I know your main priority is ROI.... and I know it's tempting think that buying the cheapest product will get you there, but in reality, cost should not be the only factor you base your purchase on. If you really want to make ROI quickly, you need to select products that fit exactly what your customers need. With Walk Behind Floor Scrapers, this same logic applies.

When looking into Floor Scrapers the best machines will be the ones that fit your markets needs the best. Whether they are professional contractors, DIY users, or both, each has distinct needs that you need to be aware of.

CONTRACTORS

The best kind of floor removal machine for contractors would be one that is focused on production rates and is extremely durable. When they take your equipment out on site, it needs to be effective at removing whatever surface they are trying to take up, which will sometimes be multiple types in the same job. Make sure that your units are able to accomplish this.

Find a unit that is heavy, but also has the drive power to back up the weight. The key to removing flooring effectively is based on DOWN pressure and PUSHING power. Many walk behind scrapers don’t have the weight behind them to take up things like ceramic or wood.

Because contractors have their own transportation and are used to dealing with heavier machines, they will be used to working with heftier units.

Power supply will not be a problem either because most professional contractors will have access to larger power sources. Depending on your country, they are used to working with more power than used in a household setting. This gives you more options when selecting your units. With more supplied power, you have more potential horsepower.

Priorities for CONTRACTOR RENTAL UNITS:
HEAVY, GOOD DRIVE POWER, DURABLE, RELIABLE

DIY / HOMEOWNERS

When it comes to this market, the types of walk-behind floor removal machines that would be ideal are very different than contractors. Most of the time, this market has little (or no) experience with these types of machines. They have one job to do and need the machine for a day or two, so they need a machine that is just going to get the job done.

One of the most important factors to pay attention to is power. They will most likely only have access to household power, which can drastically limit the types of units that are available. If a bigger power supply is not readily available, most people will avoid renting your bigger unit. If you can’t get a unit with household power, try to get as close as possible.

Another aspect to watch is the weight. This market may not be as used to dealing with heavy equipment and getting them in and out of houses can be difficult. The tension you need to balance here is the weight vs abilities. The type of flooring the person is removing will dictate the size of walk-behind scraper they need. They won’t be able to take up ceramic with a small unit, but they will have no problem with VCT or carpet. Identify what the majority of customers are doing and cater to them. Since you can’t have everything for everyone, it is best to cover the majority.

Depending on your market, you may be able to get away with a manual walk behind scraper. These are in-expensive units that are good for taking up light materials like VCT and carpet. They are not very versatile though because they can only take up select floors. But this may be just enough for your customers!

Long story short, make sure you have a machine that can take care of the most difficult floor that the majority will encounter. If it can do that, it will be able to remove any floor type.

Priorities for DIY / HOMEOWNER RENTAL UNITS:
LIGHTWEIGHT, EASY TO USE, HOUSEHOLD POWER, EFFECTIVE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF FLOORING

CONCLUSION

At the end of the day, the choice for a walk-behind scraper for your rental should be based on your target market. If you’re not sure what would be best, take a look around at your competitors and see what units they are carrying. Experienced rental companies would have gone through this process already, no need to reinvent the wheel. Don't forget about the wealth of knowledge available from the manufacturers. The sales and product training team at Bartell Global would be happy to answer any questions you might have.