If cleaning floors is your game, you need the right floor buffer and floor buffer supplies to impress your customers and outdo the competition. Whether you're taking on huge jobs like buffing school, hospital or office floors, or simply doing smaller areas such as bathroom and kitchen floors, you'll need to take on each project with the right equipment.

When it comes time to find a floor buffer, think about what type of floors you'll be working on, as well as the speed and size you'll need. For instance, you might want a 13-in., .5-hp floor buffer for smaller areas, and a 17-in., 1.5-hp for larger areas. As you gather floor buffer information, consider the following:

1. Realize that when it comes to floor buffers, size matters.

2. Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of an electric or battery-operated floor buffer.

3. Shop for a used floor buffer to save money.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Tackle any job with the right floor buffer

As with most other machines, a floor buffer, also called a burnisher, does not come in only one or two sizes or speeds. If you're working on large floors, you might need an industrial floor buffer, many of which are also strippers. Get a low-speed, smaller floor buffer if you're working on linoleum, wood or marble floors in homes or small offices.

I recommend: FloorBuffers.com sells large and small floor buffers, and offers discounts for customers who order multiple machines. TheVacuumCenter.com has a list of Koblentz floor buffers, which are smaller 12-in. machines that are great for getting professional results in smaller areas. CleanFreak.com offers both low-speed and high-speed heavy duty floor buffers for sale, in many cases at sales prices up to half off.

Choose between electric, battery- and propane-operated floor buffers

When it comes to floor buffers, you can choose models with an electric cord, or buffers that are operated by a battery or propane. Basically, your decision will come down to personal preference. Perhaps you'd rather not have a cord getting underfoot, or maybe you won't want to have to recharge a battery or refill a propane tank on a regular basis.

I recommend: Parish Maintenance Supply Corp. carries an electric floor buffer in two sizes--17-inch or 20-inch. The model has a 50-foot cord and carries a two-year warranty on parts and labor and a five-year warranty on the metal base. You'll find many battery-powered floor buffers at up to 35% off the original price at Cleaning Stuff. VacuumCleaners.net carries a huge inventory of propane-powered floor buffers or burnishers to meet all of your floor-cleaning needs.

Find a floor buffer provider offering used equipment

Whether you're in the market for heavy-duty or low-speed floor buffers, you can find a machine to fit any budget if you decide to go with reconditioned or used equipment. In most cases, you can save hundreds of dollars on a used floor buffer that will do everything a new machine will do.

I recommend: Ivie Enterprises has a long floor buffer list of used equipment, from lightweight to heavy-duty floor buffers, for a fraction of the cost of new machines. Southeastern Equipment and Supply has several large industrial-sized, reconditioned floor buffers that are several hundred dollars cheaper than new models.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Put accessories on the list when you're shopping for a floor buffer. Find floor buffer supplies such as cleaning pads, brushes, chemicals and solution tanks at many of the same places you shop for floor buffers.