Tag Archive for: auto scrubber

The Importance of Preventative Maintenance on Your Auto Scrubber

/in ,

Automatic Floor Scrubbers live in dirt. They are designed to suck up all the dirt and debris and contaminants that most other types of equipment are designed to avoid. This dirt gets everywhere. Most of it goes where it is designed to and ends up in the recovery water tank. However, because these machines work in water, the dirt also sticks to the inside of hoses, feed lines, filters, control valves, float assemblies, spray jets, squeegees, wheels, drive assemblies and a variety of other places.

These machines must be maintained if they are to continue functioning properly. I hear a lot of people say when they purchase a new machine that they don’t need a maintenance agreement. The new scrubber is under warranty and they can maintain it themselves in the meantime. The issue I’ve seen for over 30 years is that they never seem to have the time for the required periodic maintenance and they don’t realize the warranty coverage from almost all manufacturers does not cover routine maintenance. Warranties from manufacturers cover defects in material and workmanship. So, if the scrubber runs well when it is delivered, it becomes difficult to claim a defect after many hours of use when the machine is covered in dirt and debris and hasn’t been properly cleaned, inspected or maintained.

The average life of an automatic scrubber is approximately 7 years. With proper care they can last 10 years or more. It just makes sense when you consider the several thousand dollar investment, that the equipment be properly maintained.

A good periodic maintenance program will list many crucial areas to be inspected on a routine basis. A good rule to follow for preventative maintenance is every 100 hours or every 90 days. Perform the basic inspections to keep the machine in good running order. These include checking, repairing or replacing hoses, filters, linkages, grease fittings, drive motors, brush motors, vacuum motors, actuator motors, LCD displays, switches, solenoids, squeegees, and batteries are just some of the items that need routine inspection. Anything that moves or comes in contact with water or cleaning chemical needs to be cleaned.

Daily and weekly maintenance is something that needs constant attention. Check out this infograph for daily automatic scrubber maintenance. Batteries need to be checked, tested and filled at least on a weekly basis. Brooms, brushes, squeegees, solution and recovery tanks and debris trays need to be cleaned daily. At the end of every day wipe down the machine to remove any standing water that may promote corrosion or wear.

The importance of periodic maintenance on equipment that lives in dirt and water cannot be emphasized enough. The best place to start is by requesting a service inspection from your local expert cleaning equipment distributor. Most good local cleaning equipment distributors have the expertise and can inspect and maintain a variety of different brands, makes and models.

Contact us at the Rhiel Supply Company and we will be able to service your equipment on a timely and routine basis. We provide all the reports necessary for good record keeping. If you are outside our service area we can provide the name of a servicing distributor in your area.

image call to action for service and preventative maintenance

Is an Automatic Floor Scrubber Right for You?

/in ,

Thinking about purchasing an automatic floor scrubber? There are a lot details to think about. Not just the construction and reliability but also maneuverability, coverage, the floor surface being scrubbed, type of debris being removed from the floor and budget requirements. A person can damp mop about 5,000 square feet of floor area in an hour.  Automatic floor scrubbers can do 5 times that and more and be an essential part of your floor cleaning program.

Cleaning a floor is labor intensive. Automatic scrubbers can increase productivity, reduce labor hours, increase efficiency, and clean better than a mop. Up to 90% of the cost of cleaning is labor. Everything you can do to reduce this cost affects your budget. The one time cost of a floor scrubber can easily be justified by the savings in labor. The larger the facility, the larger the savings in labor.

If you’re not sure which machine may be right for your application, remember this, the machine with the lowest price tag is not necessarily the best machine for the job. Look at the Return on Investment (ROI). Even though it may be more expensive, a larger machine capable of cleaning much larger areas may be a better investment. The larger the coverage area, the greater the productivity and efficiency and the bigger the savings in labor.

