Ferris® Introduces Oil Guard™ system on IS®2100Z and IS®3200Z



25th January 2017– The Vanguard™ Oil Guard™-system is the latest in a long line of advancements that Ferris has introduced to the industry aimed at increasing productivity. The revolutionary Oil Guard™ technology is an industries first solution offering extended oil maintenance intervals, faster oil changes and unprecedented cost savings.

The system continuously exchanges oil between the engine and a larger remote oil reservoir located external to the engine. It’s a revolutionary design for a commercial mower that protects the engine oil from thermal breakdown, which extends maintenance intervals of the engine oil and produces a cooler-running engine. Furthermore, because operators have direct access to the oil filter and drain tube, changing the oil is quicker, easier and mess-free. The result is a more productive commercial zero-turn mower.

The basis is a “dry sump” engine which holds a minimum amount of oil in the base of the engine and a large amount of oil in a separate reservoir. Unlike typical commercial engines, the oil storage has been moved away from the engine sump, protecting the oil from thermal breakdown. Thermal breakdown occurs when the internal heat of the engine causes a chemical reaction in the engine oil, which causes the oil’s viscosity to change. The viscosity is crucial to ensuring the oil flows smoothly while properly coating metal engine components to prevent metal-on-metal contact. The viscosity change caused by thermal breakdown results in decreased lubricating properties, which can eventually lead to increased oil consumption, deposit build-up and damage to the engine’s metal surfaces.

By creating the bulk reservoir out of aluminium and using a larger volume of oil, the oil volume in combination with the cooling properties of the tank material work together to disperse heat. This helps to extend oil maintenance intervals to a recommended 500 hours instead of the typical 100 hours. The reservoir is manufactured from 3.2 mm thick aluminium which has a very good corrosion resistance and is extremely robust. The oil is transferred from the engine to the tank by a second pump in the engine base, where it goes through the filter and circulates back down to the base of the tank. The oil flows from the base of the tank, back into the engine by gravity feed.

Operating a Ferris commercial mower with a Vanguard™ EFI engine featuring the Oil Guard™-system will extend the recommended oil change intervals from the current 100-hour interval to 500 hours with no compromise to engine health or durability. Additionally, oil changes are now faster and easier than ever, thanks to the operator focused design meaning the engine oil can be changed without tools. The oil can be drained easily using the drain valve located at the rear of the machine. The oil reservoir cap comes off by a ¼ turn and the oil filter is located at the top opening of the reservoir and can also be taken out with a ¼ turn. The wide mouth tank opening easily takes five litre oil bottles for no mess and no need for a funnel.

The Vanguard™ Oil Guard™-system will be exclusively available on Ferris® mowers and is a factory-integrated technology, not an aftermarket add-on. The 3-year limited commercial engine warranty in its entirety applies. Ferris will have the Oil Guard System integrated into its 2017 commercial models including the IS2100Z, featuring the 28HP Vanguard™ 810 EFI, and IS3200Z, featuring the 37HP Vanguard™ BIG BLOCK™ EFI engine.