Either of those are fine and are reasonably priced. Others have talked about the difference.
Do you need a hangar? No. From a purely economic basis it makes more sense to leave the Maule on the ramp in the sun and cold and have the fabric wear out a bit sooner (and, it's worth noting, not a lot sooner). The hangar costs will massively outweigh the fabric costs unless you have a $75/mo hangar like mine. There are plenty of other good reasons to have a hangar, but the economics of saving the fabric, as someone else brought up, simply aren't there.
Insurance is more expensive on conventional gear for sure, but if that's a big part of the decision then make sure you shop. My final bill ended up being less than a third of my initial quote. You hinted at a concern about safety. Remember that even if you manage to ground loop the thing, you'll be going slowly and the odds of injuring people is pretty low. Your ego will be pretty wrecked is all.
Now that said, don't worry about the person who said you will be laughed at. Us Maule guys like Maules, even if they are trikes.
The main thing I would advise you to consider is the engine. You are looking at two planes with 180hp engines. If you look around you'll see that they go for a discount and that there are far fewer 235HP planes on the market. Let that be a lesson to you. There is a reason the 235 is the most sought after model. The engine power to weight is a nice sweet spot. There are more 180hp on the used market because people too often buy them, like the type and then want to upgrade to a 235.
Most importantly, once you join the club make sure you come to the roundup we do every year in Texas and at the factory in Georgia.