To determine the ROI is a relatively simple process. Divide the Cost of the machine by the monthly labor savings. For example, if the equipment cost is $8,000.00 and the monthly labor savings is $1500.00, divide $8,000 by $1500. The result means you will have the machine paid for in a little over 5 months. The typical lifespan of an automatic scrubber is approximately 7 years. If well cared for the life span can reach 10 years. That means you will be saving $1500.00 per month in labor for the next 9.5 years. That’s a labor savings of $171,000.00 over 10 years on an $8,000.00 investment. Once you realize how much you can save in labor you may be able to justify an even larger scrubber, or you may be able to add additional equipment to do an even better job cleaning and add to the labor savings.

Make sure you are selecting the right machine for the job. This is a long term investment and selecting the wrong equipment may be something you have to live with for a long time.

Determining the right scrubber for your application is only the first step in the process. Now you must determine where to purchase it. For most facilities finding an expert local distributor is the way to go. Local distributors typically have multiple lines of equipment from which to choose. They also have experts in the floor care industry and the local parts and service departments to back up the equipment after the purchase. Make sure to have a representative complete an in depth facility survey that takes into consideration all of your issues and concerns. Local distributors can then demonstrate the scrubbers that will do the best job and stay within your budget requirements.

For more information on the proper selection of an automatic floor scrubber contact us at the Rhiel Supply Company. We can help with expert knowledge, state of the art equipment, facility surveys and equipment demonstrations.





Informed Buyer's Guide to Automatic Floor Scrubbers




The Ultimate Scrubber Showdown: Pads vs. Brushes

/in ,

Basic understanding:  As in choosing how to clean anything the same premise applies to pads and brushes.  What type of floor surface are you trying to clean and what type of dirt or debris are you trying to remove.  This is the basis for deciding whether to use pads or brushes and what type to use.  Floor pads are typically used with floor machines, burnishers, or automatic floor scrubbers.  Scrubbers operate at 175 to 300 rpm.  Burnishers operate at 1500 to 3000 rpm.  Cleaning pads are round and made to fit the diameter of the pad holder on the machine.  Hand pads are available, made with the same type of material if you have an application where a machine won’t fit.  If you are cleaning a resilient tile floor with multiple coats of finish that is already relatively clean you are going to use a light duty pad or soft fiber brush.  This will wash the floor, break away any loose dirt and not damage the finish.  If you are cleaning a pitted, uneven concrete floor imbedded with dirt, oil and grease an aggressive brush is going to be your choice.  Pads come in a variety of colors, and textures for a wide range of applications.  Brushes range from soft bristles to extremely aggressive bristles and are used for concrete, tile, carpet and other varying floor types.

Cleaning Pads:  These come in multiple colors to indicate the aggressiveness of the pad.  White for cleaning.  Red for scrubbing.  Green or Blue for deep scrubbing or top scrubbing.  Black for stripping.  The darker the color the more aggressive the pad.  White or red pads will not remove floor finish if used properly.  Green or Blue pads will remove the top layer of floor finish.  These are used for top scrubbing where you want to remove the top layer and any dirt that is imbedded in it.  You can then add another coat or two of finish to brighten the floor.  Black pads are used for completely stripping the finish from the floor.  Black pads come in regular and high productivity pads.  The high productivity pads are more expensive but they are much more productive and efficient and most often will save time and labor.  All colors of pads come in sizes to fit all floor machines or automatic scrubbers.  The standard sizes are 13”, 17” and 20” but all sizes are available to fit any size machine you may have.

Polishing Pads:  Polishing pads come in lighter colors typically tan or light pink or light blue.  Polishing pads are also known as burnishing pads.   Burnishing machines are available in electric, battery or propane powered and come in walk-behind or riding units. Polishing or burnishing pads are designed to put a brilliant shine on the floor.  Assuming there is enough floor finish to do so.  As they shine the floor it also hardens the finish to better protect it.  I have seen customers try to use red or green or blue scrubbing pads on a burnisher only to find out that is not a good idea.  The dye in the pad can bleed out if you hit a high spot on the floor and leave a colored mark in the tile.  In addition, scrubbing pads are made to be used on lower speed scrubbing machines.  They don’t hold up as well and often times come apart at high speeds.
Brushes:  Brushes come in a variety of fiber or bristle types from soft nylon to aggressive bristles with carbide steel implants.  The soft bristles can be used on resilient tile and other types of coated floor surfaces while the aggressive bristle bushes, also known as Nylo-Grit or Strata-Grit are used for pitted concrete with dirt, oil and greasy buildup.  Brushes are also better a choice in other situations like grouted tile, carpet, and other uneven and textured surfaces.  The bristles will dig into the uneven surfaces where a pad will glide over the top.  If you are using a brush for carpet you will want to break in the brush before using it.  Follow the manufacturer’s instructions first on how to break in your particular brush.

