Need help with a 2 Tn AC(Window or Split??),About 45K Budget

Need help with a 2 Tn Inverter AC-55k-60k(Updated)

Hey guys, so i know there are a lot of threads for these but most of them didn't connect to what i was looking for, so hence i am opening a new thread...So i am looking for a 2 tonne AC(Preferring Split but do have a window ac slot in this room)...my old LG 2Tn AC is not working anymore...so i am planning to buy a new one...Budget is about 45K...Its a big room, hence the 2 tonne requirement... Not really looking for 5 or 4 star rating AC's...most of these brands i have seen seems to have aluminium tubing and looking for copper based one...Some of the brands i was looking at were O General/Hitachi/Daikin or any other brands you guys recommend...Pls help

M

Ronnie11 said:
Hey guys, so i know there are a lot of threads for these but most of them didn't connect to what i was looking for, so hence i am opening a new thread...So i am looking for a 2 tonne AC(Preferring Split but do have a window ac slot in this room)...my old LG 2Tn AC is not working anymore...so i am planning to buy a new one...Budget is about 45K...Its a big room, hence the 2 tonne requirement... Not really looking for 5 or 4 star rating AC's...most of these brands i have seen seems to have aluminium tubing and looking for copper based one...Some of the brands i was looking at were O General/Hitachi/Daikin or any other brands you guys recommend...Pls help

I think Daikin no longer provides copper tubing, not sure though! I know Hitachi still does, Carrier still does, so does, OGeneral and Blue Star!
I will never understand why folks buy ACs from LG or Samsung!
Split or Window --> If you have no issues with 2 units and want a smaller hole in your wall, get Split, else get Window!

My recommendation would be --> Hitachi, Carrier, Blue Dart -- in that order!

Mario said:
I think Daikin no longer provides copper tubing, not sure though! I know Hitachi still does, Carrier still does, so does, OGeneral and Blue Star!
I will never understand why folks buy ACs from LG or Samsung!
Split or Window --> If you have no issues with 2 units and want a smaller hole in your wall, get Split, else get Window!

My recommendation would be --> Hitachi, Carrier, Blue Dart -- in that order!

First of all..thanks a lot for the response...am surprised Daikin has stopped with copper now..damn are all moving to aluminium??I have decided to go for split now...so am extending another 5k...so 50K now...
how much do the 2 ton Split unit cost for these??Does anyone here have any experience with these brands?How is the service?

M

Ronnie11 said:
First of all..thanks a lot for the response...am surprised Daikin has stopped with copper now..damn are all moving to aluminium??I have decided to go for split now...so am extending another 5k...so 50K now...
how much do the 2 ton Split unit cost for these??Does anyone here have any experience with these brands?How is the service?

Hitachi iClean 2 Ton would be around 52K in Kol - not sure of Mum! Check out other models too!
Carrier/Blue ~~Dart~~ Star would be lesser than this.

About the tubing, a Hitachi distributor I know said even Hitachi is considering not providing tubing with lesser models next fiscal onwards!

Mario said:
Hitachi iClean 2 Ton would be around 52K in Kol - not sure of Mum! Check out other models too!
Carrier/Blue Dart would be lesser than this.

About the tubing, a Hitachi distributor I know said even Hitachi is considering not providing tubing with lesser models next fiscal onwards!

Blue dart??You mean Blue Star right??How are they..dont know much about their conditioners...was looking around...most of the hitachi/o general brands have aluminium fins...any with copper?i can extend upto 52K...

M

Ronnie11 said:
Blue dart??You mean Blue Star right??How are they..dont know much about their conditioners...was looking around...most of the hitachi/o general brands have aluminium fins...any with copper?i can extend upto 52K...

My bad! Yes, I meant Blue Star, not Dart - corrected! :lol:

Hitachi uses CTAF on the evaporators and aluminium on the condensers. Carrier, in India, is similar although I am not sure if the Carrier US models that use full copper are available here, probably not.
Blue Star Mega Splits claim to use Copper on the condensers as well - verify before buying.

In all probability, you will not go wrong with either Hitachi, Carrier or Blue Dart, provided of course, you select the right tonnage and hire a competent installer.

-----------------------------------------------------

I just went though the whole thread again and am a little confused - are you asking for copper tubing (the one between the IDU and the ODU) or copper fins (evaporator, condenser coils inside IDU/ODU) ? If its tubing, then Hitachi/Carrier/BlueDart all provide copper ones with very nice padding and if its fins, refer above.

By the way, how long did the LG one last?

Mario said:
My bad! Yes, I meant Blue Star, not Dart - corrected!

Hitachi uses CTAF on the evaporators and aluminium on the condensers. Carrier, in India, is similar although I am not sure if the Carrier US models that use full copper are available here, probably not.
Blue Star Mega Splits claim to use Copper on the condensers as well - verify before buying.

In all probability, you will not go wrong with either Hitachi, Carrier or Blue Dart, provided of course, you select the right tonnage and hire a competent installer.

-----------------------------------------------------

I just went though the whole thread again and am a little confused - are you asking for copper tubing (the one between the IDU and the ODU) or copper fins (evaporator, condenser coils inside IDU/ODU) ? If its tubing, then Hitachi/Carrier/BlueDart all provide copper ones with very nice padding and if its fins, refer above.

By the way, how long did the LG one last?

oh sry for the confusion...i forgot to mention the copper fins too...was looking for both tubing as well as fins...in the last reply, was talking about the fins part..so my bad...
thought most of the brands moved to CTAF now...Also how is hitachi/carrier service??Is it good?

LG gave me a hell lot of trouble...from compressor problems to gas leak to every other problem on earth..and they seem reluctant to fix it...their service was horribly bad..even though it was under warranty..hence i want to move to copper fins and tubing...my experience with aluminium fins were bad esp with LG...gets brittle after some time...so want to invest in a product which is not samsung/lg etc etc...

M

Ronnie11 said:
oh sry for the confusion...i forgot to mention the copper fins too...was looking for both tubing as well as fins...in the last reply, was talking about the fins part..so my bad...
thought most of the brands moved to CTAF now...Also how is hitachi/carrier service??Is it good?

