Daher TBM 700/850/900/910/930/940/960/980 vs Piper M-Class (Meridian / M500 / M600)
Head-to-head — specs, at a glance.
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iDaher TBM 700/850/900/910/930/940/960/980
**The frontmatter on this page describes the current-production TBM960/980 (7,615 lb MTOW, PT6E-66XT, 895 shp installed), not the historically larger 850/900/910/930/940 fleet (7,394 lb, PT6A-66D, 850 shp).** This is a deliberate change from the prior research pass, made because Daher's own live site (tbm.aero) now publishes a full, well-conditioned specification page only for the TBM960 and TBM980 -- the 900/910/930/940 pages have been retired from the manufacturer's site and could not be located archived this session. See `docs/CATALOG-SPLITTING-RULE.md`'s rule that a shared page must say, near the top, exactly which variant its frontmatter describes; the Variants table below carries the other nine trade names' own certificate- sourced weights honestly. **This is also, independently, one certificate: FAA TCDS A60EU lists a single model, "TBM 700," and covers every trade name from the 1990 TBM 700A through the newly-added TBM980 (s/n 1627+, first delivered 2026) by serial-number and modification block rather than by separate model section** -- see the TCDS passage for the full serial map. **The TBM980 is a finding of this research pass that predates the briefing this pass was run from** (which described the line as running "700 through 960"); Daher confirms it is a real, currently-delivering airplane, a G3000 PRIME avionics refresh of the TBM960 airframe with no change to weight or power, and the page's `common_name` above has been updated to include it.
- +Fastest single-engine turboprop; 290 KTAS cruise on 57 gph
- +Pressurized cabin, known-ice, single-pilot IFR—true business-travel capability
- +Established 1,100+ global fleet; factory support through Daher dealer network
- !Annual inspection $12K–$25K; requires factory-authorized service center (not local A&P)
- !PT6A hot-section inspection (900-series) costs $60K–$90K every 1,800 hours
- !Engine overhaul $450K–$550K; TBO figures unconfirmed for PT6E-66XT (966/980)
Piper M-Class (Meridian / M500 / M600)
The Piper M-Class turboprop family represents the pinnacle of the PA-46 platform, transforming Piper's pressurized piston Malibu airframe into a capable single-engine turboprop. Beginning with the Malibu Meridian in 2000 and evolving through the M500 (2015) and M600 (2016), the line offers pressurized turbine performance at a price point substantially below competing clean-sheet designs like the Daher TBM 700/850/900/910/930/940/960 and Pilatus PC-12.
- +Purpose-built for owner-flown business travel; FL280 pressurization, 1,484 nm range (M600), 274 KTAS cruise
- +Excellent climb performance; PT6A-42A turbine maintains hot-and-high capability to 30,000 ft
- +M600 VMO of 250 KCAS enables faster descents and shorter block times vs. M500/Meridian 188 KIAS limit
- !Single-engine turboprop; PT6A-42A hot-section overhaul $255k–$425k; engine reserve ~$90–$110/hr mandatory
- !Older Meridians (2001–2005) equipped with Meggitt avionics; parts scarce and expensive ($80k–$130k modernization common)
- !Narrow 4 ft 1 in cabin, single rear-entry door; no cargo door limits payload flexibility
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