Four things you
need to know about auto scrubbing floor equipment before you purchase.
Purchasing an auto scrubber
can be a costly expense and should be researched extensively before
buying one. The most important thing to consider is the environment
that you will be cleaning and the type of cleaning the unit will
perform. Auto scrubbers can range in price from $1000-$30,000. Even
though purchasing an auto scrubber can be a costly endeavor your
purchase can be quickly made up for, by decreasing your labor costs.
An auto scrubber can clean a floor 10 times faster than cleaning with
a regular mop and bucket. The four main things to know when purchasing
this type of floor equipment is the size, power, unit construction and
brush type that you will need for the environment you're cleaning.
The first thing to take a look
at before you purchase is the size of the area you are cleaning. Too
small of an auto scrubber will take extra time and in turn increase
your labor costs. If you purchase an auto scrubber that is too big for
the environment it is cleaning it can sometimes be hard to maneuver
making it difficult to clean efficiently. Most auto scrubbers list
both a practical and theoretical cleaning time that is measured in
square feet per hour on their specification sheet. When looking at
these numbers it is always wise to choose the practical cleaning time
per hour and then reduce the number by 75%. By doing this you can
account for any obstacles that have to be maneuvered around while
cleaning and account for filling and emptying the unit. Most floor
equipment dealers and manufacturers will let you test or demo a
machine in the area you wish to clean. It is advisable to push your
floor equipment dealer for a test before purchasing or signing any
documents related to the sale of the machine.
Power is a very important
attribute to look at when picking a piece of floor equipment. Power
relates to auto scrubbers in three ways, the number of batteries, the
size of the battery, and the type of battery that the machine
utilizes. Most auto scrubbers rely on either 6 Volt or 12 Volt
batteries coupled together to provide either a 12 Volt, 24 Volt or 36
Volt electrical system. In comparison a 36 Volt electrical system will
have more run time between charges than a 12 Volt system. If you're
cleaning larger areas is recommended that you use a larger volt system
to get additional runtime so that an area can be cleaned before the
power supply is depleted on the auto scrubber. The average run time
between charges on auto scrubbers is anywhere from 1.5 hours on a 12
Volt system to six hours on a 36 Volt system.
The type of construction of
floor equipment is an important factor when purchasing an auto
scrubber. First there are many types of materials that auto scrubbers
can be made from. The two most popular types of plastics used in auto
scrubbers is ABS plastics and Rotocast polyethylene. If you plan on
using your auto scrubber for light duty cleaning you can save money by
purchasing a machine built from ABS plastics. ABS plastics are cheaper
to produce but can crack if the unit hits an obstacle. If you plan on
heavy-duty commercial cleaning with your machine Rotocast polyethylene
is the best option. This type of construction will not crack or break
if it hits an obstacle or object. If you also plan on retaining
ownership of the machine for a prolonged period of time it is
advisable to purchase a Rotocast polyethylene model because of its
ability to stand up to years worth of punishment.
The final attribute to look at
when purchasing a piece of floor equipment such as an auto scrubber is
the brush type it utilizes. The two main types of brush systems on
auto scrubbers are cylindrical systems and traditional rotary styles.
Rotary style brushes can benefit the cleaning process by using many
types of attachments such as pad drivers, floor pads, brushes for
heavy-duty cleaning and grinding stones for work on terrazzo and
marble floors. Cylindrical systems do a better job at cleaning tile
and VCT floors but lack the versatility of traditional rotary systems
that can utilize many different attachments. Cylindrical systems are
also more costly to maintain and repair.
Overall the most common type
of auto scrubber is the 20 inch, wheel drive rotary system. Most US
manufacturers produce at least one model of this type of machine. A 20
inch auto scrubber can clean both small and large areas and is
inexpensive to maintain and repair. The most popular manufacturers of
floor equipment in the United States are
Clarke,
Windsor,
Tornado,
Tennant, and NSS. All four of these companies produce reliable models that can
stand up to at least 10 years of heavy-duty use in a commercial
cleaning environment. When purchasing an auto scrubber it is important
to amortize the cost of the unit over the period the unit will be
used. Once you have determined amortized unit cost compare it to the
amount of labor that you will save over the same period. This will
give you a clear indication of whether an auto scrubber is needed in
the area you're cleaning. |
