Ride-on floor scrapers are one of the most innovative tools that you can find in the floor removal business. It is safe to say that it has practically revolutionized the way things are done in the industry. That said, there are a couple of things that you must know before getting one.
As you may already know, these floor scrapers work great for removing flooring material such as carpet ceramic tile, hardwood floor, and elastomeric finishings while the operator. Operating them is easy as you’re practically driving the unit. As a result, there is minimal physical effort involved, and the job can be completed for less time and manpower.
Factors to Consider when choosing one
Indeed, the benefits of using a ride-on floor scraper can be significant. That said, there are several important factors that warrant consideration when it comes to choosing the right one.
Such factors include the following:
Weight
Perhaps the most crucial aspect to consider when gauging the viability of a ride-on floor scraper is its weight. This is because the latter ultimately determine it’s efficiency.
How are they related you ask? Well, think of a hammer — they’re available in various shapes, sizes and weight. You don’t want to use a heavy and oversized hammer to drive a small nail. Doing so would be a waste of energy, and you’ll risk damaging whatever material you’re pounding into.
Likewise, you don’t want to use a small light hammer to drive a big nail through a piece of wood. Doing so would waste a lot of your time and effort. Ride-on flooring scrapers work the same way.
For flooring removal, much force is required to pull the old material from the floor. The heavier the floor scraper, the more downward force it exerts during operation. As a rule of thumb, heavy machines that produce more pressure makes the job of removing thick flooring materials a lot easier.
Of course, without the proper speed and torque to move a storm battery powered floor scraper, too much weight can prove detrimental.
Variable-Speed and torque
Weight, speed and torque are qualities that require each other to work effectively. Speed by itself has little impact on efficiency if weight and torque are lacking. You will either glaze over the surface or stop cutting too quickly. Either way, you’d be wasting precious time.
Another feature to look out for is whether or not the floor scraper has the variable speed or not. Lots Of Ride-on Floor Scrapers have just a single speed option. The reason that variable speed is a required function is because of the distinction in flooring material.
More power is required when removing ceramic tiles compared to carpet. With a variable speed choice, you can boost or reduce the power output depending on the situation.
Power source
Last but not least, on your list of concerns for choosing the right ride-on-floor scraper is battery life. There’s no point in getting a powerful floor scraper if it quits on you halfway through the job.
Most manufacturers market their products as one that has an “all-day” battery which might sound compelling. However, that doesn’t answer the real question — how much work can you do on a single charge?
Imagine for a second that you have a machine that can last for 12 hours versus something that can only work for half as long. You might say that the former is better, but what if that same device can help you do the job 50% faster than the other one? In this case, the unit with a shorter battery life puts out more power and gets the job done quicker than the more power-efficient unit. This means, less labour and saves you time that you can use to take on other work.
Conclusion
Indeed Ride-on Floor Scrapers are remarkable tools that have the potential to save you a lot of time and money. That said, you must understand the key distinctions that make certain units better than others, depending on your usage requirements.
Also, don’t forget to invest in a good dust vacuum extractor. Powerful floor scraping devices have the potential to kick up much dust which can prove harmful if inhaled.