Sporty’s now has available the GoTow Tug, which works with or without wheel pants.
The GoTow is a drill-powered tug, made of lightweight aluminum. To operate the GoTow, the operator stands on a platform, providing the needed weight for the drive wheel, while a heavy-duty drill (sold separately) provides the power needed to move your airplane.
The steerable wheel makes it easy to maneuver in tight places, Sporty’s officials note.
The GoTow works with most Cessna, Cirrus, and Van’s aircraft without additional adapters and has an adjustable height and width to accommodate different aircraft. With an available adapter, the GoTow can be used with many other aircraft including models from Piper, Lancair, and Beech, according to Sporty’s officials.
“An aircraft tug doesn’t have to weigh a ton, nor cost a ton,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “The GoTow is lightweight, powerful, and steerable.”
Two carrying handles make positioning and attaching the GoTow easy, officials say. Two wheels on the back of the platform allow you to roll the GoTow to and from the nose wheel.
The GoTow works with a power drill of 18V or greater with a ½” chuck and boasts a typical tow speed of 12 ft/min on the drill’s low setting and 42 ft/min on the drill’s high setting. The maximum airplane weight for the GoTow is 3,600 pounds.
The GoTow drill-powered tug is priced at $1,695.
I for one, think the price is justified by the product. Looks to be quality made and efficient in doing the job. Flying isn’t a cheap hobby to get into – if you’re not ready to make the investment for quality tools then it may not be for you, just my two cents. Look forward to placing my order.
I was reading about this and was thinking…….maybe $150 or $200. $1700 WOW!!!!! Just goes to show you how little the dollar is worth on some aviation products. Use a ridiang mower for a tug and you won’t have to carry it to the plane. Sometimes I wonder about the prices of aviation related products that don’t need FAA approval.
At that price I’m sure it’s FAA PMA approved and meets all TSO requirements.
Doesn’t have to cost a ton, they say, so why is it priced at $1700?
That price doesn’t even include the drill. Probably costs at most $200 in man hours and materials to make this thing. The drill you have to go out and buy separately is more technical and is more complicated mechanically and you can get them for about $100.
For $1700 you can get a nice little riding mower with a tow bar. This is NO BARGAIN.
Maybe when they say it doesn’t have to cost a “ton” they mean $2000?