Electric Powered Towbar

[Mark Dickens]

Originally Posted by kbalch

I bought the Best Tugs A2 for my RV-14A and it works great. In fact, it's the best tug I've ever had - very well-constructed and easy to use. Highly recommended!!

Strictly from a load factor perspective, the A3 is overkill for any RV by well over a thousand pounds. If you also have larger airplanes, though, it's a great single tug to buy.

Yes, I should have mentioned this. I got a very good deal on the A3 because one of the holes had been misdrilled and when Mark offered me the tug for basically the cost of the A2, well, the only answer was YES. I called up to order the A2 but this was too good a deal to pass up.

[wilddog]

I have an uphill grade to the hangar door. Easy to push out but hard to pull back inside. Installed a Harbor Freight wench at rear wall, solved problem.

[kiljoy]

We have a best tug for our fleet. It’s okay. I give it a C+

[Lynnb]

Originally Posted by kiljoy

We have a best tug for our fleet. It’s okay. I give it a C+

Kiljoy, do you have one you like better?

Lynn

[Tom023]

Best Tug A3 purchased from a friend who was upgrading. Highly recommended but: I did have to open the holes in the nose fairing holes just a little; you do need to put some downward pressure on the wheels for traction in certain situations; I find the articulation feature impossible to use in reverse with the castering nose wheel, so I just lock it out and pick up the tug and reposition as needed...it is that light. Great tug!

[rvbuilder2002]

Originally Posted by Tom023

I find the articulation feature impossible to use in reverse with the castering nose wheel, so I just lock it out and pick up the tug and reposition as needed...it is that light.

It does take some practice and some retraining of the muscle memory because you have to pivot the tug handle the opposite direction that you would with a regular tow bar.
The key is to primarily concentrate on steering the nose wheel to the angle you need it to be, to get the radius of turn that you need the airplane to make.

I actually don't think of it as being much different than pushing backwards with a conventional tow bar where you push the airplane and steer the nose wheel to the angle you need by moving the bar. Just in this case the tow bar is also doing the pushing for you.

I think all of our pilots have gotten it figured out and now our pivot is never locked out.

With all of the airplane moving that we do on a regular basis, it makes it so much easier. I only wish we had gotten one a long time ago.

[kiljoy]

Originally Posted by Lynnb

Kiljoy, do you have one you like better?

Lynn

Our best tug had a few problems. The massive aluminum blocks had been poorly mounted and a couple of the bolts were cross threaded. I think week 2 they fell out on the ramp and the arms became useless... so they had to send new aluminum blocks. Then the batteries started not charging. That's always fun. We mounted a flashing LED light on the top when the power was on to keep it from getting its battery drained.

For the same price I can get a street legal golf cart and weld on a tow bar attachment to the back.

[kbalch]

Originally Posted by wilddog

Installed a Harbor Freight wench...

Hope you used a coupon and got the wench at a discount!

[RONSIM]

the electric model (extension cord) and gasoline model have good push-pull energy --- I am using the battery-powered model for may -6A, on a slight incline. The battery model does not have the energy for the heavier planes if there is much of an incline or a lip on the hangar threshold.

Ron

[BlakeFrazier]

If you're looking for another option, take a look at the Minimax tugs (find it here on our site).

These use off-the-shelf battery-powered drills (included) to power the tug, so initial costs are lower and it's easy to find replacement parts and batteries if you ever need it. Most everything else in the tug is made by Minimax in their shop in Indiana.

They've been rock-solid for us and good people to work with.

PM or email me if I can answer any questions!

blake@flyboyaccessories.com