No reserves for HSI or OH, that is usually included in the depreciation calculations for a SETP. You can get engine plans with the first 400 hrs free from Pratt, I think it is about $85/hr. I don't think many do them. Not sure it would pay off if you didn't go to OH. Buyers may not want to stay in the program, and most people won't own a SETP long enough to get to OH. 150 hours per year would be 24 years to OH.

Can't think of many timed parts. The FCU (fuel control unit) has some service interval I think, and the starter generator needs an OH at some point. The gear are just on demand maintenance. The gear are pretty simple. so should not be outrageous like some aircraft.

I have a hunch that Piper is working on something bigger than the M600, and sniffed around pretty hard when I was at the factory. Even with my hefty contribution to Piper they are really tight lipped.

New planes often come with a ridiculously short life limit. Not sure what it is now, but certainly expect it to go at least 10,000 hours on the pressure vessel like the other PA46's, but at 3 mil, certain they would extend that when planes start getting there. be a bunch of years though.

It's great that Piper really decided to be competitive with the new M series. Not enough of that happening...

Resurrecting an old thread to ask what annual maintenance costs are like now that these airframes are 7-8 years old. I'm seeing surprisingly low numbers around the web - like $6k for prop overhaul and $10k annuals - and wondering if that's still true in 2024. If so it'd be shocking low vs. TBM where the average annual fixed mx cost is around $45k (including amortization for 6-yr prop overhaul, 10-yr gear, 14/8-yr pressure vessel inspection).

No first hand experience but a fair amount studying the two, not inconsistent with what I hear - the TBM is multiples more to maintain, not percentages more.

Not too bad is how I’d put it coming from a bonanza.

The big issue is items are just expensive when they go. This year will be more. I’ve been playing catch up with a 2001 Meridian. Most parts are the same so as a ball park this may be helpful.

Most shops annual rate is $7500-$10k. My last two annuals were $30 and $38 or so. Last year $6k was a pilot side window that needed to be replaced.

This year will be more, this summer has been expensive- battery $5400, generator $3700, left de-ice boot $3600 plus install.

Figure every 6 years there’s a FCU OH $15-$45. Don’t know prop cost. No gear inspections.

Buddy was looking at going from M500 to a 600. I asked about TBM and he knows of TBM 700 driver who he’d spent time with on costs and said that those planes were for people who had money!

I looked really hard at the Meridian before getting the TBM. My conclusion is that Pratt&Whitney items are the same costs. Some items are more, some items are less.

A TBM windshield is cheaper and they seem to last a lot longer than the Meridian ones.

TBM Gear actuators are $25K-30K every 10 years if you follow the Daher schedule. Meridian is on condition.

Meridian hoses - replace 8 years or 1000 hours / TBM 14 years only on some hoses

starter/generator - O/H at 1000 hours / TBM O/H at 2400 hours

alternator - O/H at 2000 hours / TBM O/H at 3000 hours

Battery - replace 3 years or 1800 hours whichever is first / TBM on condition

Main gear actuator upper attach bolt - 500 hours / TBM gear is on wing at 5 years (very easy inspection), 10 year off wing inspection (not hard), O/H at 5000 landings.

Detailed structural inspection - 7 years or 2000 hours whichever is first / TBM 8 years or 3000 hours. Looking at the maint manual the level of inspection is the same on the Meridian as the TBM.

I have had 2 different TBM700C2 the last 5 years. Maint has been very reasonable, and spends less time in the shop than my buddy's M500 and M600.

I do think that the Meridian Service Centers are cheaper overall than the TBM Service centers. This can be dealt with by doing your own maint or using competent mechanics.

Terry I'm going to call when I save enough pennies to upgrade. :-)

I think 30,000 per year total maintenance is a pretty good figure for an out of warranty M500 or M600. Some shops seem to come out with bigger bills, not sure what to think about that. I think it revolves around there being something that looks an operates like new, and then something that functions like new that’s perfectly acceptable and doesn’t have to be replaced. I don’t see any difference between the 500 and 600 in cost, they have a lot of different parts, but they’re all pretty much the same style. Maintenance can be lumpy and for part 91 operators you don’t have to do a prop overhaul and FCU overhaul in the same year unless you want to. So some years will be higher, some years can be quite a bit lower.

I just came out of annual on my 2018 M600. I skipped the FCU and prop overhauls as I only have around 600 hours on the bird. Total bill was around $25K with a couple tires and very few issues.

I think our last annual was $0, but is the last of the 5 years of free maintenance, we are on our own now. But we did install the diversity transponder and the new improved (off-pavement) front gear. That was all on us, and typical turbine costs. But entirely elective. We did get a new heated windscreen, fortunately it was a warranty item.Not sure if the new Woodward FCU has to be overhauled like the Bendix at 6 years. Well also have a prop overhaul coming up soon. But will not do both in the same year.

I love the plane, but I read about a lot of nose gear problems during landing. Any concerns about it?
Thanks

I think there were about ?eight or so out of a fleet of 300 M600/700 and hundreds of thousands of landings. No injuries, just bent metal. Piper came out with a series of service bulletins which included things like make sure the gear is rigged per spec, make sure the tires are inflated per the POH, Land on published speeds, don’t land on the front wheel, and those events seemed to disappear. Boiled down to be a conscientious plane owner and learn to land . But the design of the gear does make it more responsive than a lot of similar aircraft. When you move those pedals, the tire turns as compared to some planes where you push on the pedals it is more of a suggestion to the nose wheel to turn. So if you over control, you can get into a pilot induced oscillation. Piper did come out with a new nose gear which is on all the newer aircraft, and able to be retrofit to all prior serial numbers. In addition to being stronger and more stable, by being self dampening it allows the plane to land on unimproved fields. I have flown both nose gear, and while the legacy nose gear is perfectly fine to me, the new nose gear is definitely better and I would recommend everybody upgrade. We upgraded, can’t remember I think it was 12,000 or so with labor.