Classen Partners with Vanguard to Launch Electric Turf Equipment
A new collaboration between Vanguard and Classen is bringing powerful, battery-driven solutions to the turf care industry. Classen’s new TR-20eV Turf Rake is now powered by the Vanguard 48V 1.5kWh1 (Si1.5) swappable battery pack, offering a quiet, emission-free alternative for commercial turf renovation. The selection of the Vanguard Si1.5 battery pack was the result of a close partnership focused on meeting specific application and performance needs.
“We chose the Vanguard Si1.5 because of the collaborative and solutions-focused approach their team brought to the table. From the start, it felt like a true partnership,” said Gina Putnam, director of sales and marketing at Classen. “The Vanguard team worked closely with us to understand our application needs and support the
development of a reliable, battery-powered platform. Beyond the strong technical collaboration, the Si1.5 battery offered competitive pricing and delivered productivity metrics that aligned well with our expectations. It checked all the boxes for what we needed to confidently bring this next generation of Classen equipment to market.”
The Classen TR-20eV turf rake directly addresses key challenges for customers like municipalities, parks departments and universities. By eliminating gasoline, it meets the demand for sustainable equipment, reducing both emissions and long-term operational costs. Its quiet operation is ideal for noise-sensitive areas like schools and public parks, simplifying daily work without compromising the power and performance Classen is known for.
“We are thrilled to partner with a respected brand like Classen as they advance their line of turf equipment. The Si1.5 battery pack is engineered for exactly these types of demanding commercial applications where uptime, durability and versatility are critical,” said David Frank, senior vice president and president of electrification at Briggs & Stratton. “Its exchangeable design is key, allowing operators to easily swap batteries on the jobsite to reduce downtime, while achieving a standard charge time of just 75 minutes with a compatible Vanguard charger2. The battery’s versatility is a major asset; its standard interface allows it to power multiple product platforms. Like all Vanguard products, the Si1.5 is rigorously tested to ensure it can withstand tough environments, abuse, debris and dirt.”
Early feedback from contractors who have tested the new battery-powered turf rake has been overwhelmingly positive. Operators report that the machine dethatches just as effectively as its gas-powered predecessors while offering significant advantages. The successful integration was facilitated by a deeply collaborative process.
“Working with the Vanguard team was a truly supportive experience,” Putnam added. “Their responsiveness, technical expertise and customer-first mindset played a big role in helping us bring this new line of battery-powered turf renovation equipment to market successfully.”
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.