How to Choose a Clarke Floor Buffer
Clarke builds its floor machines around three motions. Decide which jobs fill your week, then choose the size that fits your rooms. To compare other brands, see all floor machines.
175 RPM when stripping and scrubbing are the job. The CFP Pro 17HD and 20HD spin a round pad at 175 RPM, driven by a 1.5 hp, 66-frame motor and an all-steel triple planetary gearbox on a cast aluminum chassis. Low speed with that torque is what your black stripping pad or scrub brush needs. Pick the 17HD if your rooms are full of desks and fixtures, and the 20HD if you clean corridors, gyms and cafeterias.
Dual speed when you also spray buff. The CFP Pro 20DS strips and scrubs at 185 RPM, then a switch takes it to 330 RPM to spray buff a scuffed finish. If your crew does both, you keep one machine in the closet instead of two.
Orbital when you want no swing at all. The FM40 moves a 14 by 20 inch rectangular pad in small orbits, 3,540 a minute, under 160 lb of down pressure from its motor and three 21 lb weights. That figure counts pad oscillations, not rotation, so the FM40 is not a burnisher. It goes where you push it, and its square corners reach baseboards and room corners that a round pad misses. The LX adds a baseboard cleaner, a wheels-down driving mode and a handle that comes off without tools.
| Model | Type | Size | RPM | Best for |
|---|
| Clarke CFP Pro 17HD | Low speed swing | 17 in deck, 16 in pad driver | 175 | Stripping and scrubbing classrooms, restrooms and offices |
| Clarke CFP Pro 20HD | Low speed swing | 20 in deck, 19 in pad driver | 175 | Stripping and scrubbing corridors, gyms and open floors |
| Clarke CFP Pro 20DS | Dual speed swing | 20 in deck, 19 in pad driver | 185 / 330 | Crews that scrub and strip, then spray buff with one machine |
| Clarke FM40 ST / LX | Orbital | 14 x 20 in rectangular pad | 3,540 orbits | Chemical-free stripping, corners, grout and recoat prep |
Clarke is a Nilfisk brand, and Nilfisk's US limited warranty covers your floor machine for 3 years parts, 3 years labor and 1 year travel. Pad holders and brushes count as wear items.
Not sure which one fits your floors? Send us your floor type, square footage and how often you strip, and you will get a machine and size match back. Call (855) 601-5678 or use the contact page. If the machine arrives and you change your mind, you can send it back unused within 30 days of receipt under the return policy, in new condition with all original packaging and accessories.
Pads for Clarke Floor Buffers
The CFP Pro machines turn round pads on a pad driver with a universal clutch plate. The 17HD runs a 16 inch driver with 17 inch pads, and the 20HD and 20DS a 19 inch driver with 20 inch pads. On most charts black strips, blue or green scrubs, red spray buffs and white polishes, and the floor pad color chart covers the rest. You can order the CFP Pro pad driver and Nilfisk ECO floor pads in 17 and 20 inch with your machine.
The FM40 takes 14 by 20 inch rectangular pads that press onto its grip face. For it you can add Clarke BOOST scrub pads, maroon prep pads for dry stripping, green grout pads, sanding screens from 60 to 120 grit for screen and recoat work, diamond pads and a carpet bonnet. New to a swing machine? Read how to use a floor buffer before the first strip.
Need a Wet-Look Shine? Clarke Ultra Speed Burnishers
None of these machines burnishes. A wet-look gloss takes a burnisher spinning at 1,500 RPM or more, and you will find Clarke's two with the floor burnishers:
Clarke Ultra Speed Pro 1500, a corded 20 inch burnisher at 1,500 RPM.
Clarke Ultra Speed 20 and 20T, a battery burnisher at 2,000 RPM with a 20 inch path and traction drive on the 20T.
Strip and scrub with a floor machine, then keep the gloss between coats with a burnisher. The floor buffer vs burnisher guide explains the split if you are unsure which you need. For every other Clarke line, browse Clarke cleaning equipment.
Clarke Floor Machine FAQ
Should I buy the 17 or 20 inch Clarke floor buffer?
Match it to your tightest room. The 17HD is 8 lb lighter and narrower, so it works easily around your desks, stalls and shelving. The 20HD covers more floor with every pass in corridors, gyms and cafeterias. Both share the 1.5 hp motor, the 175 RPM speed and the 50 foot cord, so you are choosing size and handling, not power.
Can one Clarke floor machine strip and spray buff?
Yes, the CFP Pro 20DS. It strips and scrubs at 185 RPM and spray buffs at 330 RPM on the same 20 inch deck. If your crew only strips and scrubs, the single speed 20HD does that work for less. Neither one replaces a burnisher when you want a wet-look gloss.
Is an orbital floor machine easier for a new operator?
Usually. A swing machine moves sideways when you raise or lower the handle, and a new operator needs practice to keep it off the walls. The FM40 doesn't swing, so it tracks where you push it from the first pass. The trade is price: it costs more than either CFP Pro machine.
Is a Clarke floor maintainer the same as a floor buffer?
Yes. Floor machine, floor buffer, floor maintainer, swing machine and side by side all describe the same low speed machine, the CFP Pro on this page. The name changes by region and by crew. A burnisher is different: it spins far faster and only polishes finish that is already down.