Which cost more: Brushes can outlast a pad 100 to 1 in usage rate.  But they are much more expensive and require more cleaning when you are done scrubbing.  Say you are spending $3.00 each for a floor pad.  A brush used in a similar situation could cost $150.00.  At 100 to 1 you could spend $300.00 on pads versus $150.00 on a single brush.  But that isn’t the whole story.  Both pads and brushes should be cleaned out before the next use.  If you are stripping a floor, the floor finish and stripper will build up inside the pad or brush.  You should always use both sides of a pad but it can still be thrown away after using it.  Because of the investment, a brush will have to be cleaned.  The labor cost to clean out pads could far exceed the cost of the pad itself so throwing away the pad could be the least expensive option.   The labor cost to clean out a pad can become greater than the cost of the pad.  So even though brushes could be a better option long term, in some applications pads become cheaper to use because of labor costs.

Specialty Brushes:   Specialty grinding Brushes are available to put a brilliant shine on terrazzo or concrete floors using only water.  These diamond based brushes come in a series of grits from aggressive to fine and are used in a process to gain a brilliant shine on concrete or terrazzo without using a finish or coating. After using these special tools, regular brushes can be used to maintain the floors and the shine.  There are also other specialty brushes designed for use with tile and grout and other textured, uneven, or synthetic surfaces.

Specialty Pads:  Specialty pads are also being used to clean a variety of new floor surface types.  Newer, textured, uneven synthetic surfaces create a problem for floor care but newer pads are helping to maintain these surfaces.  Pads are available now to remove scuff marks and combat the buildup that occurs in grout lines on tile floors.

Stripping pads are also a newer product.  When used with the right floor scrubbing equipment these pads can remove floor finish using only water.  These pads can cover about 5,000 square feet per pad and not use any chemical stripper.

Chemicals:  The chemicals used with the pads can be as crucial to the cleaning process as the pads or brushes you use. The pads and brushes are designed to agitate but the right cleaning chemical will help emulsify the dirt and lift it from the floor.   Always use the right chemicals to remove the dirt or debris and always use it according to the manufacturer’s specifications.

As with most products, the pad and brush manufacturers are constantly making innovative designs and using newer materials to make the cleaning process easier and more cost effective.  To make sure you are using the most efficient products for your particular facility, contact us and we can assist in designing a cost effective program to maintain your facility.

 

[et_bloom_inline optin_id=optin_5]

The Dawn of The Automatic Floor Scrubber

/in ,

The Advance Machine Company began manufacturing terrazzo floor grinding machines in 1924. In 1928 they started making the first Automatic floor scrubbers that put down water, scrubbed the floor, and vacuumed the floor dry in the same operation. Advance made their first Convertamatic floor scrubber in 1958. These models came in 26B, 32B, 38B, 260BHD, 320BHD & 380BHD.

Clarke started the manufacture of bar sanders in 1916. In the 1920’s they put a stick on the sander to do floors. In the 1950’s they introduced floor machines and in 1958 they introduced their first automatic floor scrubber. In 1963 Clarke started manufacturing their best yet, TB28 and TB32 series of floor scrubbers. In my opinion these 2 scrubbers are two of the best automatic floor scrubbers ever made. I’ve been selling and servicing automatic floor scrubbers since 1983. I hope I have established some credibility in this field over the last 33 years.

These companies are not the only ones to pioneer this industry but in my opinion the Advance Convertamatic and the Clarke TB series scrubbers were 2 of the best. They worked well, they were heavy, durable, relatively easy to operate, and built to last a lifetime.

