Scrubber Floor Pads, Disc Brushes, and Cylindrical Brushes Demystified

foundation, I know they are on top of things and have a good standard of operating. One of the great many solutions we offer at Lift Truck Supply is commercial and industrial scrubbers and scrubber parts to help you make all of your company’s visitors feel the same way I do. Once you have picked out your Advance Scrubber unit, you may have questions about where, when, and how to use all the different available pads, brushes, and cylinders.

Overview:

Floor Pads and Disc Brushes are the more common type of brush for deck-configuration floor scrubbers. The rotary floor scrubbers that utilize the rotating disc brush system are ideal for wet stripping, scrubbing and buffing smooth flooring like vinyl composition tile, sheet vinyl, or polished concrete. Cylindrical Brushes utilized on cylindrical brush machines allow you to wet the floor, scrub, and dry in a single pass, and are extra effective on non-slip floors, grouted tiles, or cracked flooring. Cylindrical brush machines also help to eliminate pre-sweeping or extra machinery.

FA Floor Pads:

Floor Pads are large double-sided abrasive discs used in industrial or commercial scrubbers. These pads are used for smooth type floorings such as vinyl composition tile (VCT), sheet vinyl, or polished concrete due to its large dirt-removing surface. Floor pads should not be used on uneven or rough flooring as they can be easily damaged. Floor Pads come in a variety of colors and grits. From softest to roughest, you have white, red, blue, green, and black. White floor pads are the softest. Red is a very common pad for daily cleaning. Blue and green are often used to top scrub floor finishes. Black pads are at the roughest end of the spectrum used for stripping. Other colors are usually specialty-stripping pads for use in removing very stubborn floor finishes or sealers. It is recommended that you check and monitor your floor pads before each use. Remove any excess dirt or debris that may harm your floors coating before use. Once both sides of the pad have worn down or become damaged, you may dispose of it and replace the pad inexpensively.

FA Disk Brushes:

Disc Brushes are a good choice for those uneven or rough surfaces that the floor pads just cannot handle. Brushes can be used on smooth flooring like floor pads but will not clean as well depending on factors such as surface area and amount of soil. Disc brushes come in a large range of materials to fit every possible need. Usually, a manufacturer will offer soft nylon bristles, polypropylene bristles, and then super abrasive grit bristles. White is the softest and is typically used for specialty or expensive flooring. The polypropylene brush is the most used type of brush and can handle most general daily cleaning. The abrasive grit is used for the roughest flooring or tile with a large amount of grout. Brushes also need to be checked before use to ensure they are clean and free of entangled debris that could damage the floor or coating. Brushes are more expensive than pads but depending on your application could save you money in the longer-term investment.

FA Cylindrical Brushes:

Cylindrical Brushes are long tubes with bristles set diagonally along the shaft used in cylindrical or combo machines. These brushes are commonly used in larger open spaces where pre-sweeping is not feasible. The cylindrical brushes flick larger refuse up into a small hopper-holding tray away from the cleaning solution intake. These types of brushes are good for grouted or cracked flooring. While there is less ground contact, the cylindrical brushes faster than its floor brush and pad counterparts.

