I, OTOH, find the larger counterweight noticeably better (less vibration, etc.), so it was worth the few bucks to change my older PC over to it. Before changing the weight, the difference was so pronounced that I could tell my two (otherwise identical) PCs apart by how they felt.
I too use the 6" counterweights with all sizes of pads, even the little LC 3.5" PFW. Note that the weights are designed around the use of a single sheet of sandpaper, and any size foam pad, wet with product, will weigh more than a little sheet of sandpaper.