---
title: "Orbital sander brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the orbital sander brands people buy. Share of Search among Makita, Ryobi, DeWalt, Festool, Milwaukee and Bosch, the orbital sander brands Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-orbital-sander-brands"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Orbital sander brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?

Compare the orbital sander brands people buy. Share of Search among Makita, Ryobi, DeWalt, Festool, Milwaukee and Bosch, the orbital sander brands Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Orbital sander brands
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Brands compared**: 6
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Makita, 33.2%

## Which brand is most popular in search among orbital sander brands in New Zealand?

- In September 2026, Makita was the most searched among orbital sander brands in New Zealand, with an estimated 10K branded searches, 33.2% of all searches for the six we track.
- Ryobi is in 2nd place, 5.9 percentage points behind at 27.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Makita’s share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand decreased from 34.1% to 33.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Festool’s share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand increased from 9.2% to 10.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Milwaukee’s share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand increased from 9.2% to 9.8%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Makita’s share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand peaked at 34.9% in May 2026 and was lowest at 28% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ryobi’s share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand peaked at 36.7% in December 2025 and was lowest at 22.6% in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DeWalt’s share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand peaked at 23% in June 2026 and was lowest at 18.2% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Festool’s share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand peaked at 10.6% in July 2026 and was lowest at 6.1% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Milwaukee’s share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand peaked at 13.8% in August 2026 and was lowest at 7.3% in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ryobi, DeWalt and Bosch held steady: their share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top orbital sander brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Makita and Bosch were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Makita was recommended most often, coming first in all four answers that gave a list. Bosch was second, and Ryobi and Milwaukee tied for third.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Makita | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Bosch | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Ryobi | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Milwaukee | 3rd | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| DeWalt | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Festool | 6th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about orbital sander brands

- Asked ChatGPT "Which orbital sander brand should I buy in New Zealand?": 1. Makita, 2. Bosch, 3. Ryobi, 4. DeWalt
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best orbital sander brands in New Zealand?": 1. Makita, 2. Bosch, 3. DeWalt, 4. Festool, 5. Milwaukee, 6. Ryobi
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best orbital sander brand in New Zealand for wood sanding?": 1. Makita, 2. Bosch, 3. Festool
- Searched Google, AI Overview "sander for wood": 1. Bosch
- Searched Google, AI Overview "cordless orbital sander": 1. Makita, 2. Milwaukee, 3. Ryobi

