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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 17 Dec 2019, 11:05 
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Joined: 04/09/16
Posts: 541
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Location: Utah
Aircraft: MU-2B
Username Protected wrote:
Here's an older Lektro for sale in Stockton...

WARNING - a Lektro will not work on a short body MU2 because of the nose fairing. I am unclear whether they work on a long body MU2 but I kinda don’t think so... don’t buy a Lektro for a MU2!


Good to know! I'm leaning towards moving my Kubota BX25 into the hangar at least for the winter. Removing the backhoe, and the front bucket assembly it should do the trick with a front mounted hitch. But for long term, I'm still looking for ideas!

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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 17 Dec 2019, 12:43 
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Joined: 06/24/08
Posts: 1182
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Location: Oklahoma City, OK (KPWA)
Aircraft: 1980 Bonanza A36TC
You can find these PSI tugs on surplus auction sites from time to time at a reasonable price. I bought mine from a small regional airport that used to have airline service.

https://www.purplewave.com/auction/1404 ... e-Missouri

Attachment:
PSI.jpg


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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 17 Dec 2019, 13:55 
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Joined: 02/09/09
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Location: Owosso, MI (KRNP)
Aircraft: 1969 Bonanza V35A
Username Protected wrote:
.

A golf cart would work A OK also for $1,200.

Mike


A golf cart will not move anything larger than a Bonanza once a snowflake hits the ground. Been there, don’t that. I use a golf cart lol summer long, but once the snow hits, I have to go get the real equipment.

Even a Bonanza is a PITA with more than a inch or two on the ground even with ATV style tires on the golf cart. Electric is better due to the weight, but still inadequate for any airplane of substance..

His profile says Utah, and I’m pretty sure they get some snow there...

My good, electric gold cart with new batteries will barely move the similar weight C-441 when loaded with fuel on flat dry concrete..


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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 17 Dec 2019, 15:24 
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Joined: 07/10/10
Posts: 937
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Location: New Braunfels, TX
Aircraft: Conquest
We sell a lot of Kubota RTV's to airports and FBO's for use as tugs. They have hydrostatic transmissions that work well for towing loads smoothly without the jerk you get from a constant-velocity (CV) transmission. They're also four-wheel-drive, working well on wet/slippery surfaces. For airplanes up to 10,000 lbs. a gas RTV500 works well and runs on Avgas. For larger aircraft I would recommend the RTV900 diesel unit (that can run on Jet-A).

Full disclosure: I'm a Kubota dealer.

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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 17 Dec 2019, 21:33 
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Joined: 11/20/16
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Location: Austin, TX area
Aircraft: OPA
Username Protected wrote:

Full disclosure: I'm a Kubota dealer.


A rather large, multi location Kubota Dealer. :D

https://ewaldkubota.com/


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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 17 Dec 2019, 21:45 
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Joined: 03/21/13
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Company: Water
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Aircraft: Renting A36
All our farm tractors were filled with water to give better traction. You get the added weight without causing extra stress on the wheel bearings.
Easy to do, just park with the valve at the top, deflate, insert thin tube, fill to the top with water, then gradually refill with air (It doesn't take much air, so keep checking the pressure as you refill).
BWTFDIK

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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 17 Dec 2019, 22:14 
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Joined: 12/30/15
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Location: NH; KLEB
Aircraft: M2, erstwhile G58
Username Protected wrote:
All our farm tractors were filled with water to give better traction. You get the added weight without causing extra stress on the wheel bearings.
Easy to do, just park with the valve at the top, deflate, insert thin tube, fill to the top with water, then gradually refill with air (It doesn't take much air, so keep checking the pressure as you refill).
BWTFDIK


Great point, but water will freeze in cold Wx. When using ag tractors in the woods for hauling logs, etc or when using on inclines for many types of work we “load” the tires. Old school is a sodium chloride liquid, but very corrosive and environmental issues if there is a leak. Current, “greener” method is a concentrated beet juice liquid that is heavier than water and won’t freeze.

But yeh, loading tires helps. When doing real work, torque and weight are your friends.


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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 18 Dec 2019, 00:33 
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Joined: 08/31/17
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Aircraft: C180
+ 1 for beet juice and minus 1000 for chloride solution, wheels rusted apart before any of the John Deere did.

