# Briggs Vanguard Oil Guard System



## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Thought I'd bring it up for discussion, or draw it to the attention of people that haven't seen it, or head about it yet. I read about it a couple of years ago, but I actually came across one on a 2019 Ferris a couple of days ago. Man, I'm telling you this is the future..... 500 hour oil change intervals covered under warranty and no tools necessary to do it. Just when I thought the small engine world was about to flush the toilet on Briggs, and they become Wisconsin or Tecumseh, they come up with something this slick. Sure it's a $300-$500 option *right now*, but to a commercial lawn guy, it's financed money, on a machine his accountant has on accelerated depreciation, and he's going to be trading in before the end of the 36 month Vanguard commercial engine warranty anyway. 3 oil changes over a 1,500 hour lifecycle and the engine is covered under warranty???? Kohler is going "Thanks a lot you jerks, just when we thought we finally had you" and Loncin is trying to figure out how to steal the design and not make it so obvious.

https://commercialmowerreviews.com/vanguard-oil-guard-system-review/


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## DK35vince (Jan 22, 2006)

I have the oil guard system on my Snapper Pro zero turn with 37 HP EFI Vanguard.
Just got the machine this year, so only 40 hours on it.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Out of curiosity .... What was the actual up charge?


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## EdF (Sep 15, 2014)

37 HP??? How big is the deck?


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## DK35vince (Jan 22, 2006)

EdF said:


> 37 HP??? How big is the deck?


Its a Snapper Pro s200xt with 72" deck.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

When you get into commercial mowers used at golf courses or municipal parks, 37HP, 72" deck is pretty common. Lastec has their WZ1000 Flex-deck. It's 49HP with a 120" deck. If you're thinking $50,000 with a coupon, you're right on the money. 









The biggest mower I've ever personally seen is a Toro 5900 "Batwing"... 72HP Yanmar -- 192" cut --- 12MPH mowing speed. The decks are hydraulic drive. They run around $70,000 with an air conditioned cab


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## EdF (Sep 15, 2014)

The reason I asked was my JD has a 72" deck with a 27 HP Kawasaki. I've never run out of power with it. I'm sure if I put it in heavy enough grass it would bog down.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

EdF said:


> The reason I asked was my JD has a 72" deck with a 27 HP Kawasaki. I've never run out of power with it. I'm sure if I put it in heavy enough grass it would bog down.


For guys like me and you 27HP-72" deck seems like more than enough power to mow our grass, but we're not mowing the fairways on a 400 acre golf course or a city park every day. Even if I had snow to plow here in MS, the machine below is probably a bit much, but I actually had a neighbor in Colorado that bought one at a State Highway Department auction just to keep the driveway to his ranch open and get the job done in a reasonable amount of time









The saying is "Bigger is Better" (Tim Allen - "More Power... grunt,grunt") but in some situations that's the only viable option.....


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## DK35vince (Jan 22, 2006)

EdF said:


> The reason I asked was my JD has a 72" deck with a 27 HP Kawasaki. I've never run out of power with it. I'm sure if I put it in heavy enough grass it would bog down.


In the spring, early summer our grass grows so thick and so fast I will use most or all the power I have with a 72" 37HP to mow at full speed (10MPH).


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## andyvh1959 (Jul 1, 2015)

This Vanguard system emphasizes that oil capacity leads to longevity. You either have to have more oil capacity or more oil changes. But the real work is done between oil changes, and that is when more oil does much more than just oil changes. That, and good filtration and cooling. The Vanguard system is much like the oil storage/cooling/filtration system common to hydraulic systems. An old guideline of hydraulic systems was to have at least twice the oil storage capacity as the rated flow of the hydraulic system. A 20gpm system needed a 40 gallon oil reservoir. 

One thing I have always liked about the BMW Oilhead flat twins is the oil capacity. More oil capacity leads to many of the factors listed in the review of this Vanguard oil system. My 94 BMW has 190,000 miles on it, and I know of BMW Oilhead engines with 250,000 miles, 400,000 miles still on the original pistons, rings, barrels, valve trains. Starting in 1993 BMW produced a flat twin 1100, 1150, 1200, all that hold at least four quarts in the crankcase and feature two oil pumps.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Both Briggs and Kohler make oil filter base adapters to run remote filters. It's just a matter of time until somebody comes up with a "Kit" that mimics this system. It's a "Dry Sump", so the engineering challenge is coming up with something to replace the oil pan that has the engine mounting flanges


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## andyvh1959 (Jul 1, 2015)

As long as the engine has ample oil pump pressure to push oil up into a remote filter/tank system it could be set up similar to the Vanguard system. The additional oil and external metal tank could be an effective oil cooler if some fins were also welded to the tank. Could even use a steel fuel tank from some vintage lawn mower as the oil reservoir.


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## Jgk88 (7 mo ago)

andyvh1959 said:


> As long as the engine has ample oil pump pressure to push oil up into a remote filter/tank system it could be set up similar to the Vanguard system. The additional oil and external metal tank could be an effective oil cooler if some fins were also welded to the tank. Could even use a steel fuel tank from some vintage lawn mower as the oil reservoir.


 i added some pc cooling finns with thermal glue.


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