Brush Type

TypeDescription
Cylindrical Scrub Main Scrub
“Cylindrical scrub or main scrub use a full-fill design that keeps bristles on the floor at all times and directs solution to the center of the scrubbing path as the bristles agitate the debris loose from the ground. The filament length on this brush designates it as a scrubber since the short bristle isn’t able to flick or sweep the debris off the ground.”
Main broom “The main broom is built around a heavy duty core, with staple-set tufts aligned in spiral rows. This design places bristles on the floor at all times to increase vacuum efficiency and improve pickup characteristics.”
Pad Driver “Stiff, 1/2” long polypropylene bristles unevenly trimmed and widely spaced to firmly grip scrubbing pads.”
Side Broom wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Side-Broom.png“The side brooms purpose is to throw debris out in front of the sweeper so that the main broom can pick it up.”
Side scrub rotary brush “A rotary brush or side scrubber is designed to spin and agitate debris loose from the ground with its dens and stiff bristles.”
MaterialDescription
Grit“A highly productive filament and has an excellent brush life in dry sweeping conditions.
Nylon performs well on rough surfaces and in high-temperature environments because
of its durability and high melting point. The smaller the grit size the more aggressive the
scrubbing.”
Nylon“A highly productive filament and has an excellent brush life in dry sweeping conditions. Nylon performs well on rough surfaces and in high-temperature environments because of its durability and high melting point. The smaller the grit size the more aggressive the scrubbing.”
Soft nylon0.18 – 0.20gauge Nylon bristle
Medium nylon0.22gauge Nylon bristle
Stiff nylon0.28gauge Nylon bristle
Nylon patrol“The “V” shaped pattern of the bristles is used for sweeping large indoor and outdoor areas at higher speeds and gives superior hopper loading of sand and larger items. “
Nylon wireA combination of Nylon and Wire to provide more stiffness.
Poly“The most popular filament in scrubbing applications, Poly is efficient for use with most soils
and surfaces. Although Poly is more economical than Nylon, it is not recommended for
sweeping high temperature debris.”
Medium poly0.22gauge bristle
Stiff poly0.28gauge bristle
Poly wireA combination of Poly and Wire to provide more stiffness.
Proex“Is highly efficient as an all-purpose filament for indoor and outdoor sweeping applications,
including damp or humid environments. Not recommended for high-temperature sweeping
applications. Proex is polypropylene and derives its name from the X-shape of the bristle.”
Extra stiff proexThis Proex bristle gauge is greater than 0.28
Proex/wireA mixture of Proex and Crimped Wire. This is the most versatile and widely used filament.
Stiff proex/wireA 0.28gauge bristle mixture of Proex and Crimped Wire.
Union fiber“Comprised of a mixture of Tampico and Palmyra fibers, this material is highly efficient for dust control and sweeping fine debris. As a natural fiber, Union has relatively shorter wear life versus other synthetic materials.”
Union mixA combination of Palmyra and White Tampico used in hard surface polishing applications.
Union/wireA combination of Union Fiber and Wire to provide more stiffness.
WireCrinkle wire used on side brooms and in main brooms with a combination of Union and Proex.
Butcher wire“Scarifying brush that uses staple set butcher wire to cut through dirt and buildup on
concrete floors and scratch the surface.”
Flat wire“Flat Wire is made from flattened spring steel wire and is an aggressive material used only on
side brushes and primarily in outdoor applications. This is an excellent material for digging
heavy compacted debris away from the edges of buildings and curbs.”
Crimped wire“Used for applications needing extra cutting action for heavy-duty sweeping of compacted dirt or debris. Normally mixed with Proex or Union filaments. Recommended for low dust
sweeping on unsealed surfaces when used alone.”
Steel wire“(0.014” diameter) is the most aggressive of the series, for use on unfinished concrete
surfaces.”
Row PatternDescription
Single Row
2“The single row pattern is ideal for sweeping applications in dusty and/
or sandy conditions. It is also referred to as the full-fill or high-density
pattern. This pattern is designed to pick up fine debris, but not bulky.”
3“The single row pattern is ideal for sweeping applications in dusty and/
or sandy conditions. It is also referred to as the full-fill or high-density
pattern. This pattern is designed to pick up fine debris, but not bulky.”
4“The single row pattern is ideal for sweeping applications in dusty and/
or sandy conditions. It is also referred to as the full-fill or high-density
pattern. This pattern is designed to pick up fine debris, but not bulky.”
6“The single row pattern is ideal for sweeping applications in dusty and/
or sandy conditions. It is also referred to as the full-fill or high-density
pattern. This pattern is designed to pick up fine debris, but not bulky.”
8“The single row pattern is ideal for sweeping applications in dusty and/
or sandy conditions. It is also referred to as the full-fill or high-density
pattern. This pattern is designed to pick up fine debris, but not bulky.”
