DeWalt HP Floor Nylon Pads

Why these nylon pads earned a spot in my floor-care kit

Floor polishers are only as good as the pads you put under them. After putting the DeWalt floor pads to work on both wood and tile, I came away appreciating how predictable and consistent they are across tasks—from heavier scrub jobs to final polish passes. They don’t try to reinvent the wheel; they simply deliver the cut and finish I expect from a quality non-woven pad, with variants that align well with common floor-care workflows.

Build, sizes, and fit

These pads use a dense, high-performance non-woven nylon web that feels even and well bonded. The fibers tie together tightly enough to resist premature fraying, but they’re still open enough to avoid loading too quickly with dust or slurry. In practice, that means you get a steady rate of cut without the pad glazing over after just a couple of passes.

Two formats cover most machines in the field:
- 17-inch round pads for standard low-speed swing buffers
- 12-by-18-inch rectangles for orbital machines

Both come in five-packs, which makes sense; you’ll often work through at least a couple of pads on a full job depending on the grade and the surface. The pads mate cleanly to hook-face drivers and standard pad holders. They don’t feel oversized or undersized—edge alignment has been tidy and stable in my use, with no tendency to “cone” or wobble.

Color/grade lineup and picking the right one

The variants follow the conventional floor-pad color logic, from more aggressive to very fine:
- B (black) or heavy-duty: for stripping finishes and tackling stubborn buildup
- G (green): for scrubbing and deep cleaning
- R (red): for spray buffing and intermediate cleaning/scuff removal
- T (tan): for light polishing and burnishing
- W (white): for final polishing on sensitive finishes

DeWalt’s grades match the feel I expect. The heavier pads actually bite under moderate downforce, while the finer grades glide with minimal risk of haze on softer finishes. If you’re unsure where to start on a new surface, red is a good middle ground for a test pass, then adjust up or down based on the cut you see.

Performance on wood

I used the red and tan pads for cleaning and refreshing a site-finished oak floor that had scuffing in traffic lanes, then white pads between polish coats. The red pad knocked back the scuffs and dulled high spots uniformly without leaving observable swirl when I worked with a slow, overlapping pattern. Switching to tan with a light polish brought the sheen back up evenly.

On softer woods (like pine or fir), I stick to red/tan/white only and keep the pad clean. The fiber structure on these pads doesn’t shed significantly, which helps avoid embedded debris that can scratch. If you’re doing intercoat abrasion on a waterborne finish, go gentle on pressure and check often—these pads can dull quickly and predictably, which is exactly what you want to promote adhesion without overcutting.

A few tips that helped:
- Keep the floor slightly damp (not wet) for cleaning passes; a neutral cleaner limits loading.
- Rinse or change pads as soon as you feel them skating instead of cutting.
- On edges and under toe-kicks, the rectangular 12x18 pad on an orbital machine gets closer and stays flatter than a round 17-inch pad.

If you truly need to remove a heavy film or wax build, the B (black) variant has enough bite to start the job, but I still reserve sanding screens for full “screen and recoat” scenarios. These are polishing pads, not abrasives in the sanding sense.

Performance on tile

Ceramic and porcelain tile are where the green and red pads earn their keep. The green pad, paired with a neutral cleaner, cleared grocery-cart scuffs and ground-in soil on a matte porcelain without leaving a shine halo—important if you’re trying to preserve the original texture. For glossy tile, I drop to red or tan to avoid micro-hazing and then finish with white if I’m chasing a uniform luster.

The key with tile is slurry management. These pads hold up well, but any pad will load if you don’t control the mess. I liked that rinsing brought the DeWalt pads back to “fresh cut” more than once on the same session. After a thorough rinse, the fibers spring back rather than mat down, which extends usable life.

Durability, maintenance, and feel

Longevity is solid for non-woven pads. Edge rounding happens predictably; I flipped the pads when I noticed the outer inch was doing less work, and that easily doubled the useful life. I didn’t see notable dye transfer on light surfaces (still, test first), and fiber shedding was minimal—mostly fine “fuzz” on first use that stops once the pad seats.

Care is straightforward:
- Rinse thoroughly after use, squeeze—not twist—and let dry flat.
- Don’t store pads pressed under weight; they’ll take a set and cut unevenly.
- Keep the driver hooks clean; a worn or sharp driver will chew through any pad prematurely.

Handling and machine compatibility

On a 175–300 RPM swing buffer, the pads track predictably, with enough friction to feel “connected” without grabbing. On an orbital 12x18 machine, they stay flat and resist bunching, which is crucial for a uniform finish near thresholds and baseboards. If you’re new to pad work, resist overloading the machine with downforce; let the pad and chemistry do the work and keep your passes slow and overlapping.

Limitations and what to know before you buy

• Availability: These pads are discontinued, so finding specific grades and sizes may mean chasing remaining stock. If you rely on one grade for repeat work, consider buying an extra pack while you can.
• Warranty info is not published on the product page. That’s typical for consumables, but still worth noting for shop managers tracking supplies.
• If you need an extremely aggressive removal step—thick acrylic finishes, adhesive residues, or hardened coatings—you’ll likely need to move to sanding screens or specialty stripping media. The heaviest pad here is still a non-woven, not a cutting abrasive.

Practical pairings and workflow suggestions

• For routine maintenance on finished wood: Red to clean and even out sheen, then white to polish.
• For traffic-lane restoration on tile: Green with a neutral cleaner for the first pass, red to refine, white if you want a higher luster on gloss tile.
• For pre-polish prep: Tan can level light nibs or residue before your polish step without risking haze.

Common sense test protocol:
- Start with the least aggressive pad and escalate as needed.
- Work a small, inconspicuous area first.
- Keep pads clean; a loaded fine pad can act like a coarser abrasive.

Value and who it suits

Without quoting price, I’ll say the five-pack format and consistent grading make planning easy. I didn’t have to mix brands or grades mid-job to get the finish I wanted, which saves time and avoids surprises. Contractors who juggle both wood and tile will find the lineup covers most day-to-day tasks. For DIYers, the red/tan/white trio is a safe and versatile starting set.

Recommendation

I recommend these DeWalt floor pads—especially if you can still find the grades you use most. They cut consistently, recover well after rinsing, and produce predictable results on both wood and tile without unnecessary drama. The size options cover the two most common machines, and the color/grade system maps cleanly to real-world tasks. The main caveat is availability; with the line discontinued, stocking up on your preferred variants is wise. If you need aggressive removal beyond what a non-woven pad can deliver, plan to supplement with screens or specialty media. For finishing, polishing, and routine maintenance, these pads are steady, reliable performers that I’m happy to keep in the kit.