Both companies have since been purchased by other companies. Acquired a couple of times actually. But they are both still in the market selling their current version of a machine that scrubs and dries floors.

These machines were the beast of the era. They performed well with minimum downtime. What else can you ask? Since then there have been a number of improvements made by companies that weren’t even around when Clarke and Advance were founded.
Once again, this is only my 33 years of experience influencing me, but I believe one of the best alternatives if you are looking for a scrubber to do it all, meet all your expectations and provide clean, dry floors, in any situation, the answer is Factory Cat/Tomcat.

These machines have taken floor cleaning to a whole new level. These are state of the art, computer controlled, productive, efficient, and built to last. These machines cannot only scrub the floor; they can sweep up debris like a sweeper at the same time. They have filters that filter the clean water before it touches the floor, filters that filter the dirty water to prevent clogs and variable solenoids that control water flow. They have state of the art on-board computer systems that monitor all functions of the machine and draw amps off the batteries in the smallest amount required to operate the machine productively. It monitors the brush motors, vacuum motors, drive motors so as to provide the power needed at any one time while providing maximum efficiency and providing longer running time. This reduces wear on the batteries and provides maximum run time. If the owner of the machine does not like the factory settings for speed control, water control, brush speed, down pressure,  or many other variables, the on board computer may be adjusted by simply plugging in a laptop to the on-board computer and making the necessary adjustments. All this means is that you will get the cleanest floors possible, with the least amount of amp draw, and providing the longest run time and battery life attainable. It also means you no longer need a big guy running the scrubber. Because of the smooth computer controls, anyone can operate this equipment and not suffer fatigue from running the machine.

Tomcat/Factory Cat Scrubbers are available in Models that range from 17″ to 46″ Scrub Paths in Walk-Behind and Riding machines. They carry a 3 year warranty, and if you purchase our scrubber approved chemical from us to clean your floors there are many items that we will cover for the life of the machine.

All this makes Factory Cat/Tomcat one of the best options available on the market today if you are in the market to find the most productive, efficient way to clean your floors with a minimum amount of downtime.

Give us a call. We’ll demonstrate a machine in your facility at your convenience.

 

[et_bloom_inline optin_id=optin_5]

6 Ways to Finance Your New Floor Scrubber

/in ,

 

The pricing on new floor cleaning equipment can range a great deal.  Small Walk Behind units start at a few thousand dollars depending on mechanical structure and durability.  Riding units can reach $20,000.00 and more depending on size, capacity and options.  How you finance these productive cleaning machines depends on a lot of variables that need to be considered during the purchase process.

If you have a smaller facility and only intend to purchase 1 or 2 machines than an outright purchase may be suitable.  But if you have a facility that requires many units including vacuums, sweepers, scrubbers, extractors, burnishers and other pieces, you may want to look into creative financing to structure the cost of the required equipment.  Here are some of the more common ways to finance equipment.

Outright Purchase:  This is typically the most common because people may not realize they have options. Cash, check, credit cards are all commonly used.  If you are using a credit card be prepared to possibly pay a little more since the seller will have to pay the credit card fees associated with the transaction.

Short term Rental:  If you only need equipment for a short time this may be a viable option.  If you only use equipment a few times a year or if you have a one- time clean up on your hands renting equipment for a few days or a week may be the answer.

Long Term Rental:  Maybe you have a bigger project.  Long term rentals of several months are often considered when you have a large project but don’t want to purchase a machine.  The advantages are you are not responsible for the maintenance or the upkeep on the equipment.  Just use the equipment for a few months and then return it.

Simple Leasing:  This is a great option if you need equipment to maintain your facility but do not have the money to make the capital investment.  Typical leases run for 24 to 36 months and spread the monthly payments to fit your budget.  Advantages are the new equipment is typically under warranty for the entire leasing period.  At the end of these types of leases you own the equipment outright.

Fair Market Value Leasing:  This is more along the lines of a true lease and still a very viable option.  The monthly payments will be less than a simple lease and may fit into your budget better.  It may enable you to acquire a larger, more productive piece of equipment for the same price.  At the end of the lease you will have options.  You can purchase the machine for the fair market value.  You can turn in the machine. Or you can simply continue a new lease with a new piece of equipment.

