What Engine is Best for my Floor Scrubber?

When it comes to powered floor-care equipment, you have five choices when picking a machine:

• Corded, electrically powered
• Battery powered
• Propane powered
• Gasoline powered
• Diesel powered

When asked which engine is best for my floor scrubber, the best answer is actually, “none.” Although often used interchangeably in conversation, the words “engine” and “motor” describe two different types of mechanical devices. Granted, both are devices used to convert some form of energy into mechanical motion, but that's about where the similarities end – and it's more than just a question of semantics. Here are some simple definitions:

• An engine uses some form of combustion or heat to produce mechanical motion, such as in the case of a car engine burning combustible fuel or a steam engine, which boils water to produce power.
• A motor, on the other hand, uses either electricity, hydraulic pressure or air to produce mechanical motion.

While this may seem an unimportant distinction in some respects, it becomes more critical in understanding that a combustion engine, whether fueled by gasoline, diesel or propane, produces combustion byproducts, such as carbon monoxide, that are harmful (or even deadly) to human life. This factor must be considered when deciding on the type of floor scrubber you choose to purchase.

Will You Be Cleaning The Floor of an Indoor Parking Garage?

An important determining factor when choosing a specific type of floor scrubber is what type of floor you'll be cleaning and where that floor is located. Indoor parking garages are a good example of where it's probably okay to use a floor scrubber powered by a combustion engine, because these types of facilities are designed and equipped to provide a rapid exchange of air in order to prevent those within the garage from succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Large warehouse facilities with proper exhaust fans that provide an adequate exchange of air by venting inside air to the outside and pulling fresh air in may also be candidates for using combustion-powered floor cleaning equipment. The best choice for this would be propane-powered equipment. There's a good chance propane is already being used for their forklift machines so a ready supply of LPG may be available.

Better Safe Than Sorry

Except in a few rare cases, the best choice for a floor scrubber is one that runs on electricity – either a plug-in or a battery-powered model. Corded units are typically entry-level, small machines meant for smaller jobs. Battery-powered floor scrubbers can be either walk-behind, stand-on or ride-on and are capable of doing much larger jobs more quickly and efficiently than their plug-in cousins. Most battery floor scrubbers are good for 2-3.5 hours of operating time before requiring a recharge, but bigger batteries can provide more operating time.

Using a plug-in floor scrubber has the advantage of not requiring recharging. You just proceed until you're able to find a new outlet. Cords, however, can pose a trip hazard and may not be appropriate for some locations like hospitals or retirement homes.