The Mercury 1501 is a 13-inch union mix polishing brush built for general purpose floor polishing on most 15-inch floor buffers. Union mix refers to the bristle blend rather than a grade: it is a combination of Palmyra and white Tampico natural fibers, chosen because the mix is stiff enough to work a floor without being aggressive enough to damage a finished surface. It is the default choice when a floor needs polishing rather than stripping or heavy scrubbing.
Built for
- Janitorial contractors polishing hard floors on maintenance routes
- Schools, churches and municipal buildings with large finished floor areas
- In-house maintenance staff running a 15-inch buffer as their main floor machine
- Facilities polishing textured or uneven floors where a pad rides the high spots
- Anyone replacing a brush whose bristles have worn short or splayed
Why a brush instead of a pad
A pad is a flat plane and works well on a floor that is also a flat plane. Real floors rarely are. Grout lines, texture, and any unevenness in the surface all mean a pad contacts the high points and skips what lies between them. Bristles flex into that profile instead, which is why brushes remain standard for polishing textured surfaces and for floors where the finish sits below the plane of the tile. The union mix blend sits in the middle of the range: more bite than a soft polishing brush, considerably less than a scrub brush or a stripping pad.
Sizing and fitment
The number that matters here is the machine size, not the block size. This is a 13-inch brush block, and because the 1.75-inch bristles splay outward under the weight of the machine, it delivers roughly 15 inches of cleaning coverage. That is why it is specified for 15-inch buffers rather than 13-inch ones. It is supplied with a Mercury Type B 92 universal clutch plate in durable plastic with the standard 5-inch center hole, which fits a wide range of machines including Kent, Pullman Holt, Oreck, Advance, Alto, Clarke, Betco, Cassidy, Dart, Eureka, General, Hawk, Hoover, Koblenz, Lawlor, Mastercraft, Mercury, NSS, Nilfisk, Pacific, SSS, Thoromatic, Tornado, United and Viper.
Specifications
- Mercury part number: 1501
- Block diameter: 13 inches
- Effective coverage: approximately 15 inches
- Bristle material: union mix, Palmyra and white Tampico blend
- Bristle length: 1.75 inches
- Clutch plate: Mercury Type B 92, durable plastic, 5-inch center hole
- Application: general purpose floor polishing
- Machine size: most 15-inch floor buffers
Frequently asked questions
Does a 13-inch brush fit a 15-inch machine?
Yes, and that is the intended fitment. The 1.75-inch bristles splay under machine weight so a 13-inch block covers roughly 15 inches, which is why this brush is specified for 15-inch buffers.
What is union mix?
It is a bristle blend of Palmyra and white Tampico natural fiber. The combination is used for general purpose floor polishing because it works the floor without the aggressiveness of a scrub brush.
Will the clutch plate fit my machine?
The Mercury Type B 92 clutch plate uses the standard 5-inch center hole and is listed as fitting many brands including Kent, Pullman Holt, Oreck, Advance, Clarke, Betco, Hoover, NSS, Nilfisk, Tornado and Viper. Check your machine's clutch plate type before ordering.
When should I use a brush instead of a pad?
On textured, grouted or uneven floors. A pad only touches the high points of an irregular surface, while bristles flex into the profile and reach what a pad rides over.
Is this brush suitable for stripping?
No. Union mix is a polishing blend. Stripping calls for a considerably more aggressive brush or pad.
Discount Cleaning Products is an authorized dealer with US-based product support, and stocks the consumables and wear parts that go with this item so a single order covers the whole repair.
