Equipment Sizing: How Big is Too Big?

As a general rule of thumb, you should purchase the smallest walk-behind or ride-on equipment that will allow you to complete your active sweeping or scrubbing in no more than two to three hours (exclusive of dump and refill cycles). For most companies, the person doing the cleaning is also responsible for other jobs in the plant, and it’s generally not economical to have him spending more than half a day on cleaning.

Look for machines with larger capacity hoppers or solution tanks in order to minimize unproductive dump and refill activities. If you need to scrub a 9-foot-wide aisle, a 48-inch-wide machine will accomplish that task in a minimum of three passes. While you might think that a 50-inch-wide machine would get the job done more quickly, it doesn’t. It will still require three passes to complete the cleaning. This is a case in which a larger and more expensive machine offers no gain in productivity.

By matching the size of the machine to your exact needs, you minimize your capital investment while maximizing productivity. In many instances, you may need a ride-on sweeper or scrubber for large open areas and a smaller walk-behind sweeper or scrubber for narrow aisles or to get in around and between individual workstations. Again, each machine you choose should be the smallest practical size for the job in order to minimize your investment.

Walk vs. Ride

Did you know that 90% of the cost of cleaning is labor? This is a huge factor to consider when choosing between a walk-behind machine or ride-on machine.

In some cases, the additional cost of a ride-on machine can likely be recouped from labor savings in about three months. This is because ride-on sweepers and scrubbers offer productivity gains as much as 64% over walk-behind machines. In addition, ride-on equipment is easier on your personnel, allowing them to do more with less fatigue. Today’s ride-on machines are compact enough to get into narrow spaces, and many are nimble enough to turn within their own length. By making more passes in a given time and significantly reducing worker fatigue, ride-ons provide a big productivity boost for a modest investment.

However, walk-behind scrubbers are better suited to smaller facilities with a need for scrubbing and light debris pickup. Additionally, walk-behind scrubbers may be a better choice for your facility if cost is a significant factor in your equipment selection.

Six factors to consider:

1. Maneuverability – What does the cleaning space require; Are there tight corners?
2. Cost – What does your budget allow?
3. Employee age – How old is the person that will be running the machine and what are their capabilities?
4. Productivity – Consider the speed and path size of each machine to determine your application needs.
5. Safety – What will meet safety standards for your industry?
6. ROI – How much return-on-investment will you receive?