Ride on Floor Scrapers are one of the most productive ways to remove flooring materials such as VCT, carpet, linoleum, tile, hardwood, coatings and other types of flooring. Because of the price that comes along with these units, you may be thinking that they are out of reach for your business to utilize. The reality is that there are a few ways to economically get access to a Floor Scraper that can drastically increase your production on your demolition projects.

One of those ways is to look into financing the purchase of a unit. If you can use a Ride on Floor Scraper on a frequent basis for your projects, purchasing one may be the right move. If you do not have the cash up front to buy one, financing is a good option to look at.

Another very popular option is to rent these units. There are rental businesses that have Ride on Floor Scrapers available. This is a great way to not only increase your job production, but it also gives you a risk-free way to try out these units and get used to the way they operate.

Renting is not always the right option for every business, but for some it is the perfect solution. In this blog, we will go over a few situations where renting a Ride on Floor Scraper would be the best option for your business.  

YOU HAVE NEVER USED A RIDE ON FLOOR SCRAPER BEFORE

One main reason for renting is to maximise your productivity. Ride on scrapers achieve great removal rate times, and most flooring is not difficult to remove using them. If your traditional method for removal is manpower and hand tools, you know all too well how long a floor removal project can potentially take. Add to that, the fact that different types of substrates tend to remove easier than others – and that  adhesives and glues play a huge factor in determining how quick and easy a floor can be removed.

Renting a ride on scraper makes a lot of sense try as a comparison removal method on your next project. If you have never used one you may not be aware of the high rate of removal these machines can produce. Seeing is believing. Depending on the materials being removed – the ride on scraper can remove thousands of square footage per hour – a lot more than a crew can remove by hand. And because the units fit through most doorways and are highly maneuverable, most projects (even smaller ones) make good sense to try them out. Only then can you weigh the productivity advantages against the manpower required for a project. Renting the floor scraper will give you hands-on experience to know what the machine works well on, and when manpower is a better solution. The comparison will help you evaluate what your best choice for removal is for future projects.

To make sure that your rental investment is effective (especially if you are renting a Ride on Floor Scraper for the first time) make sure you and your operators get some training beforehand. The experience you have with the removal machine will be determined by the training that you receive from the rental company. Most rental companies are able to provide this training to you. These units are very simple to use but without training it’s easy to overlook some simple techniques that can get you high productivity or avoid issues on the job. By receiving some quick instruction, maximum productivity is easily achieved, but without training you may struggle with removal issues, optimum operation techniques and choosing the proper tool selection.

Even if you have seen a ride-on floor scraper hard at work on a job site – and have considered purchasing one for your business, renting is a great way to test that theory. Seeing a machine at work is different than using one on an actual job. Renting is a great way to see if a ride-on scraper is a good fit for the type of work that you do and for the type of company you are. It will also give you and your team a chance to get familiar to operation and to get comfortable with the machine.

On your next job that a ride on scraper would be suitable on, organise a rental for the job and see how it works for you. This will give you a real understanding of the potential a ride on scraper could have for your business. Productivity for these machines are huge so don’t be surprised that you will need to do a little number crunching as a comparison to your old method of removal.

YOU HAVE A ONE-TIME FLOOR DEMOLITION JOB

If you get a large commercial/industrial floor removal job or if this type of work is not the main core focus of your business, it may make more sense to rent rather than buy. Big jobs (10,000 sq ft and over) are obvious that your manpower will be expensive. Renting a machine for these projects makes sense because the cost of the rental heavily outweighs the manpower needed for large projects. For jobs that you take that aren’t specific to your business focus – renting makes sense because chances are you won’t have a need for the machine in the near future. In this case, renting will help you save up-front costs and future overhead and still let you get the job done quickly and easily.

Another benefit of renting a floor scraper is that many rental companies will most likely be able to drop off and pick up the unit for your job (for a fee). Because of the weight of a Ride-on Floor Scraper (these machines are often heavy to aid in the removal process), you may not have the vehicles or trailers that can properly transport these machines. If the rental company can deliver the unit – it saves you the cost of having to rent or purchase the proper transportation equipment to transport it, and it keeps the process simple for you.

If you plan on renting a floor scraper for an extended period (a few months at a time), renting can get costly. If this is the case, then look into reduced rental rate options with the rental company or investigate the cost of buying a unit to see what makes more sense. Depending on the size of your job, buying a floor scraper machine may actually be the best option. Choosing between renting or buying depends on how much flooring needs to be removed, how long the job will take, and if you plan to use the machine again in the future.

YOU LIKE SIMPLICITY

Sometimes, even though it may make sense to own a ride on scraper, people still prefer to rent because it is simpler. When you are renting a Ride on Floor Scraper, you don’t have to worry about maintenance of the machine, transportation or tooling attachments. When renting a floor scraper you pay only when you need it. Which means that you don’t have a large dollar value machine as overhead. Although it’s simple – there is a cost for the simplicity. Rental companies will often charge you for delivery if you don’t pick up the machine yourself and you also pay for the tooling you use in addition to your rental of the unit (whether you fully consume it or not).

If you are a flooring demolition contractor and remove flooring on a frequent basis, then renting may make less sense. Rental rates for extended periods of time can be expensive – even though rates are cheaper (per day) the longer you rent it. If you need the floor scraper on a regular basis - purchasing a unit makes more sense. If you do purchase, then be aware that your investment will typically provide a quick return on your investment – especially when used frequently.

A RIDE ON SCRAPER IS AVAILABLE TO RENT

These machines tend to be categorised as ‘speciality equipment’ with some rental companies, so you may have to search around to different rental companies if you are looking to rent one. That said, these machines are becoming more and more common – and are becoming available in in your standard equipment rental shop. Floor removal is a lucrative business, and the need for quick and easy removal is growing fast. As demand increases and contractors look for quicker and better ways to accomplish floor demolition projects so do the places to rent them.

If you find a rental shop that rents them – then spec it on your next project to see how effective it is and see how you can leverage it in your business.

WHEN IT MAKES GOOD BUSINESS SENSE

Renting a Ride on Floor Scraper is a great way to utilise these awesome machines to increase productivity, reduce manpower hours and increase profit on a project. It can also make good business sense to rent if you plan to buy a floor scraper in the future because you get all the benefits of the machine without the upfront overhead costs.

Any of the items from the list above can make great business sense to rent. Because, at the end of the day, your business is about highest productivity for the lowest cost. Whether that is accomplished with a ride on floor scraper or using manpower – the goal is the same.

If you are interested in renting one, talk to your local dealer, if you don’t have a rental agency in your area that rents ride on scrapers - get in contact with our team and we will help you find a local partner in your area who stocks and rents these types of units.