A tugger forklift (or tow tractor) is a powered industrial truck designed to pull wheeled carts, trailers, or other loads across warehouses, factories, and airports. Unlike standard forklifts that lift loads vertically, tuggers are built for horizontal transport—moving materials efficiently over long distances without requiring operators to manually push or pull heavy equipment.
Types & Key Features
Tuggers come in various configurations:
Walkie Tuggers – Pedestrian-operated units where the operator walks behind the machine. The Big Joe T15, for example, offers 1,500 lb towing capacity and weighs just 215 lbs.
Stand-on/Rider Tuggers – Operators stand or sit on the platform. The Hyundai 66TT/110TT offers 6,600–11,000 lb load capacity.
Heavy-Duty Electric Tuggers – Models like the ETP series provide pulling capacities from 1,500 kg to 5,500 kg (3,300–12,100 lb).
High-Capacity Tuggers – The Yale MTA120UTX handles 12,000 lb loads, while Koosen models range from 2,000 kg to 15,000 kg (4,400–33,000 lb) towing capacity.
How Much Does a Tugger Forklift Cost?
Prices vary widely based on capacity, brand, and condition:
Small/mini electric tuggers: ~$3,500–$4,000
Vestil E-TUG series (1,000–2,000 lb capacity): $4,225–$4,703
Heavy-duty electric tuggers (1.5–5.5 ton): ~$1,450
Koosen electric tuggers (2,000–15,000 kg): $3,500–$6,999
Cushman 662554 (8,000 lb towing capacity): €16,558 (~$18,000 USD)
Taylor-Dunn C420PS electric tow tug: ~$25,300
Used/refurbished units: Can be found for $1,500–$5,000+ depending on age and condition
How Much Does a Tugger Forklift Weigh?
Tugger weights vary significantly by size and capacity:
Big Joe T15 (walkie): 215 lbs (98 kg)
Sinolift ETP series (walkie): 275–345 kg (606–760 lb) including battery
Vestil heavy-duty tugger (7,000 lb pull): 855 lbs (388 kg)
Dragon TG10 (1.0 ton capacity): 790 kg (1,742 lb) with battery
Yale MTA120UTX (12,000 lb capacity): 2,998 lbs (1,360 kg)
Heavy-duty industrial tuggers: Can exceed 1,190 lbs (540 kg) without batteries
Major Brands
Leading tugger manufacturers include Toyota, Yale, Hyster, Hyundai, Crown, Jungheinrich, Raymond, STILL, Linde, Mitsubishi Logisnext, Taylor-Dunn, Cushman, Big Joe, Vestil, MasterMover, Koosen, and Noblelift.
In short, tugger forklifts are essential for efficient horizontal material transport, with prices ranging from under $4,000 for basic walkie models to over $25,000 for high-capacity rider units, and weights from as light as 215 lb to over 3,000 lb depending on capacity and configuration.