You’re looking for a new commercial floor cleaning machine. You just don’t know how much to budget for it. After all, the last machine you had only lasted a few years before it began to have serious problems and was out of commission for repairs.
So how long should a floor cleaning machine last?
That all depends on the quality and the investment. The old adage, “You get what you pay for,” really does come into play when you’re talking about commercial floor cleaning machines. If you’re looking to save as much money as possible on these machines, don’t expect them to last very long. If, on the other hand, you are willing to invest properly in them, then you should be able to get many years of use out of them.
A quality floor cleaning machine should last at least five years before any major repairs are needed, as long as they are taken care of properly. If they are abused, dragged down steps, smashed into walls, left outside, or neglected in any other way, then the longevity of those machines is going to seriously diminish, and quickly.
Some of the higher quality machines out there, like Centaur Floor Cleaning Machines, are still being used from the 1960s. Can you expect that kind of use?
Not necessarily, but when you invest in a higher quality machine, it’s going to cost you more up front, but that’s going to pay for itself before long.
Talk to your maintenance department.
If you have a maintenance department or maintenance personnel that has a great deal of experience doing this type of work, sit down and get his or her input. Listen to what they have to say. They have been using these machines for a long time. They can give you a lot of guidance about which direction to go in and what could be beneficial for your particular facility.
When you invest properly upfront, that investment will pay for itself the longer it lasts, five, 10, 15, or even more years into the future.