LG gave me a hell lot of trouble...from compressor problems to gas leak to every other problem on earth..and they seem reluctant to fix it...their service was horribly bad..even though it was under warranty..hence i want to move to copper fins and tubing...my experience with aluminium fins were bad esp with LG...gets brittle after some time...so want to invest in a product which is not samsung/lg etc etc...

Service experience will vary depending on location... my experience with Hitachi/Carrier/Blue Star has been good till now... do something..ask your neighbors if they use ACs from these brands and know what their experience has been like...you will get an idea.

Also, if you can put the ODU under a little shade and take good care of the IDU (regular cleaning - not detailed but just brisk wipe down once or twice per month - most ACs come with some sort of "gimmicky" self clean functions nowadays anyway

), you will have trouble free functioning for at least 5 years. Service once every one or two years, by competent personnel, and you will be good for 10~15 years almost. This goes for Hitachi/Carrier/Blue Star....

Also, beware of "service-houses" - these folks sometimes hire any tom/dick/harry electrician who are not qualified to handle any sort of ACs, let alone the complex ones - you don't want your 50K investment ruined in the hands of some morons - insist on checking their credentials when company service engineers come to visit.

---------------------------------

Just had this thought: A colleague of mine (about couple years back) got a very good deal on a pair of Blue Stars he bought (direct from distributor, so he saved around 7~9k). Now, he knew (and obviously had some rapport with) some guy in his office who is in charge of procuring hardware for that branch of their organization. He purchased from the distributor as well as got some dealer stamp on the warranty card for the sake of the warranty, all through this office guy. Just letting you know, in case you can arrange something similar - I know, probably improbable but worth mentioning, I guess. BTW, this colleague has not had a single issue ever since, and this is in Delhi.

-----------------------------------

Another thought: And this one is even more improbable - if you simply MUST have copper fins everywhere, you need to get a hold of some retired service engineer - I knew one once (retired Hitachi senior service engineer) and this guy actually built a custom basic split AC for himself, with copper fins in the ODU and IDU. Obviously, you will not have the "gimmicky" functions like self-clean and other thingies, (unless your guy can get hold of the company chips as well or can actually program a chip), but you will have pretty good cooling at much lower price, without any warranty (of course, your guy needs to be pretty competent and he can provide the "warranty service", if and when required). The custom AC cost came up to around 16K, this was some 5 years back.

I would say since you have the budget get a Sharp AH-XP24MV. The best price for that AC after bargaining should be Rs 51000. Hitachi dosnt make Inverters. Daikin Inverter I didnt like much. The only other worthwhile Inverters are made by General,but the come for Rs 55000 and are very good. But overall the Sharp is better,quality is awesome. Im using the 1.5 ton model. And it cools a room that is 266 sqft and has roof on the top,I only wonder what snowstorm the 2 Ton will bring in!!!Get it eyes closed. I chose it over a Mitsubishi and Trane!!

M

~~Where are you getting a quote of 51K for the Sharp XP24? The 2 ton model would be at least 58~60K if not more~~.
Edit: My bad, it should come within 51~53K I found out;

It does cool well though, although "snowstorm" is exaggerating it! Also, it is not as power efficient (neighbor has 1.5 ton model) as tomtommed for inverter ACs, particularly the Sharps!
Perhaps, if OP is inclined towards inverter ACs (I am skeptical of inverters as of now, strictly in the Indian context), Mitsubs would be a better/safer bet as compared to Sharps (given that the all-important compressor in the Sharp is a Mitsub)

BTW, is Trane available in Kol or Mum? I thought its available only in Delhi and Bangalore...

Not available in Kolkata. I got a call from them from Bangalore stating that.

You have to know how to operate that Sharp.Thinking its Inverter it will save electricity wont help,here.That AC can work as 1.9 to 2.1 ton capacity. So when you use a temp setting like 20C and full fan ,in the afternoon that will consume 1.9Kw!! Run the AC like that for an Hour and then set the temps to 27/29C and make the fan speed to 2,you will immediately watch the power consumption come down to 0.7/9Kw!!! That way your will maintain the chill without the hefty consumption.Explain that to your neighbour ,give him the demo!!!

My power consumptions are down ,way down over the Hitachis and Carriers that I have. Mitsubishi is good but Mario its their ASS that is a big big problem,Done by dealer/distributor!. Be careful.

Right now my AC is consuming between 0.4/0.6Kw!!! that is within 600 watts!

M

The Incinerator said:
Not available in Kolkata. I got a call from them from Bangalore stating that.

Thanks for the info.

The Incinerator said:
You have to know how to operate that Sharp.Thinking its Inverter it will save electricity wont help,here.That AC can work as 1.9 to 2.1 ton capacity. So when you use a temp setting like 20C and full fan ,in the afternoon that will consume 1.9Kw!! Run the AC like that for an Hour and then set the temps to 27/29C and make the fan speed to 2,you will immediately watch the power consumption come down to 0.7/9Kw!!! That way your will maintain the chill without the hefty consumption.Explain that to your neighbour ,give him the demo!!!

This actually goes for all inverter air cons (well, not the cheapo/crappy ones, of course). Actually I might have not effectively stated what I meant. What I meant to say is, while inverters are power efficient (of course, like you have said, only when one knows "how" to use them), they will NOT automatically result in huge savings over non-inverters for everyone. I still feel, inverters are primarily ideal where you need 1. both cooling as well as heating, (kind of why place like Tokyo/Syd would mostly have inverters) 2. provided you are accustomed to running your air-cons for pretty long durations - that's where they return that tom-tommed figure of 30~50% savings over non-inverters.
When you need just cooling (and mostly dehumidifying, like in our country), an efficient non-inverter (and compressor tech has come a long way, its not as straight as non-inverter=switch on/off today) would give you equal payback for your investment in terms of bills/comfort quality and the extra you pay upfront for inverters (upfront higher expense in some cases, costly parts, etc.) cannot really be justified. There was this other thread that was pushing inverters like non-inverters are complete crap <-- I am all for VFM -- but things should have proper context. The guy even says all aluminium fins are better than Copper or CTAF??!!!! Non-inverters use the latter to cut costs????????? That's sh1t of the highest order! There's a reason why CTAF usage started in the first place! Anyway, to each his own, I say!

