When to Buy Walk-Behind vs. Ride-On Cleaning Equipment

When to Buy Walk-Behind vs. Ride-On Cleaning Equipment

To keep up with the demands of your business, specifically, to keep your facility in a clean and functioning order while also keeping labour costs down, you need to level up your cleaning game from the traditional mop or broom to industrial floor cleaning machines! Although investing lots of money initially in a piece of industrial cleaning equipment may be the last thing you want to do, in the long term, that industrial machine will pay you back on your investment! Specifically, by using an industrial floor scrubber or sweeper, you can clean your floors effectively, allowing you to make a clean and safe environment for your customers' employees while keeping costs low on manual labour.

Once you are convinced that an industrial cleaning machine will allow you to clean your space better while maintaining productivity, the question becomes, what type of floor sweeper or scrubber should you purchase, lease or rent? More specifically, a critical decision must be made between walk-behind and ride-on machines! Now let's consider some major positives and negatives to ride-on cleaning equipment and walk-behind cleaning equipment to allow you to make an informed decision between the two that fits the needs of your business!

When is a walk-behind machine your best option?

Although they sound completely manual by their name, walk-behind machines are self-propelled and only rely on the operator to assist with forward motion. Walk-behind machines are optimal for spaces with many obstacles, narrow doorways and inclines. In all these cases, a walk-behind device will allow you to maneuver while effectively leaving a clean floor!

Although many spaces may require a walk-behind machine due to their abundance of obstacles, lots of people may have larger spaces and still opt for a walk-behind machine because it has a lower purchase price. It is essential to acknowledge that although walk-behind machines are typically less expensive than ride-on machines, labour costs and replacement of wearable parts are important long-term factors to consider. Specifically, walk-behind machines can require more time to clean the same space than a ride-on machine can; thus, as an employer, you would have to pay for more hours of manual labour. Also, the wearability of the parts in your machine should be considered, as replacing parts can add up in the long term, and this is often a factor that needs to be addressed by many.

When is a ride-on machine your best option?

In contrast, a ride-on machine is more appropriate if you have a large area of floor space to clean quickly. For example, one could think of a ride-on machine as a mini Zamboni® that fits through doorways and can be seen servicing schools, hospitals, and large warehouses. Another benefit of a ride-on machine is that ride-on scrubbers use significantly less water than a traditional mop and bucket while leaving the floors much cleaner, thus speaking to the efficiency and eco-friendliness of such machinery. Also, some ride-on machines have excellent maneuverability, thus making them great for making tight turns and, in some cases, better than their walk-behind counterparts.

Although ride-on machines are an excellent choice if you have ample space and want an efficient means of cleaning your floor space, some negatives also make them less desirable in certain circumstances. Specifically, they cannot go up and down stairs or be used on steep inclines. Thus, if your space has many stairs or ramps, a ride-on machine may be less convenient than a walk-behind machine.

How to decide?

Now that you have considered the significant benefits and drawbacks of the walk-behind and ride-on models of industrial cleaning machines, you have a big decision ahead. Note that the choice in the type of machine comes down to your space and individual needs as a business owner. Specifically, you should consider how many square feet of floor space you are responsible for keeping clean and then decide which machine will be capable of cleaning most of that space. You also need to consider the number of doorways, ramps, obstacles, and staircases and how you will be able to clean the space with the machine you are thinking of getting.

It is suggested that after considering your square footage and the accessibility of your space, you pick the largest machine that can effectively clean most of it because larger machines will have longer run time, be able to carry more water and thus clean your space in the least amount of time allowing you to minimize labour costs and maintain the productivity of your business!

Another suggestion to help you decide between a walk-behind versus a ride-on machine is renting a machine for a day to try it out in your space. You could even time yourself or an employee on how long it takes to clean the space with each type of machine or how easily it can be achieved with any of the machines you are considering. Renting a machine for a number of hours or a day is worth the small investment as it will allow you to make an informed decision that will serve your business needs in the long term.

However, it is essential to acknowledge that no matter the type of industrial cleaner you decide on, you will still have a much more efficient means of cleaning your space than using a mop or broom. But again, you want to make sure your choice is the best of the best options!

Overall, the decision between a walk-behind versus a ride-on machine is up to you and your business; although sometimes the idea of spending lots of money on an industrial cleaning sweeper or scrubber may not be the most comforting thought, it is worth it in the long-term in order to keep your business safe, clean, and operating! Thus, it is better to make a decision that will serve you in the long-term and that requires careful consideration of your facility's requirements and your preference in the type of machine to clean said facility. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us today for expert advice if you are still trying to decide between a walk-behind or ride-on machine!