Aftermarket replacement part — not a genuine OEM part. The squeegee blades and rubber parts on this page are aftermarket replacements made to fit Tennant machines. They are not genuine Tennant parts, we are not affiliated with or endorsed by Tennant, and brand names, model names and part numbers are used for fitment reference only. Confirm dimensions against your own sample or drawing before ordering.
The Tennant T20 is a mid-size ride-on that shows up in the same fleets as larger riders, which is exactly why it gets mis-ordered. Buyers assume the squeegee hardware carries over from neighbouring models in the range, place one order to cover the fleet, and discover at goods-in that half the sets do not seat. Fitment on this machine is not a brand question, it is a profile question.
This page is for distributors and facility buying groups sourcing T20 replacement blades in volume. It sets out what to confirm before ordering, how to pick the compound, and the commercial terms that apply.
Fitment is decided by the frame, not the model badge
Three variables decide whether a blade seals on a T20, and only one of them is visible in a catalogue photo.
| Variable | What to confirm | Failure mode if ignored |
|---|---|---|
| Profile and curvature | Blade seats along the full width with no lift at either end | Two wet trails behind the machine that operators blame on the vacuum |
| Thickness and lip geometry | Matches the worn blade or the frame drawing | Too thick will not clamp; too thin rolls under load and streaks |
| Hole pitch and slot layout | Matches your existing blade, measured, not eyeballed | Identical-looking part that will not bolt on |
The rear blade is the one that carries the vacuum seal. If it does not hold along the entire width, no amount of adjustment to the front blade fixes the streak. That is also why the rear usually gets replaced more often on machines working wet areas, while the front takes the debris load and abrades faster on gritty floors.
Our cross-reference guide lists the models and brands we already hold tooling for. Two situations mean you should treat your machine as a new profile rather than a catalogue match: the squeegee frame has been replaced with an aftermarket assembly, or the unit is an earlier production run whose frame was revised. In both cases the model badge still says T20 and the profile is different. Send a photo of the frame or the worn blade and we will confirm before cutting anything.
One set is two blades, and they are not interchangeable
One set is one front blade plus one rear blade. It sounds obvious, and it is still the most common reason a shipment comes back.
If you order “T20 blades” without naming front and rear, you are ordering half of what the machine needs. On a fleet of twenty units that is twenty machines down a blade, and the reorder cycle restarts. Quote requests should always state the split, even when you are buying equal quantities of each, so there is no ambiguity to resolve later.
On exact length, hole positions and thickness for your specific build, we work from a sample or a drawing rather than a published chart. Production runs and regional builds vary, and we would rather tell you we cannot confirm a dimension than ship a guess. Anything unverified goes back to you for confirmation before tooling is cut.
Grade follows the floor
There is no correct T20 blade material. There is a correct material for your floor.
- Natural rubber, 65 ± 5 Shore A — smooth tile, PVC, sealed epoxy. Conforms to flat floors and gives the cleanest pickup. The default for general indoor commercial work.
- Cast polyurethane, 85 ± 5 Shore A — rough or damaged concrete, expansion joints, oily and greasy surfaces. Costs more per set and usually earns it back on labour when floors are abrasive.
- Economy gum rubber, 45 ± 5 Shore A — light duty on smooth floors where the decision is price-led and the area is small.
Hardness is measured by the ASTM D2240 durometer method, and compound classification across batches is framed by ASTM D2000. Naming both in your enquiry costs two lines and removes most supplier wiggle room. A quote that gives a bare “65 Shore A” with no test method, or promises tighter than ±5 Shore A, is describing a test coupon rather than a production batch.
The full trade-off, including where each grade stops making sense, is in our material comparison. The mistake worth flagging: harder is not universally better. On polished tile a hard blade chatters and leaves a haze, and increasing down-pressure makes it worse.
Service life in normal commercial duty is typically two to three months per blade, an industry figure rather than a guarantee. It shifts with cleaning frequency, chemical concentration, temperature and floor condition. A T20 running daily over a large site will sit at the short end. Our replacement cycle guide covers planning around that. Polyurethane generally lasts longest on rough or oily floors, but it is more sensitive to temperature and operating conditions than natural rubber, so it should be sold with that caveat rather than as a simple upgrade.
MOQ, tooling and mixed orders
- MOQ 20 sets per style on a profile we already hold.
- USD 60–120 tooling for a profile we do not hold, waived once cumulative volume reaches 500 sets.
- Mixed orders allowed, USD 3,000 minimum order value, so one container can cover a dozen models instead of committing the whole budget to a single profile.
For a distributor the margin usually sits in the spread against a captive OEM parts channel rather than in shaving unit price. That argument is set out in OEM vs aftermarket squeegee blades. The more useful calculation for an end user is cost per cleaned hour, because a blade that streaks costs a re-clean and a complaint, and under OSHA 1910.22 walking surfaces are expected to be kept in a safe condition — the blade is the cheapest line in that risk.
Samples and how claims are handled
Samples are chargeable, not free, and take 7–15 days to prepare and ship. Most importers order a sample set for one machine, run it for a few weeks, then place the volume order against a profile that has been proven on their own floor.
Agree the claim rules while the order is still open, because blade complaints surface at goods-in weeks after manufacture:
- Claims raised within 7 days of receipt, counted from delivery, not from dispatch.
- Only the defective pieces are replaced, not the whole batch.
- An unboxing video is required, filmed from before the carton opens and close enough to show the defect.
- Freight on replacement pieces is on the buyer; most consolidate it into the next shipment.
Coverage is for manufacturing defects: damaged or feathered edges, wrong dimensions, defective material, hardness outside the agreed range. It does not cover ordinary wear, fitting damage, or early wear from specifying the wrong compound for the floor.
Request a quote
Send the machine model, how many units you run, your floor type, and whether the assemblies are straight or curved. We will confirm the profile against a sample or drawing, recommend a grade for your conditions, and quote a 20-set trial. Request pricing or a sample set and we will come back with lead time and freight options.
