Ask the pros what engines they have for single-cylinder equipment, and many will tell you something about the Honda GX line. Ask the pros what they don't want , and they'll likely be able to point you the way with the Honda. There's no doubt that Honda has a strong reputation in the industry, but the Vanguard engine is looking to replace them with some solid innovation. Let's take a look at the Vanguard and Honda GX engines
Who is the pioneer? That would be Briggs & Stratton's commercial engine brand. They want to win your business the next time you repower or buy a new single cylinder engine.
The great thing about the new range of Vanguard engines is that they've been designed from the ground up. No bases, no clones, just a fresh build to take advantage of what the blank slate brings.
The new Vanguard family of single cylinder engines ranges from 5 to 13 horsepower. Importantly, they are all within Honda's footprint, so they are drop-in replacements without retuning or machining new parts. Considering their aim is to replace the Honda, this is a key point for ease of use by users.
start
When comparing the Vanguard vs. the Honda GX, the carburetor takes the front row. Honda engines have always had a solid reputation for starting reliability and ease of use. Briggs and Stratton's Vanguard range of engines is designed to make this a top priority.
Vanguard carburetors feature a coating that resists corrosion and stale fuel sizing. That means fewer mechanic trips and reliable starts—even if you let the engine sit idle for a season. The combination of the carburetor, ignition and combustion system gives you confidence that it's stable in temperatures as low as -20°F.
Advanced TransportGuard Fuel Shutoff System
For equipment rental houses, customers remember to turn off the machine, but often forget to turn off the oil. The process of shipping back to the rental house will eventually give you oil dilution issues and cause the machine to stop running until you run it through maintenance. TransportGuard puts fuel cutoff on the same switch as engine shutdown, making it simple and reducing downtime.
Pioneer and Honda GX Repair
The oil change interval for most single cylinder engines is 100 hours. Thanks to the system that keeps the oil clean, the life of Vanguard engines has doubled to 200 hours.
Vanguard also uses a cyclonic air filtration system as standard equipment. This creates a tornado-like horizontal effect within the intake and expels larger particles before they reach the air filter. Bottom line – change the air filter every 600 hours, not every 300 hours.
Additional Considerations for Pioneer vs. Honda GX
Vanguard engines benefit from reduced vibration. From a durability point of view, it can not only help the engine to prolong its life, but also reduce some noise. Engineers have even worked on the tone itself to deliver a less harsh experience to your ears.
Any downtime that takes your equipment out of service means it's not profitable for your business. Vanguard ensures next day delivery of their 50,000+ parts to most parts of the country. They also back their engines for a full three years – unique in this segment.
Starting with the 6.5 HP Vanguard 200 engine in 2018, you'll see the line roll out for repowers and OEMs over the next two years. At that point, we'll see how seriously the market takes Vanguard. All we know now is that Vanguard engines are aiming for the top of the hill – and they intend to be king of the hill.