Floor buffers or floor machines are a popular method for polishing, rebuilding and cleaning floor surfaces. Floor buffers are useful for residential, industrial and commercial purposes. These machines are available in various sizes, speed and power ratings. They perform different functions for different surfaces and use various types of pads and brushes for cleaning and polishing.

In this guide, we will cover some of the key terms related to floor buffers, such as high speed and low speed floor buffers, buffing, pads, carpet brush, solution tank and propane floor buffers.

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Horsepower (HP)

Horsepower is the imperial unit of power. One horsepower is the work done at the rate of 550 foot-pounds per second and it is equivalent to 745.7 watts. This is an important factor to consider when buying floor buffing machines.

I recommend: The Engineering ToolBox, an information resource, offers an explanation of the term horsepower.

High speed and low speed floor buffers

Floor buffers are available in high speeds and low speeds with both having different applications. Low speed buffers are for residential and other small areas while high speed buffers are best suited for large areas and hard surfaces.

I recommend: VacuumCleaners.Net gives information on the types of floor buffers and tasks they are best suited to.

Propane floor buffers

Propane floor buffers use propane (also known as liquefied petroleum gas or LPG) for fuel and reduce the polishing time considerably as compared to other floor buffers.

I recommend: Cleaning Stuff, a provider of professional cleaning supplies, provides information about propane floor buffers.

Buffing

Buffing is the process of repairing the floor to clean and restore the finish or to give a shine to the floor.

I recommend: You can learn more about the buffing process at Basic Maintenance Supply Inc..

Pads

Pads are useful for cleaning and polishing a surface. As a part of floor buffers, pads are combined with different chemicals to give the proper finish.

I recommend: CleanLink, an informative website for sanitary supply distributors, gives information about the different kinds of pads and their related uses.

Carpet brush

A carpet brush is an attachment for the floor buffing machine that cleans and scrubs the carpets. This attachment is often used as a replacement for pads.

I recommend: JimTrade, a business-to-business (B2B) Media Company, provides information about cleaning brushes, including carpet brushes.

Solution tank

A solution tank can be attached to the floor buffer to give a constant supply of water, cleaner or shampoo to the carpet or the floor being cleaned.

I recommend: Material Handling Network, a magazine for the material handling industry, provides information about solution tanks.

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.

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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.

Despite its misleading name, a floor buffer is used for more than just buffing floors. These versatile machines can be used to strip, clean, buff, burnish and polish floors. With each of these functions, supplies besides the buffer itself are required.

When you are pricing a floor buffer for your business, you must take initial and recurring floor buffer pricing and costs into account. Consider the following suggestions to help you prepare your budget:

1. Consider the cost of the floor buffer itself.

2. Price replacement pads for the floor buffer for each function you need.

3. Factor in the cost of purchasing cleaning supplies for your floor buffer.

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Determine the cost of the floor buffer

Several factors affect the price you will pay for a floor buffer. The motor speed is one of these. High speed buffers are usually more expensive than low speed buffers of comparable size with the same features. Solutions tanks are another factor that affects the price. Models that have one of these tanks are more expensive than a model without.

I recommend: Clean Freak is a floor buffer provider. This company provides detailed floor buffer information on its entire floor buffer list to help you make the best purchase for your needs. Prices start at around $500 for the machine; however, packages are available that include pads, cleaners and the machine starting at around $700. You can find floor buffer models, including low and high speed, to fit any need at Ivie. Expect to pay anywhere from $850 to higher than $6,000 for your buffer.

Add up the cost of purchasing floor buffer pads

With regular use and various applications, you will have to replace the floor buffer pads. For each use of your buffer, you will need a different pad. That is, you need one pad for cleaning, another for buffing and yet another for polishing. You must include the cost of these pads in your budget as a recurring expense.

I recommend: FloorBuffers.com sells replacement pads for many floor buffer models. Prices start at around $10 for a case of 5 ten inch pads. Parish Maintenance Supply has a floor buffer directory of equipment that includes various replacement pads. This company sells the pads by the case or individually. You can expect to pay at least $3 per pad for individuals or $15 per case.

Remember to include the cost of cleaning solutions for your floor buffer

Cleaning solutions improve the performance of floor buffer. There are numerous solutions to choose from, each of which has a different purpose. While large containers of these solutions are more expensive initially, you usually pay less per unit, which saves you money in the long run.

I recommend: Cleaning Stuff sells cleaning solutions to use with floor buffers. Prices vary from $50 to $110 for the solutions. Spray buffer maintainer is $55 per case. You can find cleaning solutions at The Vacuum Center. Prices range from $15 to $45 per bottle.

Using a high-speed floor buffer is a key function of several jobs, including commercial and industrial cleaning and construction rehabbing. There's more to working with these heavy duty floor buffers and polishers than with their less complicated home cleaning and polishing equivalents, so specialized floor buffer education and training may be something you want to consider.

Industrial floor buffer usage falls into the category of environmental services and janitorial training. In addition to learning the basics of operating the equipment, you'll need to be aware of safety considerations, including proper management of floor treatment chemicals, dust control and asbestos abatement. You'll need to apply what you learn to diverse hard floor care situations, and practice troubleshooting and parts replacement.

1. Get basic operating instructions and training resources from manufacturers of floor buffers and polishers.

2. Review safety guidelines for floor buffer usage.

3. Enhance your high-speed floor buffer skills by undergoing professional-level floor buffer education and training.

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Take advantage of training resources from manufacturers of floor buffers and polishers

Operating a high-speed floor buffer, especially in industrial environments, requires some basic training. Equipment manufacturers are a good introductory resource. Many offer detailed floor buffer operating manuals and even video training.

I recommend: Advance offers downloadable, illustrated instructions for operating the company's floor care equipment; scroll down for floor buffer education. Tornado Industries offers an online training video for its Battery Glazer 17 floor buffer model.

Keep current with floor buffer safety education

High-speed floor buffer operation involves a number of safety considerations, including proper choice and use of cleaning chemicals, dust control and asbestos resurfacing concerns. State workers' compensation offices and universities offer important information on floor buffer safety that should be a part of any floor buffer education and training program.

I recommend: State Compensation Insurance Fund summarizes high-speed floor buffer safety concerns. Read the floor buffer guidelines provided by the Environmental Health and Instructional Safety Department at California State University, Fullerton.

Participate in professional floor buffer education and training programs

To add to your own or your staff's level of competence in operating floor buffers and polishers, get more extensive training such as that provided as part of environmental and janitorial services education. Training opportunities exist as self-study or traditional classroom options. This level of education will also include training in other commercial cleaning and floor care applications.

I recommend: The Cleaning to Perfection Hard Floor Training Program, which offers floor buffer education and training, is available in several different formats, in English and Spanish, from the Janitorial Store. Commercial janitorial education programs, such as the one offered through Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), usually combine classroom training with onsite practicum.