Andrew

[Slowride]

Looking for suggestions for a nose wheel tug for my m20c. Least expensive would be nice 

[N201MKTurbo]

Old riding lawn mower or golf cart.

[Slowride]

Tried golf cart. Seems a little rough on the gear

[Hank]

Whatever you use, get a long towbar, go slow and be careful. It will be very easy to overturn the nosewheel and dent the strut. 

[dan nephin]

Garden tractor with hydrostatic drive

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard SlowR....

There are lots of options...

From expensive to CB specials...

Some are even assembled from parts in the aviation aisle at HD...

Around here, there are dozens of threads covering the topic from tow bars to tugs...

One of the coolest tugs has been documented on how to build your own.

The popular portable powered one, costs over 1.5AMU...

The search function can probably help you with all the details... there are plenty, and they are all here...

changing the gearing/pulley in your current cart may be a good idea...  (what do you mean by tough on the gear?)

Powered devices can easily be slowed down...one way or another...

Best regards,

-a-

[carusoam]

oh... hey...
 

Let’s help Andrew out a bit...   

The title of the thread is interesting...

It can be edited by the OP...

The screen name can be edited as well... in case you want to be Andrew, discussing a slow ride...

Instead of Slow ride, discussing Andrew...

Best regards,

[Slowride]

Thanks for the input. New older Mooney owner. Made an extended tow bar out steel tubing. Seems very jerky on the nose wheel and ended up bending the part that inserted in the recess on the wheel. Thinking a commercial tug is cheaper than damaged airplane. Tight maneuvering in hangar with my other attitude adjustment tools. PS. I am loving the m20

[Slowride]

PPS. Slowride is my nickname in my working endeavor as a lineman

[carusoam]

I went a similar route... using a repurposed lawn tractor... 

Selecting the lowest gear possible... and selecting the throttle lever in a very low setting... and has a clutch to slowly start things moving...

Things happen quickly... more so in tight quarters...

Hard to watch where the plane is going and the nose gear at the same time...

Another option discussed around here is electric winches mounted at the back of the hangar...

Kind of slow and jerky at the same time... but really low cost...

Best regards,

-a-

[N201MKTurbo]

Do you have to push it up a hill? I’ve found that the manual method works best on flat surfaces.

[carusoam]

Light fuel weight,  M20C, no hills...   

I didn’t get anything powered until the Mooney had to go up hill into the hangar...

Unless it is empty... the O weighs enough to make it difficult for one person to press it up hill...

If anyone gives you a hard time about manually moving your M20C... tell them you are saving for some kid’s college or an M20R...   

Best regards,

-a-

 

[Hank]

My M20-C is much easier to move around by hand than the C172s I flew as a student pilot . . . .

[takair]

4 hours ago, Slowride said:

Looking for suggestions for a nose wheel tug for my m20c. Least expensive would be nice 

Where are you located?  I’ve been helping a friend find one and they surprisingly pop up on Craigslist or Barnstormers quite frequently.  They are often in the wrong part of the country, but if you are patient you will find a bargain.  Do you have a budget to stay in?  The better used ones seem to range from $500 to $1200 at the low end.  Getting them to you might be the bigger issue.

[PT20J]

Golf carts seem cheap until you have to replace the batteries. 

Many (including me) like the Sidewinder, but it’s not cheap. Used ones show up from time to time. 

Skip

[ArtVandelay]

Another option discussed around here is electric winches mounted at the back of the hangar...
Kind of slow and jerky at the same time... but really low cost...

Even lower cost is some pulley blocks, 4:1 or 6:1 will give you the necessary leverage, no jerking and great control.

[Slowride]

8 hours ago, takair said:

Where are you located?  I’ve been helping a friend find one and they surprisingly pop up on Craigslist or Barnstormers quite frequently.  They are often in the wrong part of the country, but if you are patient you will find a bargain.  Do you have a budget to stay in?  The better used ones seem to range from $500 to $1200 at the low end.  Getting them to you might be the bigger issue.

N72. Warwick NY. 

[takair]

8 minutes ago, Slowride said:

N72. Warwick NY. 

Not far from me!  There is one on Facebook marketplace for $1250....not far from you.  As I recall, Craigslist has one on LongIsland for about the same price.  If you PM me your number or email I can share links if I came across one.

[Planegary]

what about this? Build it yourself and a turntable to prevent oversteer damage

[bradp]

I bought @jetdrivens old power tow I when he upgraded to a sidewinder.  Thing fires right up and works. Fits under the wing and suits my needs. It’s a good economy route if you can’t find a running mower for a good price.  I like it’s a bit more precise and I can feel sufficiently to not oversteer. 

[carusoam]

17 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

Even lower cost is some pulley blocks, 4:1 or 6:1 will give you the necessary leverage, no jerking and great control.

I tried something similar from HF....

Proved that HF doesn’t have an aviation aisle...  

For something that was supposed to lift 1kLbs... it got all messed up the first time...

Undersized bits and pieces... with a cheap nylon string like substance...

Great idea... just wrong execution...

I have just a slight incline... over 20’.

So... SR, if going manual pulleys... get some big pulleys and a real rope...

Best regards,

-a-

[ArtVandelay]

On 2/2/2021 at 12:04 AM, carusoam said:

I tried something similar from HF....

Proved that HF doesn’t have an aviation aisle...  

For something that was supposed to lift 1kLbs... it got all messed up the first time...

Undersized bits and pieces... with a cheap nylon string like substance...

Great idea... just wrong execution...

I have just a slight incline... over 20’.

So... SR, if going manual pulleys... get some big pulleys and a real rope...

Best regards,

-a-

You want quality sailing hardware, Harken blocks for example, and high quality line. It works well, but you need to know how to flake line (arrange rope for immediate use for those with no nautical experience) otherwise the line(rope) will tangle and jam the blocks.