I looked at a nose wheel 180 hp maule with 900 original hours that has been hangered every day of its life. It looked like brand new, standard vfr instruments, cruise prop. The owner says it cruises between 115 and 120 mph. Uses no oil, tires good, paint excellent interior likewise, asking 70k. What do you think? I fly a 1957 182 and like it, and it would be nice to upgrade(year wise), and fly something different. There is a speed difference but I'm not too concerned. Any thoughts?

OK a newer airplane but a STEP BACK IN TIME If somebody built a new Mayflower would you book a cruise on it. I have camped with you and you bring a lot of stuff.

TIM

qmdv wrote:OK a newer airplane but a STEP BACK IN TIME If somebody built a new Mayflower would you book a cruise on it. I have camped with you and you bring a lot of stuff.

TIM

Hahaha Tim! This is going to bring serious backlash from the Maule guys. But you are right, Cessnas definitely employ futuristic and cutting-edge technology throughout the design

Scolopax wrote:

qmdv wrote:OK a newer airplane but a STEP BACK IN TIME If somebody built a new Mayflower would you book a cruise on it. I have camped with you and you bring a lot of stuff.

TIM

Hahaha Tim! This is going to bring serious backlash from the Maule guys. But you are right, Cessnas definitely employ futuristic and cutting-edge technology throughout the design

But seriously, if you are driving a nose dragger how do you beat a strait tail 182.

Tim

Yea, I suppose you're both right. I do carry lots of stuff and the 182 carries almost 100lbs more useful and about 13 more gallons of fuel. They sure are pretty though.

yellowbird wrote: They sure are pretty though.

So is a mud fence

Tim

If you carry a lot of stuff, having the entire right side of the plane open up for loading is pretty nice. Pretty much if I can get into the back of my station wagon it will fit in the Maule.






My M5-235C has something over 900 lbs of useful load and I would suspect the 180 would be more due to a lighter engine; however, the nose gear does add weight.

It does not fly like a Cessna because it is not a Cessna, it flys like the Maule it is

I've owned two straight tail 182s and three Maules, so I'm familiar and I'll interject my opinion here. I think highly of each one, but they are very different. In short, if you're happy with the 182 and are considering another nosewheel airplane, especially a 180hp tricycle Maule, keep the 182. I don't think you will gain anything by making that move, other than being able to say your airplane is a '99 model instead of a '57 model.

The straight tail 182 is a super all-around airplane with both great utility and cross country capabilities. You won't see the 130-135 knot cruise in the Maule and you'll miss the extra 50hp on takeoff and climb, especially when hot, high, and/or heavy. I just did a short stint with a 180 hp airplane after being accustomed to big hp. It didn't suit me well. However, if you fly solo or keep it light all the time (or always have plenty of runway) and are looking for better economy, then I suppose you may be happy in the 180hp Maule. But under a load or high performance requirements, it won't compare favorably to the 182. For an airport to airport plane, the 182 will win.

The Maule will handle lighter in the air and will be more fun to maneuver and play around in. The Maule seems to me to shine in more of a utility/off airport/short/rough field airplane. But put a nosewheel on it and you've just taken away a lot of what it was designed to do. So unless you need a conventional gear airplane for your mission, or want a tailwheel just for the fun of it, the 182 is a hell of a lot of airplane for the buck. The nosewheel Maule...seems like a combination of attributes that...well, I don't fully understand. I'm sure the guys that fly them will point out what I'm missing.

This, of course, is only opinion. And for the record, I am a Maule guy. Mine suits me perfectly and I love it. I want a 182 to carry the family cross country. I want a cub/husky for rough/short work that I do regularly. The long wing Maule on 35s is a compromise between the two that works great for me.

If you're itching to spend $70k to upgrade, there are a lot of nice 182s on the market to be had in that price range. On the other hand, if you want to venture into the tailwheel world, the Maule is a fantastic airplane, also available for $70k.

TomD wrote:If you carry a lot of stuff, having the entire right side of the plane open up for loading is pretty nice. Pretty much if I can get into the back of my station wagon it will fit in the Maule.






My M5-235C has something over 900 lbs of useful load and I would suspect the 180 would be more due to a lighter engine; however, the nose gear does add weight.

It does not fly like a Cessna because it is not a Cessna, it flys like the Maule it is

I admit I know little about Maules. I have never even flown in one so you guys need to know there was a fair amount of kidding in my posts. My 56 182 has just over 1050 useful and with the extended baggage I can cram as much stuff as you can in a Maule. And I am serious about cram. Yes I covet that door.

Tim

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I had about 800 hours in my 2002 MX-180c when I sold it. If it had been a nose dragger, I might have kept it. I loved the performance of the plane but just felt that I couldn't stay proficient with it's tailwheel. So I sold it and and bought my V35B (which I love).

Now I'm looking for a second back-country plane (super cub or a husky)...

Maules are great airplanes - I don't think they hold their value as well as others, though...

Jim