By the way, the thing with the neighbor is, he has tried all these "settings" like the ones you have stated, after some RnD on the net, and his bills are nowhere flying off the handle - just that he gets pissed when some of the folks around him using non-inverters get similar or lesser bills than him!

Dude, you and I can't really decide why this is happening without checking out what other stuff he's using or the make of his room etc etc. So as far as I am concerned I just love having some fun at his expense sometimes (you know what I mean) - he's in a way similar to the guy in that other thread, pushing inverters and bashing all non-inverters!

The Incinerator said:
My power consumptions are down ,way down over the Hitachis and Carriers that I have. Mitsubishi is good but Mario its their ASS that is a big big problem,Done by dealer/distributor!. Be careful.
Right now my AC is consuming between 0.4/0.6Kw!!! that is within 600 watts!

Good to know (about your power bill). Which Carrier/Hitachi models are you using? Frankly, what I love about these two brands is how darned hardy some of their models survive in utter abuse and still provide what they did at the time of purchase!! This is one of the reasons of my being a trifle skeptical towards non-inverters, maybe one day I would make the move too, but till then, its wait-n-watch.

Mitsub A.S.S.? Do they ever need any?

Darn things are built like rocks! But yes, when A.S.S. is not good (goes for any company/any product), it will cause a lot of frustration, especially when folks like us spend this amount of money!

sry for the late reply...i am utterly confused...i did read that sharp inverter review & although there were few things i disagreed with, esp in terms of aluminium ones, it has got me utterly confused..i didn't have an inverter in mind...thinking of considering one now..i do agree that inverter saves a lot of power...but aren't inverter's required in places where there are voltage fluctuations??Or am i wrong here..pls help..In mumbai, there is no probs of voltage fluctuation...

i am willing to spend...but will inverter be a better option?? My thinking was to make a one time investment on a A.C and hopefully the AC will run trouble free for minimum 5 years..Also in that sharp review...how is it possible to have dc motors in an inverter..i thought these AC's would anyway convert it from DC to AC...

M

^^ No, no, you are probably confusing "inverter air cons" with "Power Backup inverters". (voltage fluctuation part)
This wikipedia page will clear up your confusion.

I am assuming you did go through the posts that Inci and I made above - you may have also googled "Inverter vs Non-inverter air-conditioners" and realized that the jury is still out on this! You will find tons of urls for both sides.

First forget about the crazy-figures of saving 1 lac in power bills in 10 years you might have read somewhere

or that aluminium is a better conductor than copper

- when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is! Now decide on what YOU need - not what some other persons requirements were! Understand that, longevity of non-inverters has been spoken of (not including LG/Samsung/Koryo), longevity of inverters not so much (so, that inverter ac might not even last a day above 5 years). Also, understand you live in India (where dehumidification and cooling are more important) and not Tokyo (where cooling and heating are equally important). I am sure you are getting all of these references!

What you are looking for is hassle-free cooling without infarction-inducing bills for at least 5 years!

Now, if you are going to run your air con for long hours (18 instead of 12) and for longer durations (10 months instead of 4/6), do go ahead and get a inverter air-con.

Keep in mind, upfront expense might be higher, parts being costly, repair will be higher as well, if/when required. Bills may not be lower than your non-inverter ac-using neighbor's (as a matter of fact, if you run your inverter ac in the usage pattern of a non-inverter, bills might actually be much higher), depending on how you use your ac and how it is setup. Note that, servicing these systems is complex (as compared to servicing non-inverters) - so, if your service guy is a noob, you will have a 50K dud in your hands!

If you don't give a sh1t about "how to run my a.c. so that I optimize my power bill" and just want efficient comfortable cooling when you hit the on-switch, stop bothering, get a non-inverter a.c. (of course, not a LG or Samsung)

Servicing is comparatively easier (so, noob-risk is reduced), parts are not as expensive either. Power bills are not crazy-high either, again depending on usage.

Definitely do one thing before buying - find out (ask neighbors, dealers, whoever) how the service is wherever you live for whatever brand you are considering. This should be a big point in your final decision, irrespective of whether you go for non-inverters or inverters.

IMHO, (and this is my opinion, not stating a fact), and strictly in the indian context, inverters are good for commercial purposes, non-inverters are ok for homes for regular usage! I personally feel the inverter air-con-40%-savings-in-power-bill is a trumped-up thing, much like most things these days.

Every brand will tom-tom something, every tech. has its pros-cons - read, but don't read too much into all of this - end of the day, neither I, nor you, nor Inci work in Hitachi or Sharp, so we are all repeating what these vendors have published mixed with our own experiences and emotions

I paid Rs 41K for that Sharp AH-XP18MV Inverter AC. That was more like the final thing that concluded the buying decision. Now a 5 star quality AC say a Daikin/Hitachi/General/Mitsubishi/Toshiba were well above Rs 40K and at the end of the day were non Inverters and even not using R410a gas but using the almost phased out R22!!! So taking all these in to consideration and of course the quality and Technology given by Sharp at 41K made my decision a no brainer. Before buying the AC I had done tiring research over aluminium vs copper and visited and called up every dealer from Trane to Mitsubishi. Finally I concluded upon the Sharp. The build quality is next to none and only a Mitsubishi Electric Zen can give it competition.Secondly Sharps after sales is excellent.Forget about the indoor unit even the outdoor unit makes so less noise you will be fooled in to thinking that it is switched off! Theres plasmacluster which does actually kill bad odour ,even perfumes sprayed in to the room disappears! Looks awesome too. The only gripe,the remote is not backlit. Pain.Real pain.

I have a Hitachi Atom/Kaze/Window (the old Japanese remote one]
Sharp AH-AP18LMT /And the new Inverter one
Carrier Window/HiWall Split probably Duracool 2 Ton.

Mario,Inverters does save electricity upon using it properly.Even me a meager user using it for 8 to 12 Hrs have gained. And then look at the pricing, will you buy a Rs 44000 Hitachi 5 star over a cheaper Sharp Rs 41000 Inverter?

