Anyone have a floor machine or buffer or know about them?

[signcrafter]

I needed to remove some glued down commercial carpet and some glue down vinyl plank in a building. We pulled the carpet and planks up and then had to deal with the glue left on the concrete. After some research I ended up buying a diamabrush plate that goes on a floor machine, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LG1HUSW/?tag=atomicindus08-20. Figured I could rent a floor machine for a week or two for a couple hundred bucks but ended up being about 200 a week to rent. So I ended up just buying one for around 650. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001RQ2ZF4/?tag=atomicindus08-20. Just how my head works since I hate renting anything and it was paid for on this job and I'll have it for a long time to come. Plenty of material left on the diamond wheel also so can use that on any future projects.

I got the work done and now have a floor machine and diamond wheel sitting around. So want to see what else I can use this thing for?

Can I use a floor pad like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005AX12HC/?tag=atomicindus08-20 to clean things like epoxy floors, ceramic and porcelain tile floors, or other things? If so what color pads work for what and what else can it clean?

Or would a bristle wheel work better for cleaning tile like this one, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01011RZYG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I see they also make a driver for using 17" sanding discs, I'm guessing for sanding hardwood floors? How good are they compared to a drum sander I'm used to seeing for hardwood floor sanding?

I've also read about using a bonnet for cleaning carpets. Not sure I would want to try that because it seems a little dangerous in a smaller residential room to clean a carpet stain.

But just wondering what all some of you might have used a floor machine for? What different drivers you might have used and for what? Any other tips for floor machines like these?

 

[DTE]

One big difference would be the RPM, a machine for buffing floors that are sealed with wax would be somewhere in the 1500 RPM range. One for stripping waxed floors runs about 150 RPM.

 

[signcrafter]

One big difference would be the RPM, a machine for buffing floors that are sealed with wax would be somewhere in the 1500 RPM range. One for stripping waxed floors runs about 150 RPM.

The one I have is 175 RPMs.

I don't plan on doing buffing or applying wax. But trying to see if it can be used for more cleaning type projects.

 

[RV8guy]

Can you stay on for 8 seconds?

 

[gdocktor3]

There are all sorts of different pads. The lighter colors like white and pink are for shining or burnishing waxed floors. Darker pads like black, brown, blue, green are rougher and can be used to remove grease and grime, wax, etc. You can clean carpets as well with bonnet attachments. There are also large brush/bristle attachments that can be used for scrubbing tile and grout, or sand paper attachments for sanding hard wood floors and what not. I have like 4 buffers and a burnisher I strip and wax floors on the side for small businesses.

 

[signcrafter]

There are all sorts of different pads. The lighter colors like white and pink are for shining or burnishing waxed floors. Darker pads like black, brown, blue, green are rougher and can be used to remove grease and grime, wax, etc. You can clean carpets as well with bonnet attachments. There are also large brush/bristle attachments that can be used for scrubbing tile and grout, or sand paper attachments for sanding hard wood floors and what not. I have like 4 buffers and a burnisher I strip and wax floors on the side for small businesses.

Thanks for the response. I would like to get an attachment to clean tile and grout. Is there one you would recommend? I have a friend that owns a few restaurants so I could make a few bucks every couple months cleaning his tile to help justify keeping the machine. What is the average price per sq ft to clean tile/grout? Not really looking to start a business but if I could make a few extra bucks every few months using a machine I already have that would be great.

 

[Wamsutta]

Pull up in the handle it goes left. Push down on the handle it goes right.

 

[gdocktor3]

I strip and wax floors, not clean tile or grout so I can't help you. Just figure a price for your time really since there aren't any real supplies other than some degreaser and water. I like the black stripping pads for most scrubbing and cleaning, but here's a brush that will work, but you need to make sure you have the block attachment to accept that style brush. http://m.centralrestaurant.com/prod...Bwm8ZpVN-CA62BbpY3kbGUjLU5jxgBdHHsRoCbeXw_wcB