There are several different types of autoscrubbers available including upright, micro, walk-behind, stand-on, and ride-on. It can be hard to know which is the best option for your business.
Find out more about the different types of automatic floor scrubbers here.
The best choice for your business will be based on the size, needs, and budget of your facility.
In this article and video, we compare 5 of the best walk-behind auto floor scrubbers.
Walk-behind floor scrubbers are larger than upright scrubbers but smaller than ride-on scrubbers. They are great for facilities ranging from 1,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet.
Walk-behind scrubbers are more expensive than upright scrubbers, but they have advanced features that enable the operator to be more productive and get more done in the same amount of time. Increased worker productivity will translate into labor savings.
If you are interested in a specific type of walk-behind scrubber, click on the link below to learn more about the specific model.
Walk-Behind Automatic Floor Scrubbers
- Clarke CA 60
- Viper AS510B
- Tennant T300E
- Viper AS7190TO-312
- Tennant T500
Clarke® – CA60
Scrub Time
The Clarke CA 60 can be used for approximately 1.25 hours per tank.
Scrub Head Type
This Clarke® CA60 automatic floor scrubber can be purchased with either a disc or orbital scrub head.
Disc scrubbers utilize a round scrub deck and round floor pad or brush. They rotate the floor pad or brush in circles to clean the floor.
Orbital scrub heads “orbit” or move in fast, tight vibrations to clean the floor. On this machine, the orbital scrub head is equipped with BOOST® technology. BOOST® technology is a form of orbital scrubbing. This technology helps ensure uniform pad pressure in the front and back for even cleaning and reduced water consumption.
Scrubbing Width
The CA60 can be purchased with either a 20-inch disc or BOOST® orbital deck, or with a 24-inch BOOST® orbital head.
Pro Tip: Disc pads are round and rotate. BOOST® pads are square and orbit.
The 24-inch BOOST® pad offers the largest orbital scrubbing of all the scrubbers on our list of top-rated scrubbers.
Brush Speed
Disc and orbital machines operate at two different rotations per minute (rpms).
Disc machines spin in larger circles and typically require a cleaning chemical so they do not need to rotate as fast as an orbital machine. The CA60 disc machine rotates at 150 rpm.
Orbital scrubbers use high speeds and reduced or no chemicals to clean floors. When purchased as an orbital scrubber, the CA60 orbits at 2,250 rpm.
Tank Size
This walk-behind has a 16-gallon solution tank and a 16-gallon recovery tank.
The operator can use the BOOST® orbital machine on low water flow saving up to 70% water usage versus the conventional disc scrubber.
Pad Pressure
Depending on the model, the CA60 can deliver up to 110 pounds (BOOST® model) or 51 pounds (disc model) of downward pad pressure.
What makes the Clarke® CA60 a top-rated walk-behind floor scrubber?
With the ability to be equipped with BOOST® technology, this machine is a more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly auto scrubber option by reducing the amount of chemicals and water needed to clean.
The rectangular BOOST® pad is also great for reaching along walls or getting into tight corners. When used with a surface preparation pad (SPP), this machine can take several coats of wax off a floor with just water in the tank.
2. Viper AS510B
Scrub Time
The AS510B has a run time of approximately 3 hours per charge, one of the shorter run times on this list.
Scrub Head Type
This machine uses a disc style scrub head. Disc scrub heads are more common than cylindrical or orbital scrub heads; you’ll notice that the majority of autoscrubbers on this list are compatible with a disc brush.
Disc machines typically offer a strong down pressure that is very effective at cleaning tough stains or soils, making it a great option for your floor cleaning needs.
Scrubbing width
The AS510B offers a 20-inch scrubbing width, which is the most common scrubbing width offered on our list.
Brush Speed
The Viper AS510B 20-inch disc scrubber rotates at 150 rpms, which is one of the fastest of the disc walk-behind floor scrubbers on this list. The faster the pad rotates the better the scrubber can clean floors.
Tank Size
The solution and recovery tanks are each 10.5 gallons, the smallest on our list. Small tanks will restrict how far your staff can travel before having to empty the recovery tank. The more times your staff has to stop, the longer it will take them to clean.
Pad Pressure
Distributing 77 lbs of brush/pad pressure, this floor scrubber can easily tackle tough spots during your routine scrubbing procedures.
What makes the Viper AS510B a top-rated walk-behind floor scrubber?
The Viper AS510B automatic walk-behind scrubber is designed to withstand heavy-duty daily use in commercial facilities, such as schools, office buildings, or medical facilities. The pad driver assists in pulling the machine so that minimal effort is required by the machine operator.
3. Tennant T300E
Scrub Time
The Tennant T300E sits at the middle of the pack for scrub time, providing up to 3.8 hours of run time.
Scrub Head Type
There are a variety of options to choose from, with disk, cylindrical, and orbital.
Orbital heads are great because they use less water and fewer detergents while leaving your floors with a cleaner appearance.
Scrubbing Width
At 30 inches, this machine has the largest scrubbing width of the machines we are reviewing. When your custodial staff can complete cleaning procedures with fewer passes, you will save on labor costs.
Brush Speed
Depending on the deck type, the Tennant T300E operates at either 230 rpm (single disk), 285 rpm (dual disk), 1065 rpm (dual cylindrical), or 2200 rpm (orbital).
Tank Size
The Tennant T300E is equipped with a 11 gallon solution tank, and a 14 gallon recovery tank.
Pad Pressure
Delivering up to 109 pounds of brush pressure, this machine releases one of the highest downward pressure offered by any of our top-rated walk-behind scrubbers of 2024.
Increased pad pressure can help tackle harder floors or tough stains, reducing the number of passes your workers have to make.
