73 Maule M-4 210c
TT - 1507
SMOH - 0 time IO-360
Rebuilt, new oratex fabirc, new paint, 31" AK Bush Wheels, new interior, VG's, shoulder harnesses
10/10 inside and out
Basic VFR panel not even meeting Night requirements. Minimum gauges no avionics.
Located in my home state (AK)
$85,000

75 Maule M-5 210c
TT - 3800
SMOH - 430
IFR certified, GTN 650, STEC 30 Autopilot, KMA 20 Audio Panel, ADS-B In/Out, PM 1000, Pitot Heat, Shoulder harnesses.
5/10 inside and out. Interior beat, outside looks a little rough.
Located about as far away from as possible on the east coast
$78,000

I do not need auto pilot but certainly wouldn't mind it. Will be flying backcountry and a lot of commuting with in Alaska for work. The M-4 is setup exactly how I want it for backcountry, the M-5 is not. The M-5 however comes loaded with Avionics that I will eventually want to have anyhow. The M-5 will need bush wheels, gear, interior, exterior work and to be flown 4000 miles to get home.

The M-4 has zero avionics, and desperately needs the panel filled in.

My thoughts are the M-5 even flown across the country, painted, fitted with news shoes, would cost way less in the long run than if the M-5 avionics/autopilot were installed into the M-4...

Thoughts?

All other things being equal, I would go for better airframe/engine and add the avionics you want in time.

All other things aren’t equal though. One is an M4 and one is an M5. I don’t know my Maules, but it seems like the differences in the models may be more significant that the other factors that you are contrasting.

Try not to focus too much on the bling. A guy can put a worn out set of Bushwheels that are about to show cord and it will tip the scales towards that ship unreasonably. Same deal with blinky stuff and colorful screens. Focus on the heart and and the bones is my advice.

Be sure to get a good prebuy inspection done by someone who knows Maules as well.

Does that M4 have the big cargo door? I thought some of the early ones didn't. Maybe.

The big cargo door is one of the amazing things about a Maule.

Good points. The M4 does have the cargo door. I think some of the cargo doors are larger than others. There were several version including one called the "camper".

Airplanes expensive....Been in the market for a long time. Pretty set on a Maule for the price point and where I'm flying. Waiting around has priced me out of anything else I was looking that can offer the same performance/size. While a trip from the east coast where I'm from would be a blast, it would also probably add another 7-8k in costs having to fly and avoid most of Canada.

Long legs between fuel stops (and with a 4K distance to cover you will) makes the auto pilot VERY attractive. That said, an autopilot install and avionics on the M4 would set you a lot farther back than the changes you would like to have on the M5. Both birds are great birds but since we're talking money, the M5 is a better approach.

That's a tough choice for me. Engine, engine, engine. Like Jake said. Get a SUPER thorough pre buy.

I bought my M7 with 90 hours on the air frame and engine. Passed compression. It had sat 5 years only started at annual. It was a beautiful plane. It ate the cam shaft at 900 hours.

Really dig into the engine over haul paper work. Guys do what they call a MOH and if they don't have 100% documentation it isn't a real MOH. Anyone who has ever paid $40000 knows how important proof is.

I like the M5 unless you find abnormalities.

Cheers...Rob

Appreciate all the insight. With inventory continually low, I'm trying to line up my bullet points the sharply as I can.

A zero time engine is attractive. So are 30-40k of avionics/autopilot. We'll see what the magic 8 ball says later..

It’s not only about tach time on that overhaul but calendar time too. Infrequently flown and sitting is not good. Also, were oil changes done at regular tach intervals AND calendar intervals? Lycoming says every 4 months regardless the tach time.


Kurt

The M5 can be upped from 2300lb gwt to 2500lb gwt, 2530 to 2750 when on floats, the M4 cannot.
The M4 should be slightly lighter empty.
Large double opening rear doors are important plus.
Flaps are larger on M5.
M5 tail is swept, M4 tail is rounded.
Older M4 has rounded wingtips, M5 has droop tip so more wing lift.

All great info. Going to keep my eyes peeled. Definitely tempting when one is local and one is a 7-10 day trip away.

I still think the market is inflated but I've been waiting for it to cool off for over two years. So, that's 2 years of renting a 172 and probably a third if the hours I want.

Last question, as I've been patient in waiting for the tight aircraft, would any of you wait for a 235 to pop up? Doing some digging on the io-360. Seems to be well liked with caviats. Low TBO time comparative.

Scolopax wrote:All other things being equal, I would go for better airframe/engine and add the avionics you want in time.

All other things aren’t equal though. One is an M4 and one is an M5. I don’t know my Maules, but it seems like the differences in the models may be more significant that the other factors that you are contrasting.

Try not to focus too much on the bling. A guy can put a worn out set of Bushwheels that are about to show cord and it will tip the scales towards that ship unreasonably. Same deal with blinky stuff and colorful screens. Focus on the heart and and the bones is my advice.

