Floor Polishing Machines: Understanding the Difference Between Buffers and Burnishers

The Functionality of Floor Buffers: When to Use Them and Which Machine to Choose

There’s nothing quite like a beautiful, high shine floor.

Well-maintained floors are the hallmark of a hygienic and sanitary space, especially the dazzling “wet look” that is desired nowadays from marble flooring.

However, when it comes to maintaining hard floors, like concrete, granite, marble and others, people are usually confused about which equipment they should use for the floor’s upkeep.

What machine do you need? A floor buffer or a burnisher?

To an untrained eye, these floor polishing machines may look incredibly similar, but they happen to be vastly different. In this article, we’ll take a look at the difference between floor cleaning machines and understand which equipment you will require and for what task.

What is a Floor Buffer and when is it used?

A floor buffer can have many different names – Floor polisher, Floor rotary machine, swing machine – but essentially the same thing. A floor buffer is a piece of janitorial equipment that “strips” any hard flooring of the wax. However, that isn’t all the functionality it provides.

With the right brush or bonnet attachment, one can use the floor buffer for the following tasks:

1. To clean floors and carpets
2. To scrub floors
3. To remove dirt and scuff marks

This equipment usually maintains a side-to-side motion giving it the moniker a swing machine.

What is a Burnisher and when is it used?

Burnishers on the other hand are a piece of high-speed equipment that polishes hard floors. They create the “wet shine” look on the floor with the help of friction.

After a floor has been buffed, it can then be polished or burnished. This is the order in which the equipment is usually used.

During the process of burnishing, a small amount of fine dust is produced, hence one should choose a dust control model to ensure that no dust residue is formed.

Both these pieces of equipment may look the same, but they are used for very different purposes. Hence, you should be aware of when you need a burnisher and when you require a buffer.

Overview of Buffers and Burnishers from Victor Floor Care

At Victor Floor Care, we offer you a variety of buffers and burnishers. You can take a look at the Victor floor polishers in this section.

● ,Lynx Range High-Speed Burnisher

This is one masterful machine that operates at 1080 RPM and comes with a passive dust collector. It comes with a warranty of 3 years and is delivered fully assembled for use. This is one purely made-in-Britain product that is easy to store, has a long-life use, and comes with an ergonomic design.

● ,Contractor Range Buffer

Running at a range of 300 RPM (high speed) and 240 RPM (standard speed), this machine provides the flexibility to carry out buffing tasks. The highlight of this buffer is the CentreFlex® technology which we have been perfecting for over 30 years. This technology makes the buffer a lot easy to use as it can clean uneven surfaces and flat ones effectively. One can also use this for multi-functional cleaning.

● ,Victor Multispeed Rotary Floor Scrubber and Polisher Machine

This is ideally used for floors where there is heavy traffic like schools, colleges, hospitals, etc. This machine can switch between 200 RPM to 400 RPM and comes with the unique Centreflex® Technology. One can perform multifunctional cleaning with this scrubber and polisher machine. Moreover, it provides deep cleaning and polishing, so you don’t really need a buffer or a burnisher as it serves as multi-purpose equipment.

● ,Victor Trojan Slow Speed Rotary Machine

The Trojan is quite a powerful piece of janitorial equipment. It is used primarily to clean carpets and for scrubbing hard floors. It also comes with the useful Centreflex® Technology to provide an impeccable finish. It works at 180 RPM ideal for scrubbing.

Which is the Machine You Need for Your Job?

A floor buffer should be used when you plan to strip the floor of the dirt or wax. Also, if you plan to clean the floor, then a buffer like the Contractor is ideal for you. Other functionalities of this machine include spray cleaning, and scrubbing. This piece of equipment can be used for a good clean.

A burnisher like the Lynx ought to be used if you are aiming to get the coveted “wet look”. Also, invest in it if you are going to use it in high-traffic zones that require to look top-class every day. Since burnishing produces a little dust, the Lynx is your best bet as it sucks up this dust, improving air quality.

The scrubber and polisher machine performs a dual task. Use this if you want to clean and polish afterward. It’s perfect for high-traffic zones like colleges, schools, and hospices.

Finally, the Trojan is a hefty machine that you can use for carpet cleaning as well as floor cleaning. It tackles both these tasks effortlessly. It also comes with a corrosion-proof undercover, which allows strong chemicals to be used without any fear or corrosion.

In case you are still confused about the kind of equipment you will require, do get in touch with us and we will help you choose the right equipment for your janitorial services.