Sit or Stand: Choosing Floor Equipment Fit For The Facility

Even with all the benefits of sit-down machines, there are some in the industry who feel the equipment’s days are numbered.

“Stand-on equipment is the better choice,” says Jacobs. “It’s the most productive in the industry today. It navigates square footage better because of it smaller footprint and maneuverability, and you can quickly quantify and justify how long it takes to clean that floor.”

For example, Jacobs recalls a school invested in a stand-on rider that vacuums 24,000 square feet an hour.

“When I did the math, it was dramatic, and the customer paid for the machine in less than a year,” he says.

Now the staff uses its extra time to pay more attention to the restrooms.

In addition to the stand-on unit’s maneuverability and turn radius, Amig appreciates the fact that operators can enter and exit the machine easily.

“One of the big advantages of the stand-on versus the sit-down unit is it is a quick on and off the machine,” he says. “With carpet vacuums, for example, you can swing into the lobby area, step off and quickly do some detail work with attachment hoses.”

The size of a stand-on unit is also a selling point for end users who have minimal storage space.

“The benefit of stand-on riders is the lower price and the smaller footprint, allowing them to be more nimble and easier to store,” says Wenzlick. “Trying to fit them into the closet is easier.”

Safety is also a factor as stand-on units allow for greater visibility.

“Your sight lines are better on stand-on riders because if you’re standing you can see around yourself more easily when you try to fit through doorways or into closets,” says Wenzlick.

Whether end users prefer to sit down or stand up when they ride, distributors urge customers not to lose sight of the task at hand, and ensure that the equipment matches the application.

“You always have to look at the cleaning application and help the customer choose the right equipment,” says Amig. “What’s the good of a ride-on if you have a five story building and you can’t get it on the elevator?”

Whether they purchase a sit-down or stand-on machine, end users will soon realize productivity improvements and a return on their investment, as well as the added benefit of pride of ownership.

“One of the big advantages of a rider versus a walk-behind is the person responsible for it has more ownership of it,” says Wenzlick. “They take better care of it because the last thing they want to do is see it go into the repair shop. Then they’d be forced to use a bucket or a walk-behind.”