✅ Screw spacing and center hole listed, so you can measure
• ✅ Fits several Ryobi, Ridgid and Craftsman models too (per the seller)
• ❌ Aftermarket, not a Milwaukee part
• ❌ Screws not included

Best For: Milwaukee 2648 and 6021 owners, and Ryobi, Ridgid or Craftsman sanders whose model is on the listing.

Bosch RSM6045 6″ Medium Multi-Hole Sanding Pad

Best 6″ Pad for Multi-Hole Dust Extraction

6″ sanders and multi-hole discs are where extraction gets serious, and Bosch’s RSM6045 is built for its GET75-6 Dual-Mode random orbit sander. The multi-hole pattern lines up with a wide range of discs, and the pad is medium hardness, which Bosch recommends for sanding between coats, fine sanding and lacquer repair. It has a fiberglass-reinforced backing plate and a riveted aluminum drive plate.

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Bosch sells the same pad in 5″ for the GET65-5 (RSM5045), and other Bosch 6″ sanders take the RS6045 and RS6046 pads. It’s the clearest example on this page of why the model number matters: the diameter alone isn’t enough.

• ✅ Bosch’s own pad for the GET75-6
• ✅ Multi-hole for strong extraction
• ✅ Medium hardness for finishing
• ✅ Fiberglass-reinforced backing
• ❌ Only for the GET75-6
• ❌ Highest price within the $ tier on this page

Best For: Bosch GET75-6 owners, and a model of what to look for in a 6″ pad for extraction.

POLIWELL 5″ 8-Hole Hook and Loop Interface Pad, 2-Pack

Best Interface Pad to Protect Your Backing Pad

An interface pad is a thin foam layer with hooks on one side and loops on the other. It sticks to your sander’s pad, and the disc sticks to it. That does two jobs: the soft sponge follows contours and gets closer to edges without burning through, and it takes the wear instead of your backing pad. When the hooks wear out, you replace a cheap foam disc, not the pad.

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POLIWELL’s pads are 5″ with 8 holes, for 5″ 8-hole hook-and-loop discs and pads, and come two per pack. They don’t work with PSA (sticky-back) discs. Keep them for curves and finishing: on flat work, a firm pad cuts flatter.

• ✅ Protects the backing pad
• ✅ Soft: follows curves and profiles
• ✅ 8 holes keep extraction working
• ✅ Two per pack
• ❌ Not for PSA discs
• ❌ Softer cut: not for flattening

Best For: Anyone with a 5″ 8-hole sander, especially on curved work, turned bowls and finishing between coats.

Which Pad Fits My Sander? A Quick Table

Find your sander’s model number on the label on the body, then match it here. If it’s not listed, use the checklist below.

How to Find the Right Pad for Any Sander

1. Model number first. Search the maker’s parts list for your exact model. Makers change pads between versions of the same sander, so “DeWalt 5-inch” isn’t enough.
2. Diameter. 5″ (125 mm) is the common size for home sanders; 6″ (150 mm) is common on pro and body-shop sanders. Measure the old pad edge to edge.
3. Mounting. Most 5″ consumer sanders hold the pad with several small screws; others use a single center bolt. Count the screws and measure the spacing, like the Milwaukee listing above does.
4. Dust holes. The holes in the pad must line up with the holes in your discs and with the sander’s fan. 8 holes is the standard on 5″ pads; 6″ pads come in 6, 15 and multi-hole patterns.
5. Hardness. Hard pads cut flat and fast, medium pads are the all-rounders, soft pads follow curves and are gentler between coats.
6. Hook-and-loop or PSA. Nearly every home sander uses hook-and-loop. PSA (sticky-back) pads are mostly for pneumatic body-shop sanders; see my guide to the best sander for auto body.

When to Replace an Orbital Sander Pad

There’s no fixed schedule: it depends on how much you sand and how hot the pad gets. Replace it when you see any of these signs:

• Discs won’t stay on or fly off at speed: the hooks are worn flat or melted.
• The edge is chewed or rounded, or the foam has separated from the plate.
• The face is no longer flat, or the sander has started to gouge or leave uneven scratches.
• Extra vibration after a knock or a drop.

Heat is what kills pads. Pressing hard, sanding with a worn disc, or running at full speed on paint and finish melts the hooks. Let the sander do the work and change the disc as soon as it stops cutting.

Getting More Life from Pads and Discs

• Peel discs off by the edge, slowly. Ripping them off tears hooks out of the pad.
• Start and stop the sander on the work, not in the air: a free-spinning pad hits the work at full speed and the disc edge catches.
• Keep the sander flat. Tilting it to sand harder puts all the heat and wear on the pad edge.
• Use dust extraction. Dust packed between disc and pad builds heat and weakens the grip. My guide to the best dustless sander covers sanders and hoses that pull dust through the pad.
• Use good discs. Cheap discs with weak loops wear pads faster. See the best sanding discs for random orbital sanders.

If your sander is old, worn in the bearings as well as the pad, compare the cost of a pad with a new machine: my best random orbital sanders and best palm sanders list the current models.

Conclusion

A worn backing pad makes a good sander throw discs, gouge and leave swirl marks. Replacing it takes four screws and a few minutes. Find your model number, match the diameter, mounting and hole pattern, choose the maker’s own pad when you can, and protect it with an interface pad. Then pair it with good discs and the right technique, and it will last. Questions about your sander? Tell me the model in the comments.