Pro Tip: It is important to note that increased pad pressure doesn’t always mean better results. Using the correct combination of pad pressure and floor pad for the cleaning procedure can reduce the risk of damage to floors.
What makes the Tennant T300E a top-rated walk-behind floor scrubber?
The Tennant T300E can clean virtually any hard surface, including porous stone, grout and finished concrete, offering a dependable clean at an affordable price.
This floor scrubber also provides the operator with a very long run time. The longer a floor scrubber can clean without needing to empty the recovery tank or to be recharged, the more your janitorial staff can accomplish.
The variety of scrub heads that the T300E offers is part of what makes it a top-rated walk-behind floor scrubber. You can choose between disk, cylindrical, or orbital head types depending on your needs.
Disc heads are great because of their versatility and outstanding cleaning performance on smooth, pre-swept floors. Because of their lower solution flow rates, you end up saving money on water and chemicals, too. Cylindrical scrub heads use a higher rpm than disk heads, meaning they can handle floors that are covered in small debris. Because of the cylindrical design, they are great at cleaning floors that have cracks or grout lines. Orbital heads are amazing at cleaning even the toughest stains, without the need for harsh, or any, chemicals. They have immense down pressure, and can clean hard-to-reach corners with their rectangular pad design.
4. Viper AS7190TO-312
Scrub Time
The Viper AS7190TO-312 offers up to 4 hours of scrub time, the second longest on our list.
Scrub Head Type
This machine offers an orbital scrub head, making it ideal for preparing surfaces to be recoated.
Orbital models are often more expensive than their disk or cylindrical counterparts, but you’re paying for a more productive machine that will ultimately save you money on labor costs and materials used.
Scrubbing Width
Larger than most of the equipment on this list, the Viper AS7190TO-312 has a 28-inch scrubbing path. With 28 inches of scrubbing width, you’ll be able to clean a floor in less passes, saving time and effort.
Brush Speed
The Viper AS7190TO-312 has a brush speed of 2200 rpm. With that, it’ll easily remove floor finish without the use of chemicals.
Tank Size
This Viper machine has both a 22-gallon solution tank and a 24-gallon recovery tank, allowing the operator to cover more space before having to empty the tank.
Pad Pressure
This orbital scrubbing machine provides 143 pounds of pressure to the floor, the strongest pad pressure on this list.
What makes the Viper AS7190TO-312 a top-rated walk-behind floor scrubber?
This scrubber offers smart performance, simple design, and user-friendly operation
for cleaning medium to large sized areas. It has a long run time and large recovery/solution tanks, meaning you can clean for longer periods before having to stop for a charge or refill.
It comes loaded with key features for increased productivity. The eco mode greatly extends battery run time, while the Viper AS7190TO-312’s traction drive reduces operator fatigue by making the machine more effortless to operate.
5. Tennant T500
Scrub Time
Up to 5.9 hours
Scrub Head Type
This machine comes with a variety of scrubbing heads, including disk, cylindrical, and orbital.
Scrubbing Width
The Tennant T500 offers the largest scrubbing width of any of the equipment on our list at 32 inches with an orbital head. Disk head has a width of 26 inches, while cylindrical is in between at 28 inches.
Brush Speed
Brush pad speed of 220 rpm.
Tank Size
The solution tank has a capacity of 22.5 gallons, while the recovery tank has a capacity of 27 gallons.
Pad Pressure
There are three options, low, med, and high. The pad pressure of each of these options, respectively, is 40 lbs, 80 lbs, and 120 lbs.
Using the right pad pressure is important for properly cleaning floors. Too much pad pressure, and you can cause damage to the flooring. Not enough pad pressure, and your floor isn’t getting thoroughly cleaned.
The right amount of pad pressure is dependent on the type of flooring and what you’re trying to clean. That’s the beauty of having a range of pad pressures to select from; you’re prepared to clean a variety of messes on a variety of different types of flooring.
What makes the Tennant T500 a top-rated walk-behind floor scrubber?
The Tennant T500 boasts an array of impressive features that add substantial value to the machine.
Its innovative ec-H20 NanoClean technology, IRIS Asset Manager, and Pro-Panel LCD touch screen all come together to reduce cleaning costs , increase productivity, and simplify operator training. The auto-fill feature and water-level monitor help reduce time spent accurately filling the solution tank.
All of these features on top of an incredible (up to) 5.9 hour scrub time, the longest on this list by far.
Final Thoughts
The size and budget of your facility will ultimately help you determine which is the right floor scrubber for your business.
Keep in mind, money shouldn’t always be the deciding factor when choosing the best floor scrubber for your facility.
A smaller, less expensive machine, like the Viper AS510B or Tennant T300E, may be appealing. But, keep in mind, a larger, more expensive floor scrubber like the Tennant T500, which will clean more space in a shorter amount of time, can end up saving you more money through labor savings in the long run.
If you are interested in more sustainable product and equipment choices, the Clarke® CA60 equipped with BOOST® technology or AS5160 orbital machine will reduce the amount of water and chemical needed to clean your floors.
Or, if you are interested in prioritizing smart performance and a user-friendly, simple operation, the Viper AS7190TO-312 may be designed for you.
If a walk-behind scrubber does not provide a large enough cleaning path, a stand-on or ride-on auto floor scrubber might be a better option for your facility. Ride-on automatic floor scrubbers offer larger cleaning paths, lowering cleaning times and boosting worker productivity.
No matter your situation if you’re located in the United States, Puerto Rico, or the Caribbean, we can help match the best auto floor scrubber for your needs.
Imperial Dade has an unrivaled selection of commercial cleaning products and janitorial cleaning equipment to help you build the most effective floor care program.
If you are still not sure about which is the best option for your facility or have a question about auto floor scrubbers, let an Imperial Dade Equipment Specialist help.