Peter wrote:
These products, which push onto the front tyre, will never be much good. They should work on tarmac but they are unlikely to work on grass because of limited traction on the one wheel.One could do a design for grass where a separate wheel with “pins” sticking out would work on soft ground but I have not seen such a thing.
Our Mooney has to be moved quite a bit on grass after pulling out of the hangar and it is quite a pain to push it inside even 1-2 meters when the ground is slightly wet. Has some had experience with Towflexx on grass? Does it work? Someone told me yesterday that controls on Towflexx TF need some practice when parking in tight spaces. Is that true?
I browsed through this topic few days ago and ordered Towflexx and ordered TF2. I remember that TF1 wasn’t so good at grass but I expect TF2 to be OK (although I usually don’t operate on grass). Price difference is very small and it was highly recommended for heavier aircrafts. I’ll check it on grass with DA42 once I get it (next week) and I’ll let you know.
I too have been scouting classifieds 
but found nothing so far. I would really like to try it before considering the investment. Another Mooney owner had it but unfortunately she move to a new home.
I’m looking to build a tug capable of slopes and grass.
The issue we have is that where I’m based the grass is either dry with little to no consequence or wet with very soft ground.
In those soft conditions the only way to get traction is to get weight onto the driving wheels. For that reason I am intending to have the nose gear on the tug, to assist with traction, rather than just pulling. It’s a gentle balance between enough weight for traction and too much that may then impede the tug by being bogged down in the soft ground.
I won’t know for sure until I test it, but I’m quietly confident I’m in the ballpark.
My design will allow an easy upgrade to 4 wheel drive if req.
For a short while I used a petrol powered verion of a tug like the TF2 but it required a lot of body weight applied to the handle to stop the wheels spinning because of the slope up into the hangar.
What made it worse was any lying water that you needed to pass through enroute to the slope.
It was workable but not elegant. Never tried it on grass.
In the dry weather they are fine and when the ground is flat like most other places not a worry then either.
I’m now wondering if I should set up a production line. Lol.
I thought about building such a thing and IMHO it would need spiked wheels
You can buy these, for ice racing with go-karts etc.
The problem is that a plane on grass needs dramatically more force to move it. This depends on the wheel diameter to some extent but it takes 3-4 people to move a typical IFR tourer even on perfect grass. On the Scilly Isles for example it needs almost 100% power to move the plane, and I guess that is more than 3-4 people pulling/pushing.
i use a robotow with an extra lithium battery i can get usually 3-4 tows out of hangar with one charge
its about 1300 us dollars a bit hard on snow
it pulls my 2500 pound evolution well and is stowable a bit of a pain to get it connected after my recent total knee replacement but doable
airways wrote:
Does that mean you have a TF1 for sale, @Emir ?
No. The previous airport operator took it with him few days ago when his contract with airport owner expired.
magyarflyer wrote:
i use a robotow with an extra lithium battery i can get usually 3-4 tows out of hangar with one charge
TF2 is supposed to cover 3 km of towing with full battery. Plus it can be used as GPU. I remember that TF1 didn’t have any problems starting any piston engine. I don’t know whether it can be used to start turbine aircraft.
magyarflyer wrote:
i use a robotow with an extra lithium battery i can get usually 3-4 tows out of hangar with one charge
There is big price difference compared with Towflexx TF, but judging from the picture I can’t imagine very traction when wheels have some mud on them (very normal taxiing in/out on grass).
GA_Pete wrote:
I’m now wondering if I should set up a production line. Lol.
Could you post a few pictures?
Pictures.
Will do.
Raw stock box sections and wheels arrived this week.
Raw shaft stock, bearings, collars bushes and plate steel to arrive next week, I now have access to a lathe and mill again, so some bits to machine up, then the Wallace&Grommet bit begins!
I’ll try to take pictures as I go.
Oh and them wheels look fun Peter but after 1 pass on the grass, you’ll be asked to leave and not return.
Due to the diameter they would churn soft ground really badly. If they were 20" Dia they would be doing the ground a big service, but not at that size, plus for the build cost and effort you need something that’s good on grass, the apron and into a hangar.
