How Often Should You Replace Your Floor Scrubber Brushes or Pads?

Brushes and pads are like tires—they wear out. But how often should you actually replace them? The answer depends on usage, floor type, and your specific machine model.


Here’s a general breakdown based on normal usage:


Disk pads: Replace every 3 - 15 hours of use. (Depending on color).


Typical Floor Pad Lifespan

Standard Red/White Buffing Pads:

🔥 8–15 hours before they’re glazed over and no longer effective.


Black Stripping Pads:

🔥 5–10 hours (they chew themselves up fast).


More aggressive or specialty pads (like Melamine):

🔥 3-5 hours (they often lose effectiveness after 1 to 2 uses).


Factors that kill pads quicker:


  • Dirty floors (grit acts like sandpaper).
  • High down-pressure settings.
  • Using the wrong pad for the floor type.
  • Operator abuse.


Scrub brushes: Replace every 30 – 75 hours of use. (Depending on the material).


Floor Scrubber Brush Lifespan


Nylon Brushes

Good general-purpose option. Durable but soft enough for polished or sealed concrete.

👉 Estimated lifespan: 50–75 hours

  • Longer-lasting than polypropylene
  • Holds up well with proper rinsing and storage
  • Gets slick when worn (bristles bend and polish instead of scrub)


Polypropylene (Poly) Brushes

Cheaper than nylon, decent on light to medium soil. More brittle.

👉 Estimated lifespan: 30–50 hours

  • More prone to splitting or deforming under heat/chemicals
  • Best for occasional use or lighter applications


Grit-Impregnated Brushes (e.g., Nylo-Grit, Tynex)

Used for aggressive scrubbing or rough concrete.

👉 Estimated lifespan: 30–60 hours

  • Wears faster on smoother floors (and can damage polished surfaces)
  • Great on dirty warehouse floors, machine shops, garages.


Natural Fiber Brushes (Tampico, Union Mix, Bassine, etc.)

Rarely used in industrial scrubbers anymore, but still found in niche cases.

👉 Estimated lifespan: 15–30 hours

  • Not designed for longevity
  • Break down fast with water, chemical, or constant use
  • Mostly for delicate surfaces or buffing—not daily concrete cleaning


Cylindrical brushes: Typically last up to 80 hours, but swap sooner if bristles are visibly worn or frayed.


Using worn-out brushes or pads reduces your machine’s cleaning efficiency, wastes water and detergent, and can even damage your floors. It’s not just a maintenance issue—it’s a cost issue.


Need help figuring out which replacement part fits your machine?


👉 Visit our Parts Page to browse OEM parts for Factory Cat, Tomcat, Kodiak, Tennant, Timberline, and more.

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We also offer full service and repairs if you’d rather have us take a look. Our team can inspect your machine and swap out worn parts during a routine visit.