The aluminum tubing in AC is the best. GE did it and Trane and Goodman perfected the art. The problem was the joining of the aluminum tubes with the copper tubes of the compressor.Now Trane solve it by adding Nickle between the two and the leaking problem was gone forever. Now Trane as we all know is one of the biggest AC manufacturing companies in the world doing huge projects and are using aluminum over copper because of the durability of aluminum over copper. But yes you are right too,it does save cost and can be a cost cutting measure too by el cheapo AC brands who do it without the quality or expertise of the big established brands.

M

The Incinerator said:
I paid Rs 41K for that Sharp AH-XP18MV Inverter AC. That was more like the final thing that concluded the buying decision. Now a 5 star quality AC say a Daikin/Hitachi/General/Mitsubishi/Toshiba were well above Rs 40K and at the end of the day were non Inverters and even not using R410a gas but using the almost phased out R22!!!

Most of the brands you quoted above have moved on to R410, well, at least the higher variants have - can't say if all models have though. BTW, OP should know that R410 is also costlier to refill than R22 is.
Sharp's pricing right now looks great - guess they are trying to gain a significant share of the pie!

The Incinerator said:
So taking all these in to consideration and of course the quality and Technology given by Sharp at 41K made my decision a no brainer. Before buying the AC I had done tiring research over aluminium vs copper and visited and called up every dealer from Trane to Mitsubishi. Finally I concluded upon the Sharp. The build quality is next to none and only a Mitsubishi Electric Zen can give it competition.Secondly Sharps after sales is excellent.

This is heartening to hear - let's hope they keep it up!

The Incinerator said:
Forget about the indoor unit even the outdoor unit makes so less noise you will be fooled in to thinking that it is switched off! Theres plasmacluster which does actually kill bad odour ,even perfumes sprayed in to the room disappears! Looks awesome too. The only gripe,the remote is not backlit. Pain.Real pain.

Eh, can't see this one as a huge positive

- any ac worth its salt should be able to do this - non-inverters do this just fine too!

The Incinerator said:
I have a Hitachi Atom/Kaze/Window (the old Japanese remote one]
Sharp AH-AP18LMT /And the new Inverter one
Carrier Window/HiWall Split probably Duracool 2 Ton.

Mario,Inverters does save electricity upon using it properly.Even me a meager user using it for 8 to 12 Hrs have gained. And then look at the pricing, will you buy a Rs 44000 Hitachi 5 star over a cheaper Sharp Rs 41000 Inverter?

Agree! but that is a big "Upon..."! Trust me, there are folks who just want to hit the switch and forget about it - keep their ACs in auto mode forever and let the AC decide what should be done based on current room settings. For them, more than inverter/non-inverter tech., efficiency is paramount. Of course, this should not be misinterpreted as me saying, "inverters are inefficient" - but you know, if not used in their proper usage patterns, bills will rocket with inverters!

The Incinerator said:
The aluminum tubing in AC is the best. GE did it and Trane and Goodman perfected the art. The problem was the joining of the aluminum tubes with the copper tubes of the compressor.Now Trane solve it by adding Nickle between the two and the leaking problem was gone forever. Now Trane as we all know is one of the biggest AC manufacturing companies in the world doing huge projects and are using aluminum over copper because of the durability of aluminum over copper. But yes you are right too,it does save cost and can be a cost cutting measure too by el cheapo AC brands who do it without the quality or expertise of the big established brands.

Actually, in terms of cooling/heating performance, Al can never ever beat Cu (just the way of the universe).
Why the HVAC vendors started looking at Cu variants is because of formicary corrosion (and also rising Cu costs - its always about the money) - thin Cu walls are eaten up by formic acid relatively faster - Al is tougher in that respect - its also, however, prone to other damages and difficult to repair if a fin got bent or got a hole somehow as compared to pure Cu.
[This is where CTAF/Cu micro-groove strikes a nice balance - which is why it is also used so widely by a lot of vendors on IDU evaporators - in fact, I think I have seen CTAFs on older sharps as well, but I am not sure of this]

I was recently at a client's house in Freemont and he was getting his Trane spine-fin replaced (the second time), this time with a sigma-flo coil (also from Trane but used in their B2B sales).
The first time he had to do the replacement was because of the service guys accidentally denting his fins, which they then could not fix (and also because of some corrosion from pet urine

)!
This is a big deal which the vendors do not highlight! (but any HVAC repairer worth his salt will tell you how tough it is to "effectively repair" Al stuff as compared to what you could do to patch Cu stuff)
And guess what the sigma flo was made of?!!

I have seen those graphs from the Trane study (spine vs plate fin) - they do mention that the study conditions included - no cleaning - now, in real life who's gonna go 5 years without servicing his 50K cash-down!! Not to belittle the spine-fin, but if it would have been the Cu-killer, you wouldn't see Trane making sigmas or even Cu-variants of the Prima coils! [I always take these "studies" from vendors (electrical/pharma/almost all industries) with generous doses of salt - you know what I mean

]

------------

Anyway, my point is not that I want to sway OP towards or away from inverters/non-inverters - just that he should get unbiased views on both, so he can decide his priorities and make an informed decision - which I guess is also your objective.

This has been a nice discussion (unlike most others I see on this forum nowadays - name-calling and fights :meh: ), I think OP has enough information now to decide.

@OP: Now buy an AC and post pics! :doublethumb:

Indeed a very enriching conversation.

Yes OP pull the trigger now! :bandanafighter:

Mario said:
^^ No, no, you are probably confusing "inverter air cons" with "Power Backup inverters". (voltage fluctuation part)
This wikipedia page will clear up your confusion.

I am assuming you did go through the posts that Inci and I made above - you may have also googled "Inverter vs Non-inverter air-conditioners" and realized that the jury is still out on this! You will find tons of urls for both sides.

First forget about the crazy-figures of saving 1 lac in power bills in 10 years you might have read somewhere or that aluminium is a better conductor than copper - when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is! Now decide on what YOU need - not what some other persons requirements were! Understand that, longevity of non-inverters has been spoken of (not including LG/Samsung/Koryo), longevity of inverters not so much (so, that inverter ac might not even last a day above 5 years). Also, understand you live in India (where dehumidification and cooling are more important) and not Tokyo (where cooling and heating are equally important). I am sure you are getting all of these references!

