Would you buy a twin without anti-ice?

[IO540]

Assuming we are talking unpressurised here, much depends on your attitude to oxygen.

Many pilots don't use it, despite flying at FL100-120 which is practically necessary if flying IFR (airways) routes around Europe.

Unfortunately, the 0C level can easily be at FL100 at any time of the year, in northern Europe. So the season doesn't really come into it. Additionally, winter cloud tops are likely to be lower than summer ones, so the risk of being stuck in IMC at FL100-120 is greater in the summer than in the winter.

But if you carry oxygen and enough of it (most planes with fitted oxygen, or with portable kits) have oxygen duration much shorter than their fuel endurance, especially with 3-4 people aboard) then FL140-FL160 becomes easily feasible in any half-decent tourer, even if not turbocharged (standard low-end Cessna/Piper types excepted).

Then, the idea is to climb into VMC and sit there. The question then becomes how fast one can make the transition, and how much data one can find on the cloud conditions before going.

Personally, I have no experience of flying types with rubber boots but have always found my TKS prop to be perfectly sufficient for the above strategy. However, I qualify that by saying I would not fly in IMC through a front, and would not consider flight with actual or forecast CBs unless VMC conditions were guaranteed (either by being below the cloudbase but above MSA, or by being VMC on top) during the entire route section.

I think, if you want a plane which can go anywhere without having to worry too much, which can climb through 15000ft of known or probable ice, you need to buy a big jet. A 747 would do nicely, I am sure, and you can pick up old ones for under £1M. But even then there are potential issues with de-ice. Anywhere below that, one has to look at the whole picture and there will be missions which have to be scrapped.

A turboprop with all-over TKS should be very capable with regard to icing but that isn't anywhere near the original question which was, I assume, how usable is a cheap old twin without de-ice.