That’s a 1972 PA-28-180 and a good balance of affordability and performance. Good ones sell for north of $60,000 in the current market.
While other low-wing four-place cruisers like the Cirrus SR20 or the Diamond DA40 might break the budget, there’s always the Piper Archer. What’s good about a used PA-28-180/181 is the wide variety of models to choose from at all price points, though prices have risen sharply over the past couple of years.
Typically priced from $95,000 for a mid-1970s Archer II to nearly $500,000 for a late-model CD-155-powered Archer DLX diesel, Lycoming-powered Archers will have no problem finding field support. Performance wise, the Archer is respectable, but no one will mistake its numbers for a Bonanza’s or even an Arrow’s. But for those new to flying—and aircraft ownership—we think the Archer makes for a satisfying ownership experience. But shop wisely; the fleet is aging and some of these Pipers have served hard time on training lines.
A 180-HP Cherokee makes for a good trainer and an economical traveler if you aren’t in a hurry to get there.
History lesson
Flashback to 1973: The Cherokee 180 became the Challenger, but that wasn’t a Native American name (a tradition in the Piper line), so Piper quickly changed it again to Archer, beginning with the 1974 model year. It wasn’t until 1976 that the new tapered wing was introduced to the 180-HP airframe. This change was so significant it brought another name change: Archer II. The Archer II got a powerplant change to the -A4M version of the 180-HP Lycoming O-360—the same engine installed in newer avgas-burning Archers today.
It’s easy to spot newer (relatively, anyway) Archers by looking at the front cowling and the cabin. Piper Archer III got an updated cowl, an all-metal and modern instrument panel, factory-installed Garmin GNS 430/530 navigators, a new paint scheme, air conditioning, better seats and an improved exhaust system. The 2010 model came standard with an Avidyne Entegra glass panel, an S-TEC 55X autopilot, air conditioning and two Garmin 430W navigators. Priced in the low $400,000 range, the current Archer LX models have Garmin’s G1000 integrated avionics, electronic engine indication system, a backup EFIS system, plus an ultra-modern paint scheme. Of course, don’t forget that in 2014, Piper unveiled the Archer DX at the Aero show in Friedrichshafen, Germany. It has FADEC-controlled CD-155 diesel and remains in Piper’s lineup today.
Easy to handle
Don’t expect to break any speed records in these airplanes. They won’t keep up with entry-level Cirrus SR20s. A late-model Archer with wheelpants will cruise at about 120 knots, and there are plenty of speed mods to squeeze a bit more performance.
Climb rate, while better than a 172, isn’t stellar, but acceptable. The nosewheels are steerable on the ground, and the rudder pedals come with conventional toe brakes. Piper long ago abandoned its overhead pitch trim control and put a conventional wheel on the center console, between the seats. Below the instrument panel, in a center pedestal, is a rudder trim knob, though it’s not always necessary. Newer Archers have overhead switch panels housing mags, alternator and lighting toggle switches—something we’re not fond of in a crash. We think Piper was going for a bigger-airplane feel (think Navajo and Malibu), but the overhead switches do make for a cleaner instrument panel.
As for handling, pilots have to try really hard to get in trouble with these airplanes—especially with a modern autopilot with envelope protection. The flight controls are relatively well balanced, with roughly equivalent pressures required in all three axes. The Archers are generally stable, predictable and easy to land, even on short runways. In slow flight, the airplane has no bad habits, nor does it build speed in unusual attitudes.
Archer pilots quickly learn that deploying flaps results in an upward pitching moment, but it’s relatively easy to counteract with forward pressure on the yoke. Most crosswinds are easy to handle, thanks to the low wing and wide gear.
No, an Archer isn’t a speedster. But overall, we think it’s respectable. If you want slightly more cruise speed, there’s the Arrow (with the complexity of retractable gear) and the fixed-gear Dakota. As for the Archer, how fast you go on 180 HP depends on the year of manufacture and the equipment. Specifically, the semi-tapered wing on the 1976 and later Archers yielded benefits at both ends of the airspeed spectrum. The stall dropped by 4 knots and cruise speed went up by about the same amount. The large wheelpants available in 1978 add another 4 knots or so to cruise speed.
