The white foam pad that comes with a Porter Cable Polisher
For years I've seen people post questions about the white foam buffing pad that comes with a Porter Cable DA Polisher and I've also seen some confusion over whether or not a person needs to order a dedicated backing plate with the tool?
So here's the skinny, the white pad in the box,
- Is a Polishing Pad, not a cutting pad or a finishing pad
- Has a fixed backing plate that is glued to the foam, it cannot be detached and used with other pads
- Measures approximately 6" in diameter and is 1.5" thick
Porter Cable 7424XP brand new in the box... 
Here's the included white foam polishing pad... 
Here's the glued-on plastic backing plate... 
The pad comes with a compression washer, if you choose to use the pad, be sure to include the compression washer 
Here's a 5.5" Lake Country Flat pad side by side with the factory pad to show how thick the factory PC pad is compared to a 7/8" thin pad. 
Here's the 5.5" LC Flat Pad with a Lake Country 5" backing plate attached 
Here's another shot to show the differences... 
Make sure the compression washer is installed on the threaded stud before attaching to the spindle of the Porter Cable DA Polisher
The pad is approximately 6" in diameter... 
The factory included pad is 1 1/2" thick... 
Question: Can I use the included foam polishing pad with my Porter Cable 7424XP
Answer: Yes but sooner or later you're going to need more pads and in order to use other pads you're also going to need a dedicated backing plate.
Question: What can the factory included foam pad be used for?
Answer: The foam used for this pad is a firm polishing pad, it's not as aggressive as a foam cutting pad or as gentle as a soft finishing pad. Polishing pads can be used to remove medium to shallow swirls and scratches, oxidation and water spots They can also be used to apply a one-step cleaner wax. Some people will take the factory included foam pad and place a clean, dry microfiber bonnet over it and use to remove dried wax.
Question: Can I wash the factory included pad and use it again?
Answer: Yes, kind of by hand in a sink or in a bucket of water but because the backing plate is glued on you have to be careful you don't loosen the adhesion between the plastic backing plate and the foam which could cause problems should it detach while you're buffing. The glued on backing plate will also make it harder to wash and rinse the pad by hand.
Big Picture - Get a dedicated backing plate and a collection of buffing pads
Most people discard the pad and when purchasing the Porter Cable 7424XP they go ahead and purchase a dedicated backing plate and a supply of buffing pads and by doing this they can instantly get to work buffing out their favorite car.
If you're going to order a Porter Cable 7424XP then start out the right way and invest in a backing plate and a collection of foam pads. If you're going to be removing swirls, scratches, water spots and oxidation it's a good idea to get a variety of pads so you can match the pad to the job you're doing. A good starter collection would include foam cutting pads, polishing pads and waxing or finishing pads.
Autogeek offers a variety of pre-configured kits on the Autogeek Store website or you can call Customer Care and they can help you build a tailor made kit specific to your polishing needs.
On Autogeek.net Porter Cable 7424XP From left to right... Lake Country 5" DA Backing Plate Meguiars W67DA G110 DA Polisher 5 inch Backing Plate The Black Dual Action 5 Inch HD Backing Plate 
Lake Country 5.5" Foam Buffing Pads Lake Country 5.5" Flat Pads 
Lake Country 5.5" CCS Pads 
Lake Country Hydro-Tech Low Profile 5 1/2 x 7/8 Inch Foam Pads 
Video: Mark your backing plate to make it easy to see pad rotation 
Questions? Call
1-800-869-3011 
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