How to Choose a Tornado Floor Buffer
Both machines turn a 1.5 HP motor through triple planetary gears at 175 RPM, ship with a pad holder and take an optional solution tank, so they do the same jobs. The difference is how each one is built.
M Series: steel base, lower profile. A rolled steel base with non-marking bumper guards and a cast aluminum Start Guard I handle with cushioned grips. The handle height adjusts, and the motor housing stands 16 inches tall, 3.5 inches lower than the Brute Force, so it reaches further under counters and shelving.
Brute Force: one-piece body, less vibration. Tornado rotomolds the body as one piece of non-conductive, high density polyethylene that soaks up the torque and vibration you would otherwise feel through the handle. It tilts back for pad changes and carries 10 years of warranty on its molded parts.
17 or 20 inch. Pick 17 inch for classrooms, offices and restrooms, and 20 inch for corridors and open rooms. Every version weighs 100 to 105 pounds, so plan how it will get up steps and into your van.
Tell us your floor type, square footage and whether you scrub, strip or buff, and we will suggest the machine and size. Call (855) 601-5678 or write to us through our contact page. Our return policy accepts machines within 30 days of receipt if they come back unused, in new condition and complete with original packaging and accessories.
| Machine | Sizes | Motor | Speed | Cord | Weight | Warranty (parts / labor) | Best for | Starting price |
|---|
| Tornado M Series | 17 or 20 in | 1.5 HP | 175 RPM | 50 ft | 100 lb (17 in), 105 lb (20 in) | 2 yrs / 2 yrs | Steel build and a low motor housing for work under fixtures | From $1,069 |
| Tornado Brute Force | 17 or 20 in | 1.5 HP | 175 RPM | 75 ft | 103.5 lb (17 in), 104.5 lb (20 in) | 2 yrs / 2 yrs, 10 yrs on molded parts | Long stripping and scrubbing jobs with less vibration in your hands | From $1,069 |
Specs come from Tornado's product pages, brochures and spec sheets. Warranty terms follow Tornado's warranty policy, revised May 8, 2026.
Which Pad for Which Job
On a floor buffer, the pad decides the job. Buy pads in your machine's size, 17 or 20 inch, and change them like this:
- Scrub: a blue or green pad, or a scrub brush, with cleaning solution or water.
- Strip: a black pad with floor stripper. The black pad strips only when you use it with stripper.
- Spray buff: a red pad, with a light mist of spray buff solution just ahead of the pad on a clean, dry floor.
- Dry buff: a white or tan pad to bring the shine back on finish in good condition.
Our floor pad color chart covers every color, and our guide on how to use a floor buffer walks through setup, steering and spray buffing.
When You Want Something Else
A high-gloss shine. A 175 RPM buffer improves the gloss, but a high-gloss finish takes a burnisher spinning at 1,000 RPM and up. The cordless 1,500 RPM Tornado Battery Glazer 17 sits with our other floor burnishers.
One machine for carpet and hard floors. An Orbot runs a dual-action orbital head instead of a spinning pad, and you change the pad, not the machine, to clean carpet, tile, VCT, stone and wood. See our Orbot floor machines.
Another brand, a dual speed or an orbital. Compare every low speed, dual speed and orbital machine we carry among our floor buffers. For scrubbing a large floor every day, an auto scrubber scrubs and picks up the water in one pass, so look at our Tornado floor scrubbers, or browse all Tornado cleaning equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tornado Floor Buffers
Should I buy a 17 inch or a 20 inch floor buffer?
Buy the 20 inch for open floors and the 17 inch for tight rooms. The wider pad covers more floor with each swing, which matters in corridors, gyms and lobbies. The narrower machine is easier to steer between desks and around toilets. Pads, brushes and drivers are sized to the machine, so stock the size you buy.
Does a Tornado floor machine come with a pad driver?
Yes. Tornado ships the M Series with its quick-grip pad holder as standard, and the Brute Force with a pad holder and pad retainer. Spare holders are the TL19 for either 20 inch model and the TL16 for the 17 inch Brute Force. You add the pads for each job.
Can a 175 RPM floor machine burnish a floor?
No. Spray buffing with a red pad brings up some gloss, but burnishing means 1,000 RPM and up, with pads rated for that speed. It doesn't work the other way either: a burnisher can't strip or scrub. Most routines pair them, stripping and recoating with the buffer and holding the shine between recoats with a burnisher.
Can a Tornado floor machine clean carpet?
The M Series can, fitted with its optional shampoo brush and solution tank, so you can scrub traffic lanes before extraction. For deep carpet cleaning, an extractor rinses the soil out instead of working it around, so see our Tornado carpet extractors.
