I was not aware Trane makes mini splits, maybe another that's rebranded...warranty very important...be careful when making the decision....ask Trane dealer if Trane actually makes their mini splits..,

IMO

besides the points you made above-which I thank you for- on equal playing field for that purpose- which is the better brand or more reliable brand i should say- if you know ??

this is the structure of the contract- 1 year parts and labor warranty, 10 year parts only warranty, and 10 year compressor part only warranty- this is on both systems.....

now the OTHER installer who deals with Mitsubushi- wanted quite a bit more for the job-- WOW- BUT they give 5 year ALL parts and labor warranty?? But their price is ridiculous in comparison. I mean the Fujitsu installer price for his unit is $3700 while the Mitsubishi installer is $4585-- that is over $800 more- crazy difference

any ideas?? I need to make a decision real soon-- thank you

Mitsubishi has a much better warranty that must be considered...also take into consideration the dealer, standing in the community, and their reputation. Generally, one gets a "feeling" about confidence in the dealer after meeting them. If not sure, ask for recent references of installs and go visit them. While $800 is a big difference, you can always make an offer. All he can say is yes or no.

IMO

believe it or not I already asked him this question and he said he could not come down and that his price already constituted the use of a $150 coupon?--- and the installer who uses Fujitsu- was recommended by a private contractor I have used for many years- - so I guess its back to my last question- between Fujitsu and Trane- what would you do?? Thanks

If the guy selling the Trane is an authorized dealer, then I would go with him. The idea is there are problems you may get better service under the warranty. If he is not then pick the contractor you feel is most confident.

I have no experience with mini splits, but my perception is you can't expect more than a 10 year life. A good installation will increase the probability of longer life. The warranty and service are important if you still own the home when the problems begin.

An authorized dealer means most of what they sell is whatever brand they signed up for in this case 'Trane'. It means no compete clause... the company in question typically has to 'SELL' upwards of $100,000.00 in equipment per year of the brand you are referring to... to be considered a real 'authorized dealer' of any brand... whether it's Trane or whatever brand.

When did selling... ever mean 'Technical Ability To Repair'

Never has, never will.

If a company is geared toward selling... that is what they will do... sell. You can't have it both ways.

The authorized Carrier dealer who installed my equipment and has been doing the servicing for the past 8 years seems to a good job at selling and repairing. I have also seen dealers who don't do either job well. There are exceptions to the rule.

Mike, why choose Trane over Fujitsu?

well sorry guys I chose the fujitsu- my relatives have it and the installer came recommended by a previous contracor we had and that I trust very much-- so again thank you

I thought a Trane dealer might give better warranty service. But if the OP has a solid recommendation for the Fujitsu then that would be the right choice.

Good luck and let us know how it works out.

authorized in front of any brand, means they are probably only going to sell you that brand. 'Authorized' doesn't have the meaning you think it does... like if they were to change from Authorized Carrier dealer to Authorized Lennox dealer they could do so in about a week, maybe less to get the paper work signed and get the account set up.

I see companies switch from one brand to another all the time.

If you have a HVAC Contractor's License you should be able to work on and fix any brand. If you are only relegated to being able to work on just your 'authorized' brand... I would say that is a weakness, not a strength.

Outside the 'Authorized' meaning, the rest is politics of the brand you mention. The brands are merely trying to protect their turf.

I discuss this 'Authorized' myth and a few others I believe in the video below...

While I don't have time to watch a 40 minute video, in the non-HVAC world "authorized" means that if you buy it from then it is covered under the manufacturer warranty. Otherwise you are probably out of luck. This doesn't mean the same thing for HVAC equipment?

Good question. The OP stated one of the contractors was offering a 5 year labor warranty. If the manufacturer is paying for the labor I believe you have to be an authorized dealer for that manufacturer. Maybe one of the pros can explain how it is possible to be paid for warranty labor without being a authorized dealer.

hello guys-- so what ur saying to each other above- is and I hope this is true for a simple homeowner like myself-- without all the HVAC jargon-- I am sure that this warranty means that this installer/dealer will be the one fixing the unit if something goes wrong with it within the warranty period?? i guess i should inquire- but I am quite sure that if something foes wrong within the warranty period- it is the installer or person we purchased the units through and installed it as well that would be the one dealing with the manufacturer in such a case and not the homeowner?? that would be quite ridiculous- dont you think

There are 3rd party warranty companies that will warranty equipment 'labor only' contract for a specified term. These 3 party companies are not affiliated with the manufacturer.

AIG is one of the bigger ones that does this. You don't have to be 'authorized' in anything to offer this. The contractor you use must have state HVAC license and in the case of Air Conditioning the job must consist of a condenser and evaporator coil at the time of purchase or a furnace only or complete system. The coverage will only include the pieces listed on the contract. Any work performed thru warranty coverage is limited to normal business hours M-F typically 8-5pm.

However, all of these extended labor warranties typically require annual maintenance and require you to maintain these records. Without the records, the extended labor warranty is worthless. The annual maintenance requirements add to the cost of the warranty. However, as we go forward I suspect manufacturer's may start requiring this in some aspect... either that or they may reduce warranty coverage of certain lower entry models to reign in costs of these programs.

So if you fail to read the terms of the warranty and something bad happens... you're no better off than had you not purchased the extended labor coverage.

An authorized dealer is typically better geared to offering extended warranty thru a manufacturer warranty arm... these are different companies from the manufacture themselves. They have to be so they remain liquid enough to pay any claims that might come. It's another leg that is trying to be profitable.... they do this in a myriad of ways.

If the extended warranty is bought thru 'XYZ' installer then you get the warranty coverage thru that installer. The contract has your name as well as theirs. If the 'installer' you chose goes out of business, then you have the fun of looking for another licensed company. (notice I said licensed) To take over the work of the job that the out of business installer did. Usually there can be additional fees that need to be paid to change your extended warranty provider.

Some extended warranties can be also changed to cover a new home owner in the event you sell the home. Again, not all can be and as I said above there are additional fees to do so.

These are all contract based agreements and as such you have to fulfill ALL the terms of the contract for it to remain valid. Just because your installing sheet says: 5 years labor doesn't really mean anything. There is fine print with everything... and most people do not read the contract.... let alone inform themselves of things like watching a video.

I just put the information there for those who want to inform themselves. An AC system could run 10 years or more with not much fuss and people either forget how this business works or changes that come down the pipe throw people for a loop as to how it really works.

This is the other reason why you see all the AC ads for checks and tune ups. You better hope the work is done right... because this can void your extended warranty as well. This is why you pay the 'installer' who installed the equipment to perform the maintenance work.

Otherwise the 'installer' doesn't have the maintenance records and the records you have may not be adequate enough to provide to the extended labor warranty company as proof that maintenance was not only perform, but also done properly.