Imperial Dade Insights

Adding a commercial floor buffer to your facility’s cleaning and maintenance program will increase worker productivity, improve cleaning results, and extend the life of your floor.

So how do you choose the best commercial floor buffer when there are many different brands, sizes, motor types, and other features?

To help you narrow down the choices, we selected the best two commercial floor buffers of 2024:

1. Tennant® FM 20 Single Speed
2. Viper Venom™ 20 Dual Speed

1. Tennant® FM 20 Single Speed

The Tennant FM 20 Single Speed can be used to polish, scrub and strip almost any floor, including uneven surface.

This heavy-duty floor buffer is specially engineered to deliver versatile cleaning power and chemical-free floor finish stripping. The simplified design requires little maintenance while providing an excellent cleaning performance.

Deck Size

The Tennant FM 20 SS is a 20-inch single-disc machine, the same size as the other floor buffer on this list.

Rotations Per Minute (RPM)

This commercial floor buffer rotates the floor pad at 175 revolutions per minute to efficiently maintain hard or carpeted floors.

Power Source

The FM 20 SS is cord-electric and comes equipped with a yellow power cord that is 50 feet long.

Pro Tip: Battery operated floor machines are typically heavier than cord electric floor machines due to the battery compartment and onboard batteries. Similarly, cord-electric machines require less maintenance than battery operated machines because there are less compartments/components to maintain.

Motor

The Tennant FM 20 SS has a 1.5 hp motor. The higher the horsepower, the more power the buffer will have to rotate the floor pad.
This machine also has a 66 frame heavy duty motor that makes it a durable option for your commercial floor buffing needs.

Gearbox

The FM 20 SS floor buffer contains an all-steel triple planetary gearbox that allows it to run smoothly and last longer than a single or double planetary gearbox.

Pro Tip: Commercial floor buffers can have single, double, or triple planetary gearboxes. The gearbox provides power and stability. Triple planetary gearboxes provide the best torque and balance control. Single or double planetary gearboxes do not fully balance power across the gearbox and are not as good as a triple planetary gearbox.

Noise Level

This is the quieter of the two machines. It has the lowest noise and vibration levels to help minimize interruptions during daytime cleaning procedures. It operates at 50 dBA, which is equivalent to the sound of a quiet conversation. This machine is the quietest floor buffer on our list.

Warranty

Tennant offers a variety of warranty options. Your local Imperial Dade Representative can provide more information.

2. Viper Venom™20 Dual Speed

The Viper Venom ™ 20 Dual Speed Floor Buffer is a floor machine that is engineered to withstand heavy, daily use in your commercial facility.

Pro Tip: Dual-speed floor buffers are best used in facilities that still use spray buffing procedures. This buffer gives you the ability to operate the machine at higher speeds (330/185 rpm) to produce a better shine.

Deck Size

The Viper Venom™ is available with a 20 inch cleaning path. The wider cleaning path on this commercial floor buffer will allow you to cover more ground with each pass.

Rotations Per Minute (RPM)

The dual speed function of the Viper Venom™ 20 allows the machine to be used at lower speeds of 185 RPMs and high speeds of up to 330 RPMs.

Power Source

The Viper Venom™ is cord-electric. It has a 50 ft safety yellow power cord.

Motor

This swing machine has a 1.5 horsepower (hp) motor.

The Venom™ has a 66 frame motor. It is built for heavy-duty usage. The 66 frame motor delivers high rpm, starting torque, and brush/pad drive power for floor buffers. These motors are durable and long-lasting.

Noise Level

The Viper Venom™ floor buffer operates at 68 dBA, which is slightly louder than a normal conversation. It’s quiet operation allows it to be operated during the day without disturbing occupants.

Warranty

This machine has a 3-year warranty on parts. The warranty on this machine does not cover wear and tear parts such as gaskets, brushes, drive belts, accessories, and filters.

Final Thoughts

Still not sure which commercial floor buffer is best for your business?

If you’re looking for a heavy duty machine that can function at both higher and lower speeds, the Viper Venom™ 20 Dual Speed will be the better option. 

If you’re looking for a durable commercial machine that can perform a variety of cleaning tasks, the Tennant FM 20 Single Speed is a good option. 

Selecting the best floor buffer for your business based on your budget and needs can be challenging. 

Imperial Dade locations have an unrivaled selection of commercial cleaning products and janitorial cleaning equipment that perform multiple cleaning tasks throughout your facility. If you’re located in the United States, Canada, or the Caribbean, Imperial Dade can help you determine your building’s floor maintenance machine needs. 

If you are still not sure about which floor buffer is the best option for your facility or have a question about commercial floor buffers, let an Imperial Dade Specialist help.

Check Out These Additional Resources:

• How Much Does A Floor Buffer Cost? 6 Factors That Influence Price
• What Is The Best Floor Pad For Your Buffer or Burnisher [Video]?
• Top 4 Most Common Floor Buffer Problems