What you are looking for is hassle-free cooling without infarction-inducing bills for at least 5 years!

Now, if you are going to run your air con for long hours (18 instead of 12) and for longer durations (10 months instead of 4/6), do go ahead and get a inverter air-con.

Keep in mind, upfront expense might be higher, parts being costly, repair will be higher as well, if/when required. Bills may not be lower than your non-inverter ac-using neighbor's (as a matter of fact, if you run your inverter ac in the usage pattern of a non-inverter, bills might actually be much higher), depending on how you use your ac and how it is setup. Note that, servicing these systems is complex (as compared to servicing non-inverters) - so, if your service guy is a noob, you will have a 50K dud in your hands!

If you don't give a sh1t about "how to run my a.c. so that I optimize my power bill" and just want efficient comfortable cooling when you hit the on-switch, stop bothering, get a non-inverter a.c. (of course, not a LG or Samsung) Servicing is comparatively easier (so, noob-risk is reduced), parts are not as expensive either. Power bills are not crazy-high either, again depending on usage.

Definitely do one thing before buying - find out (ask neighbors, dealers, whoever) how the service is wherever you live for whatever brand you are considering. This should be a big point in your final decision, irrespective of whether you go for non-inverters or inverters.

IMHO, (and this is my opinion, not stating a fact), and strictly in the indian context, inverters are good for commercial purposes, non-inverters are ok for homes for regular usage! I personally feel the inverter air-con-40%-savings-in-power-bill is a trumped-up thing, much like most things these days.

Every brand will tom-tom something, every tech. has its pros-cons - read, but don't read too much into all of this - end of the day, neither I, nor you, nor Inci work in Hitachi or Sharp, so we are all repeating what these vendors have published mixed with our own experiences and emotions

yeah my bad about the fluctuation part..No i did not google anything like that although i should...

..see let me repeat, i am not looking for those 5 star rated AC'S..not looking for those save lakhs in inverter thing etc...i just want an efficient cooling system which will not give me problems like gas leak/compressor issues etc...

i just never looked at Inverters as an option..so was intrigued by it...LG AC gave me nightmares...one of the worst experience i have ever had & i also have Tata voltas which have been relatively better than freaking LG...so service is an important aspect..Ahh yes didn't think about the spares...how much difference is the cost of spares...do we need to change parts often with inverters??

The Incinerator said:
I paid Rs 41K for that Sharp AH-XP18MV Inverter AC. That was more like the final thing that concluded the buying decision. Now a 5 star quality AC say a Daikin/Hitachi/General/Mitsubishi/Toshiba were well above Rs 40K and at the end of the day were non Inverters and even not using R410a gas but using the almost phased out R22!!! So taking all these in to consideration and of course the quality and Technology given by Sharp at 41K made my decision a no brainer. Before buying the AC I had done tiring research over aluminium vs copper and visited and called up every dealer from Trane to Mitsubishi. Finally I concluded upon the Sharp. The build quality is next to none and only a Mitsubishi Electric Zen can give it competition.Secondly Sharps after sales is excellent.Forget about the indoor unit even the outdoor unit makes so less noise you will be fooled in to thinking that it is switched off! Theres plasmacluster which does actually kill bad odour ,even perfumes sprayed in to the room disappears! Looks awesome too. The only gripe,the remote is not backlit. Pain.Real pain.

I have a Hitachi Atom/Kaze/Window (the old Japanese remote one]
Sharp AH-AP18LMT /And the new Inverter one
Carrier Window/HiWall Split probably Duracool 2 Ton.

Mario,Inverters does save electricity upon using it properly.Even me a meager user using it for 8 to 12 Hrs have gained. And then look at the pricing, will you buy a Rs 44000 Hitachi 5 star over a cheaper Sharp Rs 41000 Inverter?

The aluminum tubing in AC is the best. GE did it and Trane and Goodman perfected the art. The problem was the joining of the aluminum tubes with the copper tubes of the compressor.Now Trane solve it by adding Nickle between the two and the leaking problem was gone forever. Now Trane as we all know is one of the biggest AC manufacturing companies in the world doing huge projects and are using aluminum over copper because of the durability of aluminum over copper. But yes you are right too,it does save cost and can be a cost cutting measure too by el cheapo AC brands who do it without the quality or expertise of the big established brands.

tbh i am still surprised that many AC models in India still use R22 gas even though it has been banned...Will definitely look at sharp as an option...i am in need of 2 ton AC...so any different models to yours?Personally not a fan of aluminium tubing because it tends to get brittle and also leads to cracks after a couple of years..had problems with aluminium fins too..but i heard nowadays they are aluminium alloys...aluminium is also quite cheaper than copper in the market..my guess is thats the reason y they moved to aluminium...

Seriously this has been a wonderful discussion...hopefully i will start doing market research from Saturday...

M

Good good, at least we got you started

Market research and peer research too - only people can honestly tell you about service quality, so ask "people".

Also, I just found out that Trane is available in Mumbai, so check them out too - do not forget about "service" part. ATB!

so i had gone to do some market research on inverter AC's and wow..its hard to find 2 ton Inverter Ac's...Even stores like Croma only keep a max of 1.5Ton inverter(The sharp model which was reviewed here)...they were not too keen on selling it either..they were pushing normal split units saying inverter Ac's are not useful for Mumbai... :shock:

Its really hard to find 2 ton Inverter AC's here...sigh..will keep looking tom too...

M

Ronnie11 said:
so i had gone to do some market research on inverter AC's and wow..its hard to find 2 ton Inverter Ac's...Even stores like Croma only keep a max of 1.5Ton inverter(The sharp model which was reviewed here)...they were not too keen on selling it either..they were pushing normal split units saying inverter Ac's are not useful for Mumbai...

Its really hard to find 2 ton Inverter AC's here...sigh..will keep looking tom too...