Be sure to get a good prebuy inspection done by someone who knows Maules as well.

Definitely agree. However, the M4 is a complete rebuild that looks great. HD hear and brand new 31 AK bish wheels. Probably the nicest M4 I've seen

I saw that M-4 on Barnstormers. From the pics and description, it looks really clean with nice attention to detail!

If in your shoes, I would inquire on all details of the rebuild and if everything checks, strongly consider jumping on it.

The 6 point digital engine monitor is a very nice addition.

Definitely a seller's market.

I'm openly biased but I'd wait for a 235. It's nice to have it there when you need it and you can always operate at lower power settings. I can dial mine back to 21"/2100rpm and burn 9.5-10.0 gph doing 110 knots with 8.50s. Pull it back even more to let the Cubs and Huskies keep up and burning 8.0-9.0 gph doing 90-100 knots. Or put all 235 to work and burn 12.5-13.5 doing 120-130 knots depending on loading.

Scolopax wrote:I saw that M-4 on Barnstormers. From the pics and description, it looks really clean with nice attention to detail!

If in your shoes, I would inquire on all details of the rebuild and if everything checks, strongly consider jumping on it.

The 6 point digital engine monitor is a very nice addition.

Definitely a seller's market.

Yeah the one on barnstormers is done by someone local that a lot of people have good things to say about as far as the work. That goes a long way.

dwill wrote:

Scolopax wrote:I saw that M-4 on Barnstormers. From the pics and description, it looks really clean with nice attention to detail!

If in your shoes, I would inquire on all details of the rebuild and if everything checks, strongly consider jumping on it.

The 6 point digital engine monitor is a very nice addition.

Definitely a seller's market.

Yeah the one on barnstormers is done by someone local that a lot of people have good things to say about as far as the work. That goes a long way.

I would choose tip-top airframe and engine condition over fresh avionics in any case. Especially with a good reputation behind the restoration.

A 235 would be nice, but you will likely spend at least half again as much. Never flown a 180 horse Maule, but I feel like they would be pretty decent too.

The owner of the M4 has become a helpful resource for me during the rebuild of my M4. Good guy from my experience.

Rumor has it that the M4 rudder is better in crosswinds than the M5. More rudder to vertical stab ratio. The M5 has bigger flaps, but the wing planform is the same between these two planes, as the M4 has the later squared off wingtips. Looking at the M5, the paint on the fuselage is pretty faded- is it wearing the original fabric? I think I'd rather piece together your dream panel at your own pace than take the plane out of service to do a recover, which almost always turns into a slippery slope of "while I'm here, I might as well...".

What are the empty weights and useful load of each plane? The power to weight of this M4 might not be much different than that of an M5-235...

1:1 Scale wrote:The owner of the M4 has become a helpful resource for me during the rebuild of my M4. Good guy from my experience.

Rumor has it that the M4 rudder is better in crosswinds than the M5. More rudder to vertical stab ratio. The M5 has bigger flaps, but the wing planform is the same between these two planes, as the M4 has the later squared off wingtips. Looking at the M5, the paint on the fuselage is pretty faded- is it wearing the original fabric? I think I'd rather piece together your dream panel at your own pace than take the plane out of service to do a recover, which almost always turns into a slippery slope of "while I'm here, I might as well...".

What are the empty weights and useful load of each plane? The power to weight of this M4 might not be much different than that of an M5-235...

Well. The M4 I spoke of is off the table. Got beat to it. I think the overall condition of the exterior of the M5 is keeping me from pursuing it. It's also about a 35-hour flight to bring it up which I don't really have the time to do. There's an M4 in Nikiski I may go see this week. I think I will just remain patient and see what else pops up.

I'm going to be flying an M5 235c tomorrow for some time in type. Should be fun!

I wanted a four, but bought a five ... Because it was a "no-brainer" that fit what I needed -- rather than what I wanted -- so much better. It's JMHO, but take a moment and think about where you want to be in five or ten years. Then choose the best airplane you can for that future time period -- considering what you are actually likely to really do and are able and prepared to pay for doing. Some stuff will just never happen because it is a major PIT(F)A, are these things that will be deferred indefinitely niceties or necessities.

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." -- Allen Saunders (later sung by John Lennon)

Jackie

Well. Flew the M5 235 today...wish I didn't do that haha. Loved it. Might not be able to afford the 235 but I certainly am Leaning on the M5 for the bigger wing/flaps

Of the 2 planes you listed I would probably go the M4, only considering what you have listed. New fabric and new engine is hard to beat. Blank panel is great for putting in exactly what you want.

M4 will always be an M4 though. M5 and up allows for many possibilities in terms of conversions and upgrades if you wanted to have a platform that allows you to dump your life savings and the life savings of your entire family into transforming it into another model. In talkeetna lastyear they took an M5-220, put an IO540 on it, converted it to an M6-235, then put M7 long wings on it.

I dislike carburetors on airplanes so the M4 wins there too.