My father was with the airlines for many years as an A/P mechanic for National Airlines and Pan AM. They actually called those tugs Paymovers.
Those tugs are very powerful for pushing out or pulling in everything from 727's to 747's.
This one was traded in at a forklift dealer by Gulfstream.
It is capable of moving a half loaded B52 bomber.
I wasn't looking for a tug this heavy. My eye was set on the 5,000 - 6,000 lb class. Those have the brakes, power assist, and tractive effort required. However, when this beast came up at a fraction of the market value and had all those nice flat surfaces, I had to do it.
See those plates laying on the back? Solid steel ballast.
See the thickness of the rear wheel opening? Ballast welded in flush.
The rear panel is 1" thick plate.
The rear fenders and front bumper are 1/2" plate.
Front fenders are 1/4" plate.
The unibody is made from 3/4" thick plate 14" tall.
Those big bulky front grilles? Solid cast iron.
My 2 ton floor jack can lift the front bumper but only takes about an inch of travel out of the rear suspension.