Yes, they have a way of saying stuff like that whenever they do not have something in stock! Ignore.
Instead of personally visiting, why don't you look up the dealers contacts online and call them for quotes and availability? I know some dealers have a habit of saying, "phone pe quote nahi de sakte, aap showroom me aaiye" - just tell them, you are looking to buy 2 (or even 3) units and don't have time to visit all dealers and see how their tunes change - of course, once you have the quote, no one can force you to buy 2 or 3

Mario said:
Yes, they have a way of saying stuff like that whenever they do not have something in stock! Ignore.
Instead of personally visiting, why don't you look up the dealers contacts online and call them for quotes and availability? I know some dealers have a habit of saying, "phone pe quote nahi de sakte, aap showroom me aaiye" - just tell them, you are looking to buy 2 (or even 3) units and don't have time to visit all dealers and see how their tunes change - of course, once you have the quote, no one can force you to buy 2 or 3

LMAO..not bad...

Ok so a friend of mine is ready to help me with panasonic inverter Ac...are they any good??Do not know much about them...he could try with mitsubishi too but says its too expensive

M

Ronnie11 said:
LMAO..not bad...

Ok so a friend of mine is ready to help me with panasonic inverter Ac...are they any good??Do not know much about them...he could try with mitsubishi too but says its too expensive

Mitsub what? Mitsub Electric or Mitsub Heavy Ind? [You want to go for the latter] Yes, they are costly; They are also the compressor OEM for a lot of AC vendors - gives you an idea of their quality.

About Pana, frankly, I do not have a lot of personal experience with them but have heard good things about Pana invs. But this is my opinion only, so add generous doses of salt!!

How about Trane? Have you checked them out yet?

@Inci, how about Pana? Got any suggestions?

Mario said:
Mitsub what? Mitsub Electric or Mitsub Heavy Ind? [You want to go for the latter] Yes, they are costly; They are also the compressor OEM for a lot of AC vendors - gives you an idea of their quality.

About Pana, frankly, I do not have a lot of personal experience with them but have heard good things about Pana invs. But this is my opinion only, so add generous doses of salt!!

How about Trane? Have you checked them out yet?

@Inci, how about Pana? Got any suggestions?

got to ask about the mitsub one..didn't know there were two varieties...What is Trane??

M

Ronnie11 said:
got to ask about the mitsub one..didn't know there were two varieties...What is Trane??

One of the top AC manufacturers in the west! Its available in Mumbai - would probably be on the higher side cost-wise, also check service quality before buying!

BTW, not getting any quotes for Sharps or what?

Mario said:
One of the top AC manufacturers in the west! Its available in Mumbai - would probably be on the higher side cost-wise, also check service quality before buying!

BTW, not getting any quotes for Sharps or what?

oh i see..thaank you..will check it out..but will it come under the 60K bracket...No not getting quotes for sharp at all..some of the stores told me to come after 10th or 12th and then they could tell me the price...

so finally some breakthrough...i found couple of stores who have some of the inverter models..also went to a diakin dealer who happens to have all other types of inverter AC's...Sharp 2ton AH-XP24MV model was quoted for 57K..Daikin 2 ton for 50K, Panasonic 2 ton for 47K, o general was close to 60K...But here is the thing, two of the dealers said do not go for sharp as sharp has poor after sales service and quality..One of the dealers also said Hitachi doesn't make inverter AC's...is this true?? :shock:

so what should i do here??Help pls...

also whats with the attitude of daikin dealers seriously...they act as if they are selling you some precious item which you cannot afford..hopelessly crap attitude...

Ye Hitachi dosnt sell Inverters at the moment in India.
Sharps After Sales is very good atleast in Kolkata,so who ever is telling that is rubbish,utter rubbish.
I was also getting a Mitsubishi ,but Heavy has bad bad after sales if something happens and Electric has good service over heavy but I was skeptical and liked the Sharp over them anyday. Im using the 18MV for a 266 sqft room with roof on top and it does chill man.
Trane is great but not available in Kolkata.
Avoid Toshiba neither here nor there kinda AC.
Daikin is good and so is Fijitsu General.
Panasonic is great too.

M

Ronnie11 said:
oh i see..thaank you..will check it out..but will it come under the 60K bracket...No not getting quotes for sharp at all..some of the stores told me to come after 10th or 12th and then they could tell me the price...

so finally some breakthrough...i found couple of stores who have some of the inverter models..also went to a diakin dealer who happens to have all other types of inverter AC's...Sharp 2ton AH-XP24MV model was quoted for 57K..Daikin 2 ton for 50K, Panasonic 2 ton for 47K, o general was close to 60K...But here is the thing, two of the dealers said do not go for sharp as sharp has poor after sales service and quality..One of the dealers also said Hitachi doesn't make inverter AC's...is this true??

so what should i do here??Help pls...

also whats with the attitude of daikin dealers seriously...they act as if they are selling you some precious item which you cannot afford..hopelessly crap attitude...

Hitachi used to sell the i-Tec model till last year, which if I remember correctly was their end-consumer inverter ac offering. It has been, as of now, temporarily discontinued. I hear that the iClean "inverter" series AC might release soon - am skeptical about it, check with local dealers for this.
By the way, beware of the fact that some dealers are selling iCleans from last year (2012 model) with 2013 stickers - these do NOT use R410A but use R22 ! So, ensure you get what you wanted and not what the dealer stuck you with!

About Sharp A.S.S., well, in my experience, most leading AC vendors provide good service in the metros and crap service in the slightly non-urban/remote areas. But there are always pockets where the opposite might be true. Best would be to ask other Mumbai users - either on forums or you know, office, neighbors etc.

About Daikin dealers, well, some dealers (and not only for Daikin, goes for almost all brands) assume all end-consumers are n00bs and at their mercy! Ignore them, they are the ones losing out on your business!.

If you are getting quotes which are mostly northwards, it would make sense to go for Tranes/Mitsub Heavy rather than Sharps/Hitachis/Panas etc. Get the latter only if you get "reasonable" quotes.