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Makita vs Ryobi: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/makita-vs-ryobi): 33.2% against 27.3% Share of Search.
- [Makita vs DeWalt: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/dewalt-vs-makita): 33.2% against 19% Share of Search.
- [Makita vs Festool: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/festool-vs-makita): 33.2% against 10.1% Share of Search.
- [Makita vs Milwaukee: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/makita-vs-milwaukee): 33.2% against 9.8% Share of Search.
- [Ryobi vs DeWalt: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/dewalt-vs-ryobi): 27.3% against 19% Share of Search.
- [Ryobi vs Festool: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/festool-vs-ryobi): 27.3% against 10.1% Share of Search.
- [Ryobi vs Milwaukee: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/milwaukee-vs-ryobi): 27.3% against 9.8% Share of Search.
- [DeWalt vs Festool: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/dewalt-vs-festool): 19% against 10.1% Share of Search.
- [DeWalt vs Milwaukee: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/dewalt-vs-milwaukee): 19% against 9.8% Share of Search.
- [Festool vs Milwaukee: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/festool-vs-milwaukee): 10.1% against 9.8% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand orbital sander brands in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Festool overtook Milwaukee to rank 4th among orbital sander brands in New Zealand, with 10.1% of the searches.
- In September 2026, Makita gained share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand, from 30.7% to 33.2%.
- In September 2026, Ryobi gained share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand, from 25.4% to 27.3%.
- In September 2026, Milwaukee lost share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand, from 13.8% to 9.8%.
- In September 2026, DeWalt lost share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand, from 21.1% to 19%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Bosch in New Zealand rose 21.4% over 12 measured months, from 140 to 170 in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Makita | 33.2% | 10K | +20.0% | Makita |
| 2 | Ryobi | 27.3% | 8.2K | +19.4% | Ryobi |
| 3 | DeWalt | 19% | 5.7K | 0.0% | DeWalt |
| 4 | Festool | 10.1% | 3K | +33.2% | Festool |
| 5 | Milwaukee | 9.8% | 3K | -21.3% | Milwaukee |
| 6 | Bosch | 0.57% | 170 | +21.4% | Bosch |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Makita | 8.2K | 34.1% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Ryobi | 6.6K | 27.5% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | DeWalt | 4.7K | 19.5% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Festool | 2.2K | 9.2% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Milwaukee | 2.2K | 9.2% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Bosch | 140 | 0.58% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Ryobi | 9.9K | 33.8% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Makita | 8.2K | 28% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | DeWalt | 6.6K | 22.6% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Milwaukee | 2.5K | 8.4% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Festool | 2K | 6.7% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Bosch | 140 | 0.48% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Ryobi | 9.9K | 36.7% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Makita | 8.2K | 30.4% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | DeWalt | 4.9K | 18.2% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Milwaukee | 2.1K | 7.9% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Festool | 1.6K | 6.1% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Bosch | 170 | 0.63% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Makita | 8.1K | 33.3% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Ryobi | 7.9K | 32.6% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | DeWalt | 4.7K | 19.2% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Milwaukee | 1.8K | 7.3% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Festool | 1.7K | 6.9% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Bosch | 170 | 0.7% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Makita | 8.1K | 34.3% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Ryobi | 6.5K | 27.5% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | DeWalt | 4.7K | 20% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Milwaukee | 2.1K | 9.1% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Festool | 2K | 8.7% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Bosch | 110 | 0.47% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Makita | 8.1K | 31.9% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Ryobi | 7.6K | 30% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | DeWalt | 4.9K | 19.3% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Festool | 2.3K | 9.3% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Milwaukee | 2.3K | 8.9% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Bosch | 140 | 0.55% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Makita | 8.1K | 34.8% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Ryobi | 6.5K | 27.9% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | DeWalt | 4.6K | 19.7% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Milwaukee | 2.1K | 9.1% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Festool | 1.8K | 7.8% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Bosch | 140 | 0.6% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Makita | 8.2K | 34.9% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Ryobi | 5.4K | 22.9% | 2 |
| May 2026 | DeWalt | 4.8K | 20.5% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Milwaukee | 2.7K | 11.5% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Festool | 2.3K | 9.6% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Bosch | 140 | 0.6% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Makita | 8.2K | 32.7% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | DeWalt | 5.8K | 23% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Ryobi | 5.7K | 22.6% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Milwaukee | 2.8K | 11.1% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Festool | 2.5K | 10% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Bosch | 140 | 0.56% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Makita | 8.1K | 34.3% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Ryobi | 5.5K | 23.2% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | DeWalt | 4.8K | 20.4% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Milwaukee | 2.6K | 11% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Festool | 2.5K | 10.6% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Bosch | 140 | 0.59% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Makita | 8.3K | 30.7% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Ryobi | 6.9K | 25.4% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | DeWalt | 5.7K | 21.1% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Milwaukee | 3.8K | 13.8% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Festool | 2.3K | 8.5% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Bosch | 140 | 0.52% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Makita | 10K | 33.2% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Ryobi | 8.2K | 27.3% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | DeWalt | 5.7K | 19% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Festool | 3K | 10.1% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Milwaukee | 3K | 9.8% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Bosch | 170 | 0.57% | 6 |

## What is being compared

- **Bosch**: Measured on the search term “bosch orbital sander”.
- **DeWalt**: Measured on the search terms “dewalt”, “dewalt redemption” and “dewalt sander”, summed into one figure.
- **Festool**: Measured on the search terms “festool”, “festool chop saw”, “festool domino”, “festool dust extractor”, “festool orbital sander”, “festool planer”, “festool plunge saw”, “festool router”, “festool sander”, “festool track”, “festool track saw”, “festool vacuum” and “festool wall sander”, summed into one figure.
- **Makita**: Measured on the search terms “makita”, “makita sander” and “makita tool”, summed into one figure.
- **Milwaukee**: Measured on the search terms “milwaukee tool”, “milwaukee tool bag”, “milwaukee tool box”, “milwaukee tool kit” and “milwaukee tool set”, summed into one figure.
- **Ryobi**: Measured on the search terms “ryobi”, “ryobi sander” and “ryobi tool”, summed into one figure.

- [Bosch](/demand/nz/brands/bosch)
- [DeWalt](/demand/nz/brands/dewalt)
- [Festool](/demand/nz/brands/festool)
- [Makita](/demand/nz/brands/makita)
- [Milwaukee](/demand/nz/brands/milwaukee)
- [Ryobi](/demand/nz/brands/ryobi)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among orbital sander brands in New Zealand?

In September 2026, Makita was the most searched among orbital sander brands in New Zealand, with an estimated 10K branded searches, 33.2% of all searches for the six we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Orbital sander brands in New Zealand: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-orbital-sander-brands

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-orbital-sander-brands. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.