There is plenty of good information about Maules available, except on the M5 210. Please share all you know about the 210 series Maule from empty weight, performance, engine reliability, to comparisons with the other models. All input is appreciated.

Not getting too much input, so let me ask a specific question. Is the extra 30hp from the Continental IO-360-D worth the weight penalty of having a 6 cylinder engine, compared to the Lycoming 180hp models? On paper it looks ok, but want to hear from people that have flown both.

Dad and I looked at buying one about 10 years ago. Great plane, but the engine is very expensive to work on. We ended up buying a C-180 instead.

Hope you get some good info!

I think there is no comparison, I flew a 180 hp one for just a bit, and the 540 lyc and there was a huge difference, Just me!! Some folks get along with them fine!
My dad had early Maules with 210's in them and loved them, Myself I prefer the 220 Franklin!!
Super Maule on here has one of my Dads birds, He loves it!!
What is your mission?
They are a few pounds lighter than the 540.
That should make you choice
Lower Overhaul time on the 210.
There are quite a few out there and I know if you get used to them they are great

Maybe Jeremy can chime in, he is our Maule GURU!!
Any of them are a great bird!!

Wish I had the experience to answer your question but I'll add a couple points: The CMI IO360 lies right in between the O360 and O540 Lycs both in weight and horsepower. Lycon told me on average it isn't any more expensive to overhaul than any other engine. It is about as fuel efficient as an airplane engine gets. Replacing the 76" Hartzell with a 82" McCauley is a great performance enhancement. They need proper cooling and do not tolerate high cylinder temps well. Cylinders are expensive, ~$1800 each new.

You might know that I'm installing one on my Bearhawk and am very excited about it, so I'm probably a bit biased. The only thing I don't like about it is that it's a Continental; I can't really think of anything good to say about them as a company.

Kitfox5 wrote:Not getting too much input, so let me ask a specific question. Is the extra 30hp from the Continental IO-360-D worth the weight penalty of having a 6 cylinder engine, compared to the Lycoming 180hp models? On paper it looks ok, but want to hear from people that have flown both.

Haven't owned either, but ...
IMHO it isn't all about horsepower. With the Continental you're getting 6-cylinder smoothness plus the advantages (and drawbacks) of fuel injection. And as Whee points out, its about halfway between the 360 & 540 Lycs, which might meet your needs pretty well.
I've owned a Lyc 320 and several Continentals (O200, O300, and O470), and all have advantages & disadvantages compared to each other. I fly a 470-powered C180 now, and don't feel like I'm at a disadvantage compared to a Lyc either bigger or smaller.

I have flown both the 180 hp and the 210 HP M5's. The extra 30 horse power is very noticeable especially in cruise. Most will tell you the Continental is a very reliable plant. Being a 6 cylinder makes it smoother than the Lyc 4 cylinder. The Continental has a crankshaft AD on it and if it has been dealt with properly it would be a good option. If the AD is still outstanding, then the crankshaft alone is $16,000.00 and should be factored into a purchase price. I own the 180 HP M5 and am happy with it's performance. Light I can get off the ground in 200', I operate regularly at high density altitude airports at gross and still climb at 700 FPM. The 210's, 220's, 235's, and 260's all have more wow factor but I just didn't want to feed them.

I needed a new crank for my engine and I was quoted $5500 for a brand new one from Continental.

Do you guys have the AD #?

whee wrote:I needed a new crank for my engine and I was quoted $5500 for a brand new one from Continental.

I'm glad to hear that as that is not what my research bore out when we were considering the 210 powered Maules. Is it possible that the crank for your EAB is more reasonable than it would be for a type certified?

Here is TCM's link:

http://www.tcmlink.com/pdf2/csb96-8.pdf

That was the price for a certified big bearing crankshaft. Oversized main bearings and cylinder assemblies have been the only items that I've felt gouged on pricing. I didn't buy new cylinders.

In Maule world, yes, the 210hp will of course out perform the 180hp.
Re overhaul cost, the IO360 210hp Continental is 6 cylinder instead of 4cylinders for the O360 180hp Lyc but another big cost factor is the recommended tbo. IO360 is 1500 hrs whereas the O360 is 2000 hrs, Overall this makes the Lyc much cheaper to operate per hour and to overhaul.
The Continental is prone to needing cylinder work prior to tbo , the Lyc , not so much, though the Lyc weak point is cam corrosion if not treated with correct oil and/or used regularly, like any aircraft engine.

I owned a 1966 M4 210C and absolutely loved it. We flew it all over Idaho and around the southwest. The fuel injection is awesome. Having the option of being able to pull it back to 8 GPH or push the money knob in and feel the acceleration in flight or get a 200 foot take off was pretty hard to beat. I sold that aircraft for financial reasons and flew a Citabria for a while. I wanted that Maule performance again though, and so bought a nice M5 180C. Unfortunately there was no comparison, I was extremely disappointed in and sold it after a year or two.
Please understand, I'm not knocking 180 Maules or any other Maule, but when comparing performance in those two versions, my experience would lead me back to the the 210 in a heart beat. I think the IO360 continental motor is one of the coolest aircraft motors there is but the cost of overhaul is, as I understand, an entirely different story and would certainly be a factor worth considering.
For what that's all worth.

The NA Cont IO-360 is actually a pretty strong base motor. They were put to the test in combat in SE Asia in the Cessna O2. (Skymaster) Good tight baffles with an engine monitor would go a long way towards keeping the cylinder problems away. The engine runs REAL smooth. An early Maule with a Cont. is a nice backcountry bird on wheels. Its just a question of budget and mission. It bridges the gap between the slower Cub types vs the bigger Cessnas both speed and payload.

I've a small amount of time in the 180hp, a fair amount in the 210hp, and a bunch in the 235hp.
I agree the 210hp is well positioned in the middle. I actually felt the well sorted one I got to fly felt much more stout than the 30hp difference.
Light and patient, the 180hp is a nice bird.
The 0-360 is one of my favorite engines.
Just not aligned with the mission for me in the Maule.
I voted with my non-existent aviation units and fly a M5 235C.

Thank you for the good replys. This is just the discussion I was hoping for. The lower TBO is definitely a factor.

I certainly understand why you would be concerned about those if you are operating commercially. If that is the case then you'd probably qualify for the 200hr tbo extension and if you have a later serial number engine then you qualify for another 200hrs. That's 1900hrs for a IO360DB. My engine model has a 2000hr tbo so with frequent use and a late serial number it would have a 2400hr tbo. If operating as a part 91 plane then who knows how long it will go on condition.

Nice thing about some 180hp Maules is they can run mogas.

Where the Heck is Milford Sound?? He commutes to work in his M5-210C and usually flies it 2 or 3 times a week...

" Paging Passenger Sound.. Passenger Milford Sound to to the white keyboard please... "

I seem to remember a Maule driver down that way but don't know which engine he sits behind.

http://www.newzealand.com/us/milford-sound/

Calling Larry Laribee wherever you are these days.
Larry flew a couple Maule M5-210C (Cont IO360) from US west coast to New Zealand in the '70s for the deer hunting project.
Longest overwater California to Hawaii 2150 miles
He told me he used a Hewlet Packard calculator for Nav. Remember the one you changed out strips for globe position changes.