Even so, a late-model Archer with wheelpants will cruise at only about 120 knots, although some owners insist they see 130 knots. (We suspect erroneous airspeed indicators or tachometers.) The airplane gives up 10 knots to a Tiger but pulls ahead of a Cessna 172. Climb rate, while better than a 172, isn’t stellar. According to the POH, the airplane will climb out from sea level at about 740 FPM but, by the time it reaches 6000 feet MSL, upward mobility has trended off to around 450 FPM. As many owners attest, original Archers with the Hershey-bar wings turn out slightly better rate-of-climb numbers than later models with tapered wings.
Ergos, dwelling
Climb into the Archer from the door on the right side of the plane and load the bags through the baggage door that’s on the same side. Loading it right is important, of course, though for 180-HP airplanes, Archers haul respectable loads. Empty weights vary by year and example, of course, but one owner told us his PA-28-180’s empty weight was 1452 pounds on a gross weight of 2400 pounds. With full tanks, that allows 650 pounds of people and stuff, or three good-sized people and a bit of baggage. Later Archers allow a 2550-pound gross but empty weights are often higher, so payloads are lower. A 2010 Archer III with standard equipment weighs in at a hefty 1688 pounds empty with a ramp weight of 2558 pounds, for a useful load of 870 pounds. Older Archers might beat that by 75 pounds or more. With four people in the airplane and, say, 50 pounds of baggage, a typical example has room for 35 to 40 gallons of gas, or about three hours’ endurance with 45-minute reserves. Again, not bad for a modest airplane. If the passengers are light, full fuel and full seats may be possible.
Hot-weather cooling of the occupant (when there’s no AC installed) can be a problem on the ground and at low altitude. Fresh-air ventilation is via wing-root inlets with outlets above the floorboards, supplemented by fan-driven overhead vents getting fresh air from an inlet at the top of the vertical stabilizer. On the ground, open (and hang on to) the cabin door for real ventilation.
Seats will wear out over time and older ones weren’t actually made for luxury. Modern interior upgrades help and we’ve seen some pretty nice custom interiors in these airplanes. Like anything else, it will eventually be time for a refresh and it’s a good opportunity to add soundproofing and also replace the Plexiglas.
Piloting an Archer is straightforward. The parking brake is controlled by a meaty handle and locking mechanism just to the left of the center console. The flight controls are signature Piper, with a Johnson-bar handle for deploying the wing flaps, a pitch trim wheel in the aft center console and dual rudder and brake pedals. There should be no confusion when working the fuel tank selector that lives in the pilot’s kick panel—it’s left, right or off.
Inspect it thoroughly
Always do a good prebuy. The airplane does have some AD baggage, so look hard at the maintenance records. We’re noting that mechanics are finding evidence of corrosion in the spars, often discovered when leaking fuel tanks are removed for repair—a problem that could plague older airplanes. Good inspection is a must, as it is with any aging airframe. Check the baggage door for a leaking seal; the telltale sign is wet or water-stained carpet on the baggage floor. By now, early Archers should have been through at least one interior refurbishment, so pulling up the floorboards in that area to inspect for corrosion is a good idea. Another potential problem is leaky fuel tanks, particularly on older airplanes. An airworthiness directive (AD 79-22-02) addresses peeling tank sealant, with which owners long ago should have complied. It’s not much of a problem anymore, certainly nothing like the hassle of owning a Mooney. The vents are also a source of maintenance trouble. One SDR found they had been installed incorrectly.
Otherwise, maintenance hotspots have to do with typical Lycoming issues, such as cracked cylinders, corroded cams and problems with Bendix and Slick magnetos. Also, on older airframes, the stabilator bushings may need work. Have them checked during prebuy. Another area to look at, according to the SDR database, is cracking in the skins of the forward wing walk. One SDR submitter reported six high-time airframes with this damage.
