Anyone own one of these? They are surprisingly inexpensive, and seem like they would make an excellent platform. I'm surprised they aren't more popular, anyone know why that is?

Great plane. Capable, sensible, reliable and good factory support. One of my favorites. They only run a close second to my plane!!

Just kidding. I would reccommend a maule to anyone.

Bill

Just in case you haven't seen it yet.

http://www.mauleairinc.com/

You're definitely gonna get the most bang for the buck from a Maule; we just love ours like a puppy dog. Good cruise speed and short field performance, excellent load and fuel capacity, easy access to the cargo area, low cost maintenance, built for rough treatment. Very good examples can be found in the $50-60K range if you shop carefullly. I'd recommend an M-6 if you're serious about off airport stuff and are willing to pay a little more than an M-5.

It's a taildragger and demands your attention all the time (like a puppy) or it'll nip your heels...but they are a lot of fun to fly. It's sometimes hard to find an insurance carrier for a Maule if you don't have any or much tailwheel time.

Been out of town for the last week, otherwise I would have responded sooner.