The Incinerator said:
Ye Hitachi dosnt sell Inverters at the moment in India.
Sharps After Sales is very good atleast in Kolkata,so who ever is telling that is rubbish,utter rubbish.
I was also getting a Mitsubishi ,but Heavy has bad bad after sales if something happens and Electric has good service over heavy but I was skeptical and liked the Sharp over them anyday. Im using the 18MV for a 266 sqft room with roof on top and it does chill man.
Trane is great but not available in Kolkata.
Avoid Toshiba neither here nor there kinda AC.
Daikin is good and so is Fijitsu General.
Panasonic is great too.

thanks man for the info...unfortunately none of my friends use sharp AC..one of them uses Hitachi split and till now he has had no complains...Considering mitsubishi electric..lets see...hoping sharp have good cover in Mumbai...
This particular room is above 350 Sq Ft with roof directly on top..and hence my 2 ton requirement...
Looked for tranes..most dont keep it..though few will take orders but will deliver after a week..no word on price...
Many stores are pushing panasonic...i have absolutely zero knowledge about their AC's...anyone here in the forum using?

Mario said:
Hitachi used to sell the i-Tec model till last year, which if I remember correctly was their end-consumer inverter ac offering. It has been, as of now, temporarily discontinued. I hear that the iClean "inverter" series AC might release soon - am skeptical about it, check with local dealers for this.
By the way, beware of the fact that some dealers are selling iCleans from last year (2012 model) with 2013 stickers - these do NOT use R410A but use R22 ! So, ensure you get what you wanted and not what the dealer stuck you with!

About Sharp A.S.S., well, in my experience, most leading AC vendors provide good service in the metros and crap service in the slightly non-urban/remote areas. But there are always pockets where the opposite might be true. Best would be to ask other Mumbai users - either on forums or you know, office, neighbors etc.

About Daikin dealers, well, some dealers (and not only for Daikin, goes for almost all brands) assume all end-consumers are n00bs and at their mercy! Ignore them, they are the ones losing out on your business!.

If you are getting quotes which are mostly northwards, it would make sense to go for Tranes/Mitsub Heavy rather than Sharps/Hitachis/Panas etc. Get the latter only if you get "reasonable" quotes.

Cross checked on hitachi and yeah you are right..Thanks..One of the store has the i clean hitachi inverter but how do i know if its 2013 model...this one did use R410A refrigerant...
none of my friends use sharp unfortunately..so not getting a good picture of sharp's ASS...
I swear i was annoyed with the daikin guy but he also sells other brands which few others stock...his attitude was terrible...
Tranes is really hard to find...one had it but will take a week to place order plus not sure of price..

M

Ronnie11 said:
Cross checked on hitachi and yeah you are right..Thanks..One of the store has the i clean hitachi inverter but how do i know if its 2013 model...this one did use R410A refrigerant...
none of my friends use sharp unfortunately..so not getting a good picture of sharp's ASS...
I swear i was annoyed with the daikin guy but he also sells other brands which few others stock...his attitude was terrible...
Tranes is really hard to find...one had it but will take a week to place order plus not sure of price..

iClean Inverter?? Are you sure its inverter? If it is, it probably is 2013 model. If it uses R410A, irrespective of inverter or not, it definitely is this year's stock.

By the way, how do you know it uses R410A - Check the sticker on the body of the IDU unit on display in the store. (although I agree, a dishonest dealer might swap that out as well)

Anyway, when you buy, from whatever store and whatever model, insist that you will mark down the serial no. of the IDU and the ODU unit (this is written on the cardboard cover box itself) so that you can cross-verify that the same set is getting delivered to you. Never take delivery of unsealed pack.

Some unscrupulous stores/Dealers in Kol have swapped out genuine parts with refurbished ones on brand new ACs.

Regarding the Tranes, what do you mean, "not sure of price"? Is the dealer who is ready to order it for you, not telling you the price? See if he can call up the distributor and get you a quote. He should be - if not, probably daal me kuch kaala hai! Ignore and move on in that case!

Mario said:
iClean Inverter?? Are you sure its inverter? If it is, it probably is 2013 model. If it uses R410A, irrespective of inverter or not, it definitely is this year's stock.

By the way, how do you know it uses R410A - Check the sticker on the body of the IDU unit on display in the store. (although I agree, a dishonest dealer might swap that out as well)

Anyway, when you buy, from whatever store and whatever model, insist that you will mark down the serial no. of the IDU and the ODU unit (this is written on the cardboard cover box itself) so that you can cross-verify that the same set is getting delivered to you. Never take delivery of unsealed pack.

Some unscrupulous stores/Dealers in Kol have swapped out genuine parts with refurbished ones on brand new ACs.

Regarding the Tranes, what do you mean, "not sure of price"? Is the dealer who is ready to order it for you, not telling you the price? See if he can call up the distributor and get you a quote. He should be - if not, probably daal me kuch kaala hai! Ignore and move on in that case!

Most of the stores did not have the stock but said it could be arranged in few days...He showed the model on brochure which can be procured and it showed R410A refrigerant..Haven't checked out the model yet but will verify again...Having problems now because of a strike in mumbai regarding the local body tax..so stores closed..damn i need to buy it this week...Thanks for the top regarding the serial number..will take a note of it..
The guy who apparently deals with tranes said he doesn't know the price..not sure what it is..he said only after the order can he confirm the price..even i did not understand what he meant...tried asking for an estimate...he said to give him few days...

M

Give the Trane guy a few days if you can. For the Hitachi's (or for that matter, any brand), forget brochure, see actual units.
I know the heat is on, but don't hurry - 50K is a lot of green.

Stay away from that Hitachi Inverter ,very problematic,break downs are common with that Inverter,that is the reason Hitachi stopped selling Inverters. They might get a better model soon.

Sharp has launched a new model AU-X3M24LV even more efficient than the old one..

Trane 2 ton Inverter will set you back by Rs 60K atleast. They have a remote to die for!!

M

The Incinerator said:
Stay away from that Hitachi Inverter ,very problematic,break downs are common with that Inverter,that is the reason Hitachi stopped selling Inverters. They might get a better model soon.

Sharp has launched a new model AU-X3M24LV even more efficient than the old one..

Trane 2 ton Inverter will set you back by Rs 60K atleast. They have a remote to die for!!

Dude, I think the one he's referring to, released this year (iClean Inverter). You are probably referring to the i-Tec 2011-12s.

