Commercial cleaning equipment costs: new against used

What to take away

Cost per working hour, with worked numbers

The figures here are illustrative ranges from published dealer and auction listings, not quotes. Your region and supplier will move them. The relationship is what transfers.

Total annual cost is (A divided by years kept) plus R plus (Hm times W) plus (Nf times Cf). Cost per working hour is that total divided by working hours.

U is where a cheap machine loses. A $1,500 used scrubber that sits idle four nights a week costs more per working hour than a $7,000 new one running nightly. Compare new and used on cost per working hour, never on A.

Run the arithmetic on two machines. A new Tennant T300 at $7,000, kept five years, is $1,400 a year in capital. Add $400 a year in consumables such as brushes and hoses, 30 maintenance hours at a $22 loaded rate ($660), and one failed night at $500. Total: $2,960.

Run nightly at two hours a night for 250 nights, and that machine works 500 hours at $5.92 an hour.

Now the used one: a $2,500 scrubber with three years of life left, $1,200 a year in parts, 70 maintenance hours ($1,540) and four failed nights ($2,000). Total: $5,573.

Idle four nights a week, it works 300 hours a year, so $18.58 an hour. The cheaper machine costs roughly three times more per working hour.

Where new and used land, by machine type

The equipment and setup guide explains why floor machines are bought only against a signed scope; this table assumes that scope exists.

The test-under-load protocol for a used machine

What new buys that used does not

The first thing new buys is a warranty with a supplier who answers the phone. Tennant, Nilfisk and Karcher machines typically carry 12 months of parts and labor cover. Dealer-used units often carry 30 to 90 days, and private sales carry none.

Operator training has a safety dimension: OSHA's safety and health program page describes finding and fixing hazards before injury. A machine the operator was never trained on is a hazard nobody found.

Known chemical compatibility: a new machine's manual says which products it tolerates, and matching that to the labels and data sheets your program keeps is easier than guessing on a used unit.

OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard page is the source for what covered employers owe workers about hazardous chemicals. Ask OSHA's resources or a safety consultant how it applies to the products your machines use.

OSHA's cleaning industry page lists hazard categories the agency associates with this work, including equipment hazards. The machine's condition is a worker-safety matter before it is a budget one.

What used buys that new does not

Time. A used machine bought this week for a scope starting next week lets you take the contract. A used Karcher BDS 43/180 C at $500 against $1,400 new, or a used ride-on at $6,000 against $18,000 new, frees capital for payroll and chemicals.

Lower capital at risk when a periodic line is tested for a quarter and might not be kept.

Running an older machine teaches an operator what wears and why, so the eventual new purchase is better.

Where this sits in the plan

The business plan for a cleaning company should show each machine with its trigger scope and its new-or-used decision, so a lender sees purchases tied to contracts. A $7,000 scrubber tied to a signed 12-month scope reads differently from a $2,500 auction win with no contract behind it.

The stage-by-stage list of what to own is in the equipment checklist for new owners, and the operator training that every machine needs is covered in the hiring and training guide.

Common questions

Is used equipment ever a mistake for nightly kit?

Rarely, if the vacuum motor tests strong and filters are available. A Sanitaire SC888 or ProTeam upright at $150 needs cheap belts and a stocked bag supply, and both are easy to find. The savings are small either way; buy what you can get a spare belt for.

How old is too old for a floor machine?

Age matters less than parts availability and hours under load. A ten-year-old Tennant or Nilfisk with a dealer behind it beats a three-year-old orphan.

Should I rent before buying?

For a periodic line you are testing, yes. Rent for the first jobs, learn the machine, and buy once the scope has renewed. Rental on a walk-behind scrubber typically runs $150 to $400 a day, or $600 to $1,200 a week, in most US markets.

What about buying from a cleaning company that is closing?

Often the best source: real machines with real history. Test under load anyway, and ask why they are closing before you copy their route.