Leasing with Full Maintenance.  With a Long term Lease with full maintenance you are not so much buying a machine as you are purchasing the utility of maintaining clean floors.  Here’s how it works. The agreement typically lasts for 24 to 36 months.  For one monthly payment you receive the equipment that will best clean and maintain your facility. All the scheduled maintenance and repair is included.  You are guaranteed the up-time on the equipment and the ability to clean the facility.  If a repair is needed, they are made on sight or a replacement is delivered.  Either way you always have equipment guaranteed to perform well. At the end of the agreement a replacement machine is provided and the monthly payments are adjusted if needed.

Creative Financing can enable you to acquire the equipment you need to ensure your facility is cleaned on a routine schedule.  It can spread out the payments and help you to fit the equipment into a manageable monthly budget.  The best way to access the best possible financing is to contact a local distributor who handles many different makes, models and brands and is proficient in explaining various types of applicable financing. If you are looking for help in deciding which floor scrubber you need check out this blog entry about choosing the right scrubber.  Contact us here at Rhiel Supply and we will be happy to explain the process.

 

[et_bloom_inline optin_id=optin_5]

The Essentials To Daily Floor Scrubber Maintenance [Infographic]

/in ,

Here is an infographic to recap last Monday’s post about daily automatic floor scrubber maintenance! This is great material to post near the area you keep your auto scrubber.

daily-floor-scrubber_blog8ea34f0a8fa86822b569ff0000034300

Considering The Purchase Of An Automatic Floor Scrubber?

/in ,

So you are considering purchasing an automatic floor scrubber to clean your floors. There are a lot of options available. So which one do you choose? Let’s consider the basics. A single person can damp mop about 5,000 sq. ft. per hour using a mop and bucket. The same person with an auto scrubber can do five to ten times that and the floor will be much cleaner. A scrubber puts down water and cleaning chemical, scrubs the floor and vacuums the floor dry. They all perform the same basic function, but there are huge differences in the design, reliability and durability.

 

Download our free buying guide so you can be sure you are asking the right questions!

Informed Buyer's Guide to Automatic Floor Scrubbers




Can a Tomcat Floor Scrubber Make Your Life Easier?

/in ,

The Tomcat Orbital Scrubber series of machines are quite possibly the most productive, efficient floor cleaning machines on the market today. Not only are they great everyday floor scrubbers, they offer the ability to strip your floors without using traditional strippers or harsh chemicals. Here are a few advantages you can realize from a Tomcat EDGE:

Square Corners – Gives you the ability to scrub directly into corners and along wall edges that are missed by traditional round pads. They don’t leave the round swirl marks left by round pads.

Durability – Tomcat Edge Machines are made of solid steel and stainless steel fasteners. The orbital motors operate at as much as 2 times the rpm of other machines. They provide more down pressure and strip floors faster.

Environmentally Friendly – depending on the model these machines can be used dry or with water only. That means no harsh chemicals are flushed down the drain. They use 70% less water than traditional scrubbers. Less water, no chemicals means safer for the environment. These are all LEEDS Certified.

Liability – Everyone knows how slippery floors are when using traditional strippers. No chemicals mean reduced slip & fall incidents, reduced injuries and claims, and lower liability costs.

Productivity – Operators can be trained in a matter of minutes. Traditional stripping methods require the experience of using rotary machines and chemical strippers. Tomcat EDGE machines can reduce the time by 75% or more and the floor are clean, prepped and ready for new finish immediately. No rinsing required since no chemicals are used. The finish is removed and vacuumed up immediately. No stripper or finish is splashed on the baseboards. This means less clean up and removal of stripper and finish from the walls.

Cost Savings – Time is money. With the EDGE Series machines from Tomcat, 1 person can do what used to take an entire cleaning crew. And do it in less time. This leaves time for your maintenance staff to perform more important functions.

Informed Buyer's Guide to Automatic Floor Scrubbers