Tile with grout lines is the floor a scrubbing pad handles worst. A flat pad rides across the high points of the tile and skips the recessed joint, so the grout keeps its soil while the field looks clean. The Mercury 1507 is a grit brush built for that job. Blue nylon bristles impregnated with 180 grit silicon carbide drop into grout lines and surface texture that a pad bridges over, which makes this the tool a janitorial or facility crew fits to a 15-inch floor machine for routine maintenance scrubbing.
Use cases
- Scheduled maintenance scrubbing of glazed ceramic and porcelain tile with grout joints
- Cleaning textured or uneven hard floors where a flat pad only contacts the high spots
- Replacing blue or green scrubbing pads in an existing scrub program
- Restrooms, entryways, kitchens and traffic lanes where soil sits below the surface plane
Brush or pad
The practical difference is contact. A pad is a flat abrasive face, so it cleans a smooth resilient floor well and cannot reach into a joint. A brush presents hundreds of independent bristle tips that flex into grout lines, grooves and irregular surfaces. On tile and grout that reach is the whole point. A brush is also a durable tool rather than a consumable, so it stays in service across many cycles where pads are replaced continually, and the grit is carried in the nylon filament itself rather than bonded to a surface that wears away.
Coverage and construction
The block measures 13 inches across, and because the 1.5-inch bristles splay outward under machine weight the brush sweeps roughly a 15-inch path. That is why a 13-inch block is the correct fitment for a 15-inch floor machine rather than an undersized one. The filament is 0.035-inch DuPont Tynex A nylon impregnated throughout with 180 grit silicon carbide, an aggressive enough cut for maintenance scrubbing while remaining flexible.
Specifications
- Mercury part number 1507
- 13-inch brush block, approximately 15-inch cleaning path
- 1.5-inch bristle length
- 0.035-inch DuPont Tynex A nylon filament
- 180 grit silicon carbide impregnated
- Blue
- Type B 92 universal clutch plate, durable plastic, standard 5-inch center hole
Machine compatibility
The Type B 92 universal clutch plate is the component that couples the brush block to the machine, and it is a standard 5-inch center hole fitting used across a wide range of floor buffers, 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. Confirm the clutch plate type and center hole on your own machine before ordering.
Safety
Do not use this brush with flammable materials such as fuels, solvents or thinners. Serious injury could result from fire or explosion.
Frequently asked questions
Will this brush fit my floor machine?
Fitment is determined by the clutch plate and the machine size, not by a model name. This brush is built around a Type B 92 universal clutch plate with a standard 5-inch center hole and is sized for 15-inch machines. Check the clutch plate type and center hole on your machine before ordering.
Why is a 13-inch brush used on a 15-inch machine?
The bristles splay outward under the weight of the machine, so a 13-inch block sweeps approximately 15 inches of floor. A block cut to the full machine diameter would foul the skirt.
How aggressive is 180 grit?
It is a maintenance scrubbing grit rather than a stripping or polishing abrasive. Mercury positions this brush as a direct substitute for blue or green scrubbing pads, which places it in the same duty range as those pads.
Is a brush better than a pad for tile and grout?
For grout lines, yes, because bristles reach into the joint and a flat pad cannot. On a smooth resilient floor with no joints or texture, a pad remains a reasonable choice.
How should the brush be cared for?
Rinse the bristles after use so soil and chemical residue do not dry in the filament, and store the brush resting on its back rather than on the bristles so they do not take a set.
Discount Cleaning Products supplies floor machine brushes, pads, janitorial equipment and jobsite consumables to contractors and facility maintenance teams across the United States, with US-based service and support.
