Tsurumi Pump has partnered with Briggs and Stratton to offer North American Tsurumi users another engine choice for engine-driven trash and dewatering pumps. Several models in Tsurumi's EPT and TE series will achieve compliance with the latest regulations of California's Air Resources Board (CARB) and allow them to be sold in the state because of the partnership.
The Vanguard Series engines will offer the same horsepower and RPM figures, and be an option on two-inch and three-inch centrifugal dewatering pumps and two-inch and four-inch trash pumps for the TE3-50V and TE3-80V and EPT3-50V and EPT3-100V models.
The Vanguard single-cylinder engines include an integrated cyclonic air cleaner that increases air filter replacement intervals to 600 hours, an acoustically designed fuel tank and muffler optimized to reduce noise, and one-pull starting in cold temperatures as low as -20° F.
No changes to the design and performance of the Tsurumi products were required thanks to the collaboration between the two companies as they worked to optimize the integration of the Vanguard engines. Briggs and Stratton made several modifications to improve its engines' suitability after surveys with Tsurumi users were conducted to find out and address pain points.
One of the modifications Briggs and Stratton made was to ensure that the fuel shut-off system is automatically engaged when the engine is switched off, reducing the risk of a fuel/oil mix and removing the need for a separate button that is subject to damage.
Having another engine option for Tsurumi trash and dewatering pumps enables a more diverse supply chain that can better handle disruptions. While many supply chain issues are being resolved, Mike Grant, Tsurumi's portable products and rental market manager, says that this product offering offers more advantages to his company and users than just availability.
"We're already very well caught up with the recent increase in demand for these pumps, so adding the Vanguard option is another way to better serve our customers," Grant says. "We see this as an opportunity to expand our product line by offering an engine option that is of equivalent quality. Briggs and Stratton have been building engines for well over a century, so our goal is to attract a significant customer base that prefers Vanguard power. In fact, we already have one national account that is considering standardizing its small equipment to run on these engines because of the vast service and support network."
The new Vanguard option will also provide Tsurumi users with more maintenance support. When registering their purchase on the Briggs and Stratton website, an additional year's coverage is automatically added to the standard three-year commercial warranty. Briggs and Stratton has over 40,000 authorized dealers globally to help with engine repairs.
Brad Hanna, vice president of marketing and product management at Briggs and Stratton, says that users who prefer to handle work themselves can also benefit from the engine manufacturer's extensive parts offering and online support material.
Hanna also says that Briggs and Stratton is working on a system that will allow users to scan a QR code on their engine – or a page on the company's website – that enables the direct ordering of parts. The web page will only show parts that are suitable for the specific engine to reduce the chance of parts ordering errors.
Mounted on rubber vibration dampers within a rolled-steel frame, the EPT- and TE-series pumps and engines allow for ideal protection during both transport and operation, while simplifying handling. The TE3 models are even light enough to allow for UPS shipping.
Additionally, pump features such as high-chrome or cast-iron impellers, cast-iron casings, stainless steel wear plates, galvanized steel hose couplings, and a silicon carbide mechanical seal help to extend the pump's life while decreasing maintenance requirements.