12“The single row pattern is ideal for sweeping applications in dusty and/
or sandy conditions. It is also referred to as the full-fill or high-density
pattern. This pattern is designed to pick up fine debris, but not bulky.”
18“The single row pattern is ideal for sweeping applications in dusty and/
or sandy conditions. It is also referred to as the full-fill or high-density
pattern. This pattern is designed to pick up fine debris, but not bulky.”
20“The single row pattern is ideal for sweeping applications in dusty and/
or sandy conditions. It is also referred to as the full-fill or high-density
pattern. This pattern is designed to pick up fine debris, but not bulky.”
24“The single row pattern is ideal for sweeping applications in dusty and/
or sandy conditions. It is also referred to as the full-fill or high-density
pattern. This pattern is designed to pick up fine debris, but not bulky.”
Double Row
5“Because of its versatility, the double row pattern is the most popular
pattern for sweeping applications. This design allows the space
between each row to trap bulky items while the bristles are working to
pick up the finer debris such as dust and sand.”
6“Because of its versatility, the double row pattern is the most popular
pattern for sweeping applications. This design allows the space
between each row to trap bulky items while the bristles are working to
pick up the finer debris such as dust and sand.”
8“Because of its versatility, the double row pattern is the most popular
pattern for sweeping applications. This design allows the space
between each row to trap bulky items while the bristles are working to
pick up the finer debris such as dust and sand.”
9“Because of its versatility, the double row pattern is the most popular
pattern for sweeping applications. This design allows the space
between each row to trap bulky items while the bristles are working to
pick up the finer debris such as dust and sand.”
12“Because of its versatility, the double row pattern is the most popular
pattern for sweeping applications. This design allows the space
between each row to trap bulky items while the bristles are working to
pick up the finer debris such as dust and sand.”
16“Because of its versatility, the double row pattern is the most popular
pattern for sweeping applications. This design allows the space
between each row to trap bulky items while the bristles are working to
pick up the finer debris such as dust and sand.”
Patrol Brush
5“The patrol brush has a V-pattern and is designed primarily for for highspeed
sweeping in large areas. Designed with fewer rows with more
tufts per row, there is more space between rows. This enables the
brush to effectively pick up medium to large debris such as cans, paper
and leaves at faster speeds.”
5 Triple Row“The patrol brush has a V-pattern and is designed primarily for highspeed
sweeping in large areas. Designed with fewer rows with more
tufts per row, there is more space between rows. This enables the
brush to effectively pick up medium to large debris such as cans, paper
and leaves at faster speeds.”
4 Quad Row“The patrol brush has a V-pattern and is designed primarily for highspeed
sweeping in large areas. Designed with fewer rows with more
tufts per row, there is more space between rows. This enables the
brush to effectively pick up medium to large debris such as cans, paper
and leaves at faster speeds.”
4 Quad Row“A patrol brush that is designed with fewer rows and allows for more
space between the rows. This enables the brush to more effectively
pick-up litter at faster speeds.”
5 Triple Row“A patrol brush that is designed with fewer rows and allows for more
space between the rows. This enables the brush to more effectively
pick-up litter at faster speeds.”
GritDescription
.018/5000.018”diameter Nylon filament impregnated with 500 grit
.022/1200.022″diameter Nylon filament impregnated with 120 grit
.035/1800.035”diameter Nylon filament impregnated with 180 grit
.050/800.050”diameter Nylon filament impregnated with 80 grit
.066/360.066”diameter Nylon filament impregnated with 36 grit
.070/460.070”diameter Nylon filament impregnated with 46 grit
Application TypeGrit-.070/48Grit- .050/80Grit- .035/180Grit- .018/500Stiff NylonMedium NylonStiff PolyMedium PolyCrimped WireBassineUnion MixWhite TampicoButcher Wire
Stripping
TerrazzoYesYes
Vinyl Tile Yes
Ceramic/Quarry Tile Yes
Linoleum Yes
Scarifying ConcreteYes
General Scrubbing
Heavily Soiled ConcreteYesYesYes YesYesYesYesYes
Moderate to Lightly Soiled ConcreteYes YesYesYesYes
Vinyl TileYes Yes YesYesYes
TerrazzoYesYesYesYes
Ceramic/Quarry TileYesYesYesYes
LinoleumYesYesYesYes
MarbleYesYesYes
Raised Disc Rubber TileYesYesYes
Non-Slip Epoxy FinishYesYesYes
Carpet ScrubbingYesYes
Hard Surface Polishing
Raised Disc TileYesYes
MarbleYesYes
Linoleum/Vinyl TileYesYes

LTS provides all three options in our online store and has bulk discounting available. By carefully assessing your flooring type and what cleaning need you are addressing we have you covered. If you still have questions feel free to contact our Gold-Certified parts people at the information below to have them help you assess your scrubber needs.

For more information contact us at:

Contact Lift Truck Supply
T:1.800.873.1828
E: marketing@short-pear.flywheelsites.com
F: Contact Page

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