Electric Tug Suppliers

Electric tow tugs are highly versatile and have a range of applications across various industries. This includes factory settings such as warehouses, manufacturing plants, production lines and logistic operations. Other settings include retail, hospitality, automotive and healthcare. 

Here are some examples of their use:

• Garbage collects towing waste wheelie bins
• Hotels transporting linen trolleys 
• Butchers moving meat carts
• Supermarkets transporting goods from the loading dock
• Airport staff moving luggage carts
• Hospital and aged care staff transporting patients in their bed
• Storage facilities arranging trailers and caravans
• Hangers towing small aircraft
• Grocery stores collating trolleys

Electric tow tugs are available in many towing capacities. Depending on the model of tow tug, the capacity can range from 500kg - 3,000kg. Most models offer 1,000kg - 1,500kg as this will fulfil the daily requirements of most workplaces.

All electric tow tugs are composed of four main components. These are the base, the drawbar, the trolley wheels and the coupling attachment. Other features may be provided and will vary from model to model. 

Here are some available features to look out for: 

• Interchangeable battery packs
• Hands free remote operation 
• Both male and female coupling attachments 
• Digital display with battery charge level 
• Button and key starters for powering on and off
• Reinforced casing 

Electric tow tugs come in two different types. These are traditional multipurpose tow tugs and those designed for food and beverage production. Tow tugs that are specifically designed for food manufacturing plants are referred to as clean room models. They feature a hygienic stainless steel finish as well as minimal joins to prevent cross contamination. This type of tow tug is for indoor use only.

Simply put, electric tow tugs are designed to tow loads and forklifts are designed to lift them. The load of an electric tow tug always stays on the ground. This solution to moving heavy loads offers both positives and negatives. Generally, by keeping the load on the ground the risk of goods being damaged during transport is greatly reduced as there is no longer a risk of being dropped. A negative of this type of transport is that loads cannot be stored on elevated shelves. Another notable difference between the two is that tow tugs are significantly cheaper and do not require a licence to operate, unlike a forklift.

Electric tow tugs are built for purpose machines and attach to loads using coupling. Coupling allows the weight of the load to be transferred to the tow tug. In this case, a male coupling on the tug connects to the female coupling on the load. Electric tow tugs will feature one of the following male coupling options. 

• Drop pin hitches
• Tow ball hitches
• Clamping hitch

Most electric tow tugs are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. They are equipped with large rubber pneumatic wheels that provide maximum grip on all surfaces and slopes. The use of rubber tyres prevents flat spotting and a reduction in vibrations.

Electric tow tugs allow the operator to move loads of high weight with ease thanks to their powerful motor. However, this towing process presents risks to the operator and because of this, safety is at the forefront of its design. Tow tugs operate at a low speed and have an excellent braking system. They also feature an emergency stop button, a range of speed selections and an emergency back-off button which prevents the operator from being pinned between the machine and a wall.