Earthblog

At least once a week we get calls from contractors who’d like to rent a riding floor scraper locally as a result of a job that popped up.  Most of the guys that need a rider several times a year already own one, but lots of guys that don’t run into floor removal that often don’t have a machine.

It sure would be nice if we could just give you the number of a local Sun or United rentals and you could head on over there and grab a machine for a few days.  Unfortunately, those rental centers don’t see the value in adding a riding scraper to their inventory.  Over all the years we’ve been doing this, we’ve sold maybe a handful to rental centers.

Maybe one day, we’ll implement a rental program on our own?  We could ship the machine to a locataion and let the rentor use it for a few days and ship it back.  We’ve had discussions about it, and while some of us think it’s a good idea, others think the machines will just get too beat up, and the risk isn’t worth it.

Maybe in 2009, we’ll experiment with this?  Until then, not sure what to tell all the folks looking for rentals.  Check your local rental center, but remember when doing so that you probably have no more than a 5% chance of finding one.  An option that’s more likely to work for you is to find a local contractor that owns a machine, and hire them to do the removal for you. 

Is that a great solution?  Not really.  But, it’s better than taking up 7,000 sf of ceramic tile with a roto hammer.

We get calls all the time from contractors out there looking for used grinders and floor scrapers.  Unfortunately, this equipment is pretty tough to find out there.

Every once in a while a client will contact us with a used Bronco or Renegade and tell us they’re looking to sell, but it is very infrequent…maybe one or two of these calls a year.  The other alternative is we’ll sometimes have access to a factory demo unit, or a piece of refurbished equipment.

If you’re looking for a used floor grinder or scraper, feel free to call us.  We’ll see what we can dig up.   But, don’t get hopes too high expecting to find something.  As Rory likes to say, used floor scrapers are as rare as “hen’s teeth”.

But, if you have a piece of equipment you’d like to sell, maybe something you only needed for one particular job, let us know.  We’ll see if we can’t help you turn your used flooring equipment into cash.

It’s not just about the machine you use, but the tooling is also important.  The world’s greatest surgeon wouldn’t be able to do much with a chainsaw, and the World Lumberjack Champion would be “up a tree” if all he had was a scalpel to operate with.

Still, it’s not uncommon for us to get calls from people out there who have run into problems on the job because they didn’t have the right tooling for the job at hand.  Sometimes these are our clients, other times, just guys who bought or rented a floor removal machine elsewhere.

Whatever the situation, there are basically two reasons you might run in to trouble.  Either the machine is limited in what kind of tooling you can use with it, or maybe you’re just running into something you’re not sure how best to tackle.

Let’s deal with the machine first.  Some machines are simply not designed to do certain things.  You can occasionally do “work arounds”, but that can be a pain.  You could theoretically grind an entire room with an edge grinder, but that’s really not the best way to go, is it?  And you can go at ceramic tile with a lightweight floor stripper, just don’t expect good results.
 
While a little ingenuity can come in handy, you don’t want to have to be MacGyver to have to figure out how to get 4,000 feet of hardwood up in 2 days with a butterknife, sandpaper, and some dental floss.  Making sure you have the right equipment for the work you bid and take on will not only make your life easier, it will help you get more business.

The other situation which might come up is when you have the right machine, and even the right tooling in your toolbox, but aren’t sure what to use.  Some of our machines have 30 or 40 or more different blades and attachments, so you can be sure you can handle whatever comes up.  That can sometimes lead to indecision.

That’s where our expertise and experience comes in handy.  Feel free to call us anytime.  We have experts on our team that have seen it all.  We can talk through your situation with you, and help you figure out a game plan to get the job done in the best way.

Something that just came up on a call with a client that I thought I’d write about is edge grinding.  Some of the more popular lines of floor grinders out there can only get to within one inch of the wall.  So, if you’re using one of those grinders, you’ll have to use a separate edge grinder to do the entire perimeter of the room, to even out the grind.

Some people don’t consider this when making their grinder purchase.  As a result, you may be disappointed to find that your new grinder doesn’t get particularly close to the wall.  Since this is not something that always comes up, I thought it might be a good idea to make mention of it.  Unless you’re looking to buy BOTH a grinder, AND an edge grinder, make sure your new floor grinder will take you within about 1/8 of an inch of the wall.

What’s going on in the worldwide economy will no doubt impact all businesses, but it is widely believed that FDR was more than partially right when he said “We have nothing to fear but fear itself!”

The basic qualities it takes to run a successful business don’t change much whether the economy is good or bad.  What we’ll find is that tougher times will simply separate the men from the boys.  While we’ve heard from some clients that things are slowing down, we’ve got many other clients that are growing, and investing in new equipment for their businesses.

Same outside forces, different reaction and result.
 
A couple of inches of snow can shut down a city in the south…but, in Chicago or Buffalo, they’d hardly even notice it.  Again, same outside forces, different reaction and result.

We can’t control the weather, and we can’t control the economy.  Best we can do is be prepared.  When it snows, or when the economy slows, we just put our head down and get to work.  The environment will turn around.  And, when it does, things will look different.

Here at SED, we’re investing in new software to help us run all operations of our business more efficiently and effectively.  Is the timing perfect?  No, not really.  Is it expensive?  Yup.  But, it’s what is needed right now for us to be a better company and thrive long term.  So, we’re putting our head down, and getting to work.

While some competitors out there in any industry are just trying to make it through the downturn, there are bound to be opportunities for those willing to make things happen right now.  That’s just the way these things go.  And, when things change, when things turn around, the guys that made things happen are the ones that will be well rewarded.

When buying a riding floor scraper, one question every prep guy must face is that of getting a battery machine or propane.  We do our best to help our clients figure out what’s best for them and their needs.  A few of the factors you’ll want to consider are:

1. What environment do you work in?  If you’re working in hospitals, nursing homes, and the like, they’ll often reject propane, regardless of how clean it burns.  On the other hand, if you’re doing big box retail, office spaces after hours, etc, propane is often an acceptable option.
2. How do you run your shifts?  If you need to run “round the clock”, propane may be a better option (if allowed).  Even the longest life battery machines will top out at 10-12 hours on soft goods.
3. What is your budget?  If you have a pre-defined budget, you should know that propane machines tend to be 15-20% less expensive than battery machines to purchase. 

While keeping all of the above in mind, there’s no clear cut answer of which machine is right for everybody.  Other options, although not as popular as the All Day Battery machines and the propane riders include corded machines, and riders with replaceable/removable battery packs.

It seems to us that the long-life battery machines are the way the industry is going.  They do cost a bit more.  But many contractors like the extra weight and power they are able to generate, and the extra flexibility they give you in what kind of work you can take on.  we’ve also seen certain states get more and more strict with regard to propane usage (New York, for example).

So, the short answer is that there is no short answer.  Do your resarch, speak to one of our consultants, and you’ll be sure to make the best decision based on your unique circumstances.