Cleaning Equipment Floor Machines

Floor machines are a key component in any commercial cleaner’s arsenal. Floor machines are used for scrubbing floors, refinishing floors and low speed buffing. When operating a cleaning company it is important to use the right cleaning equipment for every application. Floor machines come in many shapes and sizes but are generally known as swing machines. These units range in speeds from one hundred RPM to larger units that can spin as high as four hundred RPM. It is important to use the right type of floor machine for the job you are doing and match the speed to the application.

Floor machines consist of three major parts, the pad driver, the motor housing or base, and the handle. The pad driver is a round disc that holds floor pads securely to the machine. The base of the unit houses a motor usually ranging from one to three horsepower. The motor usually connects directly to the pad driver but in some instances is connected by a belt of planetary gear systems. Planetary gear systems are sometimes used to increase or decrease the rotation of the pad driver making the machine suitable for a wide variety of cleaning tasks. The handle on the floor machine connects to the back of the base and houses a switch lever at the top so that the user can turn the machine on and off easily. Two handles are provided for the machine operator so that a secure grip can be kept on the machine at all times. The power cord attaches to the top of the handle to provide power to the unit. Power cords usually range in length from fifty to seventy five feet.

The floor machine is an important piece of cleaning equipment because it can be used for many jobs. The first and most common use for this type of unit is floor scrubbing. When scrubbing floors the floor machine is used in conjunction with either a floor pad or scrubbing brush. Floor pads come in many colors which vary in coarseness with the color of the pad. Generally the darker colored floor pads are more aggressive and will provide a deeper scrub. Floor machine cleaning brushes can vary in the stiffness of the bristles and can be changed depending on the floor it is being used on. A stiffer bristled brush is suited for concrete and tile floors whereas a soft bristle brush is more commonly used on VCT and terrazzo floors.

The speed of the machine is of great importance when working with different types of flooring and performing different tasks. For stripping floors or removing old floor finish or wax a lower speed machine is generally used. Some higher speed floor machines can be used to gently polish or burnish floors when used in conjunction with a lighter colored floor pad. When stripping a floor it is common to use a floor machine that is rated at 300 RPMs or slower. If you use a floor machine that is faster than this speed damage may occur to the flooring. Units that are used for burnishing or polishing floors should be 300RPMs or higher. If a low RPM piece of equipment is used to polish a floor you will scratch the surface and give it a dull appearance.

There are many different manufacturers of floor machines around the world. Most machine manufacturers produce other types of cleaning equipment, but it is best to find one that specializes in floor machines when purchasing one. Swing machines can range in price from three hundred dollars into the thousands. Floor machines are rated in the size of the disc or pad driver it uses and range from ten inches up to twenty seven inches. Before purchasing a floor machine it is a good idea to take a look online at cleaning equipment forums and get input from other users who have used these machine before, or consult a local equipment dealer in your area.

Great cleaning equipment information by Lee Harris can be found at http://www.monsterjanitorial.com. Lee Harris is an expert in the cleaning industry and can answer all your questions about cleaning equipment and how to fit the right cleaning equipment to the right job.