Give me 20 more years I’ll report back on the beet juice consequences.


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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 18 Dec 2019, 01:10 
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Joined: 05/03/12
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Location: Wichita, KS
Aircraft: Mooney 201
This has been listed in Wichita for a while so the price might be negotiable. I know nothing about it or the seller:

1998 GT 50 Clark aircraft Tug 6300#

https://wichita.craigslist.org/for/d/wi ... 25260.html

1998 Clark Tug 6300# Model - GT50 Type - G Mfr. Year - 1998 Serial - GTDT00668151FC Service Weight - 6300# (2858 kg) Drawbar Pull - 5000# @ 12" coupler height (22241N @ 305 mm coupler height) Propane 655 hours show contact info


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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 18 Dec 2019, 06:36 
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Joined: 06/12/11
Posts: 309
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Company: Fly By Knight, Inc.
Location: KHDC, Hammond LA.
Aircraft: H35, B58, PA28, PA34
Starman Auctions seems to hold an online Southwest Airlines GSE sale several time/year, while a 737 capable tug might be overkill a baggage tug may be appropriate.

http://www.starmanauctions.com/

There's this reportedly running tug on Govdeals

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?fa=M ... ctid=12307


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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 24 Dec 2019, 20:17 
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Joined: 04/09/16
Posts: 541
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Location: Utah
Aircraft: MU-2B
Has anyone used one of these? At $5k it look like a reasonable option.

https://www.djproducts.com/product/small-aircraft-tug/


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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 25 Dec 2019, 11:11 
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Joined: 03/23/08
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Company: AssuredPartners Aerospace Phx.
Location: KDVT, 46U
Aircraft: IAR823, LrJet, 240Z
Put a “spotter hitch” on the front of your truck (everyone has a truck, right?)

Your truck starts every time, has plenty of front wheel traction and good brakes.

Note the comment above about tugs having relatively light front ends and small tires and little traction. I have a pile of bent parts and a smushed radome to prove this.

Also, Mind the scissors!!

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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 25 Dec 2019, 11:28 
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Joined: 11/08/12
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Location: San Carlos, CA - KHWD
Aircraft: Piaggio Avanti
Username Protected wrote:

Note the comment above about tugs having relatively light front ends and small tires and little traction. I have a pile of bent parts and a smushed radome to prove this.

Also, Mind the scissors!!

Just to reiterate... The SuperTow IV solves all those problems. Much easier to use than a tow bar. More maneuverable. No need to even release the scissors, won’t over rotate the gear.

How many “smushed radomes” and the like does the “cheap” solution cost?

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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 25 Dec 2019, 11:45 
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Joined: 11/08/12
Posts: 6232
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Location: San Carlos, CA - KHWD
Aircraft: Piaggio Avanti
Username Protected wrote:
Has anyone used one of these? At $5k it look like a reasonable option.

https://www.djproducts.com/product/small-aircraft-tug/

I think you would need the AircraftCaddy DNW model to accommodate the dual nose wheel.

Also, it’s unclear whether their models are all similar, but in the video they show the aircraft being towed being held on by a strap. This doesn’t work with the MU2 because of the nose wheel fairing, you’ll bend the fairing. The DNW model does suggest it has a lazy susan type carriage, so maybe it doesn’t use the strap(?), but I would carefully confirm before buying.

If those things check out, looks reasonable. Basically similar to the SuperTow but electric, which is a good thing to my mind.

As I said, I bought two of the SuperTow (two hangar locations) because dealing with tow bars kinda sucks. Harder to maneuver, all the problems with trying to back something with two hinge points, plus traction issues with the tug, plus the potential for an expensive forgetting to undo the scissor link, plus the amount of effort just working with the tow bar.

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 Post subject: Re: Best Tug Ideas (For the money)
PostPosted: 25 Dec 2019, 12:11 
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Joined: 12/16/12
Posts: 53
Post Likes: +62
Location: Windsor, Ontario
Aircraft: AT-6
I looked at various options on towing my plane and went with a front tow attachment for my Toyota Tundra from Curt. Takes 20 minutes to put on. Under $200 and had it the next day.

Tom


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