Market, comments
Prices are all over the board, and there is a long run of models to choose from, even pre-Archer variants. According to the recent 2024 Aircraft Bluebook, an early 1960s 180 model typically retails around $35,000. A 1980 PA-28-181 typically retails at a whopping $130,000, and late-model Archer LX models in the gentle hands of private owners easily push $400,000. High-time models serving hard duty on training lines sell for less, but values are still way up.
“Annuals range between $2,000 and $4,000, which generally includes the basics and select preventative maintenance. We have required little to no maintenance between annuals (we do our own oil changes between annuals,” one Cherokee 180 owner told us.
“I’m surprised at how efficient the airplane is to fly. I often return from local flights having burned 6 to 7 gallons of fuel per hour. If you would have told me that this was likely in anything but a Cessna 152, I would not have believed it,” another said.
Last, we think an Archer is a logical stepping stone for transitioning to a Seneca, but plan on a big increase in operating costs compared.
“I’ve actually owned two Piper Archers before upgrading to a Piper Seneca II twin, and the Seneca was mostly an easy and familiar step-up. When I look at my operating costs I sure miss the Archers. They were cheap, by comparison, in every way,” one owner told us.
See available Piper Archers for sale at AirplanesForSale.com.
PA28-180/181 Accidents: RLOC
After sifting through 100 NTSB accident reports involving the Piper PA28-180/181 series we found ourselves feeling sorry for the airplanes. In the pilot/airplane flight partnership, the Cherokee 180s and Archers generally held up their end of the deal—there were only eight accidents resulting from something wrong with the airplane (engine stoppage).
On the other side of the equation, pilots found many ways to wreck what we consider to be an honest line of airplanes.
Continuing to look at engine stoppages, the 180-HP Lycoming has a reputation for not being susceptible to carburetor icing. However, it’s not immune—two airplanes were brought down by carb ice and pilot inaction.
We’re cynical, but we were still astonished by the one other engine/mechanical accident. When investigators started looking at a forced landing following the loss of part of a propeller blade, they found that 17 years prior to the accident the prop had gone into a prop shop for work. The shop found the prop to be unairworthy and returned it.
The owner put the prop back on the airplane. Twelve years before the accident, an AD was issued requiring inspection for the condition that caused the eventual failure. The owner ignored it.
Somehow we can just hear the owner now, “Hey, that prop shop didn’t know squat. I got 17 years of service out of a prop they said was unairworthy.”
There were 23 runway loss of control (RLOC) events. That’s slightly high for a tricycle gear machine, but not surprising as the majority involved student pilots.
We found six runway overrun accidents. The airplanes will float, especially when landing with partial flaps and extra speed.
There were only five stall-related accidents, most on high density altitude takeoffs at or near gross weight. One of those followed an intersection takeoff.
We consider 17 fuel-related accidents to be a high rate. Most involved pilots simply running the airplane out of fuel. One pilot who “wasn’t comfortable with leaning procedure” unsurprisingly ran the tanks dry after cruising with the mixture full rich.
In response to a CFI setting up a practice forced landing, one student followed the checklist and changed fuel tanks. Unfortunately, he inadvertently positioned the fuel selector between detents. He got to experience a real forced landing.
While pilots like the manual flaps for the ability to rapidly extend them, there’s no free lunch. The flaps can also be rapidly retracted. Mistakenly doing so put three airplanes into the ground, hard. Two came after takeoff. The third occurred after a CFI took the controls and initiated a go-around when the student had problems on landing. While still low and slow, the student retracted the flaps.
We felt for the instructor who took the controls as a student’s swerves on takeoff became progressively worse. He got the airplane into the air and entered a turn to avoid obstructions beside the runway. The student then closed the throttle. Even though the CFI immediately firewalled the throttle, a wingtip hit the ground and ended the flight.
