Vanguard® 23.0 Gross HP* Small Block Engine Powering New Hobart® Engine-Driven Welder
MILWAUKEE, WI (November 6, 2023) – Briggs & Stratton has collaborated with Hobart, an ITW Welding company, to power its new Champion® Elite 225 engine-driven welder with the compact but mighty Vanguard 23 Gross HP* Small Block V-Twin Horizontal Shaft engine.
When looking for a power solution for its new engine-driven welder, Hobart was seeking an engine with a smaller footprint that offered powerful performance. By reducing the size of the power source, Hobart could also minimize the overall size of the engine-driven welding unit so it would take up less space in the bed of a truck, weigh less and be easier to transport from jobsite to jobsite. The new Champion Elite 225 engine-driven welder will be an ideal tool for applications across a wide range of industries, including Farm/Ranch and Mobile Repair.
Known for packing more power into a smaller package, Vanguard had just the engine to meet all of the welding company’s power needs. The rugged 23 Gross HP* Small Block engine has 15% less volume and is 18% lighter compared to its competitors.
“Being able to offer an engine-driven welder with a reduced weight and footprint, especially in the farm and ranch industry, allows people the ability to use these engine-driven welders on the back of almost all main brands of UTVs, granting them greater flexibility in their operation,” says Hobart Power Systems Division Product Manager, Brian Bellile.
The heavy-duty, all-in-one welding generator unit combines a 10,000-watt generator with a 225-amp DC welder. The Champion Elite 225 engine-driven welder is designed for stick welding with quick and easy arc starts.
“With a smaller CC displacement than our competitors, less than other mid-block engines on the market, our smaller packaged engine has a greater power-to-weight ratio and a more efficient governing system for quicker load acceptance and more power,” said Dylan Rewoldt, director of sales, Power Division at Briggs & Stratton. “Increasing airflow is one way to increase power. Our engine is equipped with high-efficiency heads for a more direct air path to the combustion chamber, thereby increasing power output.”
The 23 Gross HP* Small Block engine offers the best power-to-weight ratio on the market at 3.35 lbs/HP (77 lbs/23 HP). The engine also offers improved torque compared to competitors at 2.2 lbs/lb-ft (77 lbs/35 lb-ft). With the increased power comes better fuel economy, greater load acceptance and high-efficiency airflow intake for more powerful performance.
For nearly two years, Vanguard experts leveraged their power application expertise to support the design and integration of the 23 Gross HP* Small Block engine into the new engine-driven welder unit from Hobart. The unit underwent rigorous testing at the Briggs & Stratton Power Application Center (PAC) to ensure that it met Vanguard quality and safety standards while exceeding the performance expectations of Hobart. The PAC offers manufacturers the opportunity to put equipment through its paces to ensure it can withstand the tough environments it will face in the field. At the PAC, trained engineers test equipment in scenarios like extreme heat and sub-zero temperatures. They also work to address noise and vibration elements that may impact productivity and operator comfort.
The Vanguard Small Block V-Twin engine lineup offers a range of light, compact engines engineered to take on the most grueling commercial applications. Available with a horizontal or vertical shaft, these powerhouses are equipped with an array of advanced technologies and integrated components. All Small Block V-Twin engines are assembled in the U.S. at the Briggs & Stratton Statesboro, Georgia, manufacturing facility and are backed by an industry-leading, three-year commercial limited warranty.**
*All power levels are stated gross HP at 3,600 RPM per SAE J1940.
**Offer not valid in California, United States, or Quebec, Canada. A three-year commercial limited warranty applies to Commercial Series engines manufactured after June 30, 2017.
Media Contact
Rebecca Shaffer
Briggs & Stratton
shaffer.rebecca@basco.com
About Briggs & Stratton
Briggs & Stratton, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, provides innovative products and diverse power solutions to help people get work done. Briggs & Stratton is the world’s largest producer of engines for outdoor power equipment, and is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of lithium-ion battery, standby generator, energy storage system, lawn and garden, turf care and job site products through its Briggs & Stratton®, Vanguard®, Ferris®, Simplicity®, Snapper®, Billy Goat®, Allmand®, SimpliPhi®, Branco® and Victa® brands. Briggs & Stratton products are designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced in more than 100 countries on six continents.
