Dylan Rewoldt, director of gross sales at Vanguard Industrial Engines, shares his perception into the world of small engines of kit rental.
Rental related with Rewoldt over e mail in Might 2025.
Q. What’s the state of small engines on this nation? How has California’s ban on small engines affected the {industry}?
Dylan RewoldtVanguard Industrial Engines
California’s emissions legal guidelines have actually had an influence on the markets we function in. Whereas the adjustments are felt most in California, your complete nation appears to be extra targeted on effectivity — actually for sustainability causes but in addition different components like gas prices.
In our expertise, although, regulation is not all the time one of the best indicator of adoption. Our buyer wants are numerous and we’ll proceed serving them with numerous, environment friendly energy sources — each gas- and battery-based.
On the engine aspect, we’re dedicated to main innovation in gasoline engine expertise. We’re doing this by guaranteeing our engines ship best-in-class efficiency, reliability, and compliance for the various customers and purposes that rely upon the distinctive attributes of inside combustion energy. This dedication to our engine clients works in parallel with the growth of our superior battery techniques. We’re dedicated to supporting OEMs with any energy resolution required, backed by complete help. This contains aggressive warranties and our international service community, to empower all our clients as they navigate this evolving panorama.
Q. Small engines are nonetheless a significant a part of tools rental. What have been the largest updates affecting rental shops for his or her small engine belongings?
Small gasoline engines stay a vital energy supply of kit rental fleets, at the same time as electrical choices increase. We’ve made a number of essential updates targeted on benefiting rental shops and their engine-powered belongings. At Vanguard, our improvements are geared toward what maximizes worth for the rental {industry}: enhancing sturdiness, guaranteeing reliability, simplifying upkeep and in the end reducing the full price of possession.
A serious focus has been on bolstering engine sturdiness and uptime, which is paramount within the demanding rental atmosphere the place tools is utilized by varied operators. We have engineered our business engines, together with the Vanguard single-cylinder lineup, with options like our Cyclonic Air Filtration system, which may prolong air filter alternative intervals as much as a formidable 600 hours. This instantly reduces downtime and retains tools out incomes income. Our unique TransportGuard expertise, which contains a 3-in-1 management integrating gas and ignition shut-off, instantly tackles a frequent rental concern of oil and gas dilution from improper transport. By stopping this frequent drawback, TransportGuard considerably cuts down on unscheduled, expensive upkeep and ensures your tools is persistently able to lease.
Past simply sturdiness, we have additionally targeting optimizing efficiency whereas lowering ongoing upkeep prices. Inflation and new laws have considerably pushed up the price of tools, intensifying the necessity for effectivity and reliability. In response, we’re seeing continued innovation: for instance, the growing integration of Digital Gas Injection (EFI) and Digital Throttle Management (ETC) techniques in choose Vanguard fashions, together with the emergence of CAN bus integration in small tools. These applied sciences permit for smarter tools performance and contribute to enhanced uptime. Additionally they present rental clients with extra dependable beginning in numerous circumstances, constant energy supply and improved gas effectivity all through the rental interval. Many Vanguard engines now additionally boast prolonged service intervals. This not solely means decrease labor prices and fewer waste however contributes on to a greater whole price of possession. Finally, for rental companies, the first focus stays on strong serviceability to maintain tools operational and reduce downtime.
All these developments are designed to enhance the full price of possession in your engine-powered fleet. We perceive that minimizing downtime and operational bills is vital to profitability within the rental sector. Vanguard stands behind its business engines with industry-leading warranties and a sturdy international service community that helps guarantee entry to elements, educated technicians and available data. Our dedication is to make sure that Vanguard engines proceed to be extremely dependable, top-performing and worthwhile belongings in your rental enterprise.
Q. How have trendy small engines made upkeep simpler for rental outlets?
Trendy small engines have seen a number of key developments that make upkeep simpler and extra manageable for busy rental outlets. These enhancements take note of the distinctive calls for of the rental atmosphere, the place uptime is important and tools is utilized by many various operators.
One of the vital important methods upkeep has develop into simpler is by optimizing upkeep intervals. Many trendy engines are actually designed with parts and techniques that permit for longer operational durations between frequent upkeep duties. For instance, our superior Cyclonic Air Filtration system can prolong alternative intervals as much as 600 hours. Equally, many trendy business engines require much less frequent oil adjustments, instantly lowering labor and related prices for rental outlets.
A key innovation at Vanguard is the TransportGuard system. We launched this on our single-cylinder engines to attenuate oil dilution throughout transport and cut back engine touchpoints, which streamlines upkeep. Its built-in gas and ignition shut-off instantly prevents this frequent drawback, saving outlets from a whole lot of unscheduled, messy work and guaranteeing tools is prepared for the subsequent rental. Options like low-oil sensors or computerized shutdown techniques additional assist to guard engines from extreme injury that would in any other case require in depth and troublesome upkeep.
There’s additionally been a normal pattern in the direction of enhancing the general serviceability of engines. This could embody designing engines with simpler entry to common service factors. For engines geared up with Digital Gas Injection (EFI), a expertise Vanguard makes use of, there are sometimes enhanced diagnostic capabilities. These techniques may help technicians extra shortly determine and troubleshoot points.
Collectively, these normal developments in trendy small engine design — longer service intervals, options that stop frequent faults and improved serviceability with higher diagnostics — all contribute to a considerably simpler upkeep expertise for rental outlets. This implies much less workshop time, decrease operational prices and, in the end, larger tools availability in your clients.
Q. What are the newest adjustments in your firm?
Vanguard is dedicated to repeatedly enhancing our business engines. Our current efforts guarantee they ship prime energy, effectivity and reliability, and that our clients all the time obtain wonderful help.
A major instance of that is the current introduction of our new Vanguard 300 single-cylinder engine. This 10.0 Gross HP engine (307cc) is engineered for demanding business use throughout all kinds of purposes, from strain washers and chippers to building tools. It embodies our newest developments and is optimized for cold-weather beginning. These improvements imply improved uptime and simpler upkeep for customers.
Extra broadly, we’re repeatedly refining our total engine household for peak efficiency and sturdiness. We have considerably expanded our EFI/ETC engine lineup. This superior expertise is now accessible throughout our Vanguard collection, together with the single-cylinder, small-block, and BIG BLOCK engines, and we proceed to see our OEM companions steadily shifting away from carburetors and adopting EFI/ETC expertise.
We’re additionally dedicated to supporting our OEM companions and end-users comprehensively. As an example, our total Vanguard single-cylinder engine lineup, together with the brand new Vanguard 300, is backed by a three-year business restricted guarantee, with an extra bonus yr upon registration. Moreover, we construct roughly 85 p.c of all our engines within the U.S. and are targeted on our dedication to being a USA-made firm. These efforts mirror our dedication to offering reliable, high-performing energy options that meet the robust calls for of the business and rental markets.
Q. What can we count on on the horizon?
We’re closely invested within the subsequent evolution of engine expertise to satisfy upcoming emissions laws. That is an extremely thrilling and difficult time in our {industry}. Nonetheless, with our 117 years of expertise navigating and overcoming challenges, we’re absolutely dedicated to sustaining our place because the market chief in engine expertise.