Does anyone know why Maule decided to offer the M-9 only with spring gear and no oleos? I really like the oleos on my MX-7-180. They're a bit lighter than spring gear and damp out vibration that can occur in flight with large tires.

I agree with you Andy, it took me over a year to find the Maule I wanted because Oleo gear was a requirement for me. I came across lots of spring gears that checked all the other boxes. I wanted the ability to run the extended HD gear and have some "shock absorbing" ability, I also like that the track width of the oleo gear is the same as a typical car track for the off airport stuff. Maule also changed the spec for the oleo oil from tractor hydraulic fluid to I think 90w gear oil in what I believe was an effort to meet dampening requirements for a higher gross weight certification. The spring gear is good strong gear but the oleo style fit my mission better. My guess would be that the majority of new Maules were being ordered with spring gear and certification for both types of gear would have increased that cost significantly, additional drop tests etc. etc., Just a guess on my part we need Brent or Ty to chime in to confirm.