The Incinerator said:
Stay away from that Hitachi Inverter ,very problematic,break downs are common with that Inverter,that is the reason Hitachi stopped selling Inverters. They might get a better model soon.

Sharp has launched a new model AU-X3M24LV even more efficient than the old one..

Trane 2 ton Inverter will set you back by Rs 60K atleast. They have a remote to die for!!

as Mario stated..was talking about the current models..but didn't know about their problematic history..so thanks for the heads up..
The x3m24lv is a multi split unit...didn't quite understand what this is...the pic shows 3 splits connected to 1??? :shock:

I dont need 3 units anyway..so don't see how this is practical for me...

Am willing to go till 60K but the after sales etc should be good too besides the unit..most of the stores were just scratching their heads after hearing this brand..don't know what level of support this company has in India...

Its a really big investment i am making and i am hoping i get this right..do not want to have the same level of problems my old LG window unit gave me..was a real pain...

Not able to buy now because of the damn Mumbai Tax strike...all the stores are closed here..sigh...

M

Extreme layman terms - Multi splits have multiple IDUs connected to one ODU (or a skewed ratio in favor of the IDU like 5 IDUs-2ODUs). There are several complexities associated with these like run-all-the-same-time/different tonnages/space requirements bla bla bla (of course, this is just basic generalization for multi-splits, does not go for ALL models).
IMHO, for your requirement, discrete units are the way to go.

Mario said:
Extreme layman terms - Multi splits have multiple IDUs connected to one ODU (or a skewed ratio in favor of the IDU like 5 IDUs-2ODUs). There are several complexities associated with these like run-all-the-same-time/different tonnages/space requirements bla bla bla (of course, this is just basic generalization for multi-splits, does not go for ALL models).
IMHO, for your requirement, discrete units are the way to go.

Thanks...yeah was thinking the same thing...so trane put up a big ad today in mumbai newspaper..called up at the dealers close by..one of them said, 2 is good for commercial spaces and not residential(went back to lobbying for panasonic Ac's :-x

)and there will be no difference...the other guy said Trane doesn't manufacture 2 ton inverters..or he doesn't have any..infact asked more of these and they gave the same response...No trane inverter 2 ton ac(max being 1.5) but there are 2 ton conventional split unit...

How is trane as a brand really?Where is it from??My parents have been asking the same question..hence i asked...

so what do i do now??

Trane is from USA. They are the big daddy of AC. I used one when living abroad and its awesome. They do huge projects and most of the malls in Middle East has Trane ACs. They do huge projects and have invented a lot of stuff.
Check here - *www.traneindia.com/

Mario said:
Dude, I think the one he's referring to, released this year (iClean Inverter). You are probably referring to the i-Tec 2011-12s.

And i-Clean is not a Inverter AC from Hitachi its a conventional AC with a 5/2 star rating!Hitachi dosnt sell Inverter ACs any more ,check the link.

*www.hitachi-hli.com/productdetail/iClean/

M

Trane India -->

*www.traneindia.com/docs/Trane Interactive ACs and Locks Catalogue.pdf
Trane India - introducing interactive ACs & Locks

Big Daddy --> Home Heating | Residential Heating and Air Conditioning | Trane

Try this --> Trane India - introducing interactive ACs & Locks [I tried with a sample 18*20*10 ft and yes the inverter was not suggested]

It is said that tonnage-wise, a lesser-tonnage inverter AC can technically be the equivalent of a higher tonnage non-inverter. However, "playing very safe"-wise, best to get the full tonnage as per your room size. No point in needlessly stressing a component when you might not as well.
I understand this doubt(/"little shreds of what-ifs") on the brand that your parents or you might have - Trust me, I have similar parents at home.

And it is completely justified.
Also, Trane does not have 2T inverters, although the 1.5T might do the job, but it will be 60~65K I think.
The conventional 2T split is there from Trane which is near about 40~44K I think, but please do confirm with your dealer what refrigerant the model is using, should you decide to go for it.
Also, I am not sure about A.S.S. And then again, there is the niggling question of "peace of mind" which you/parents won't get unless you manage to "trust" a brand!

I will be frank - I am starting to think Trane is NOT a value-proposition for you, especially if you are inclined towards inverters only.

On the other hand, I am right now posting from a room in Mumbai running a Inverter Chrome Econavi, ya, a Pana

. It is very silent, the room is chilly, I am impressed. I don't know what to make of this, not being aware whether to club Pana in the crap-LG/Samsung club or otherwise.
Its bought only recently though, so, no leads on A.S.S. or long-term durability.

The Incinerator said:
Trane is from USA. They are the big daddy of AC. I used one when living abroad and its awesome. They do huge projects and most of the malls in Middle East has Trane ACs. They do huge projects and have invented a lot of stuff.
Check here - *www.traneindia.com/

And i-Clean is not a Inverter AC from Hitachi its a conventional AC with a 5/2 star rating!Hitachi dosnt sell Inverter ACs any more ,check the link.

*www.hitachi-hli.com/productdetail/iClean/

Dude, I did not see your post while I was posting so it is really amusing how we both used the term "Big Daddy" while referring to Trane!!

I know about the link, that's why few posts back I asked him if he's sure its iClean inverter. There is talk from the distributor I know, that such a model might be in existence! [Update: supposed to carry an LCD readout as opposed to the current iCleans that don't have this] I am still skeptical though (looks like you are too

) [Update: Just saw this advert on TV - looks like my distri is right - there is a iClean inverter AC, well at least Hitachi calls it so

]

See this from the same site --

*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/attachments/consumer-electronics-everything-else/10424d1368187108-need-help-2-tn-ac-window-split-about-45k-budget-inv.jpg

The hyperlink on that image, however, goes to the same page you linked to.

Thank you guys seriously...realised now what trane is...so this confirms what the dealer says that they do not have 2 ton inverter models...i am well aware that some inverters with lower tonnage may give better cooling than higher ones..tbf..i was looking at 2.5 before and then settling for 2 ton...this rooms is 350+ square ft and it would be a real stretch for any 1.5 ton to cool it...
The conventional models do use R22,confirmed it..meanwhile one of the models a distributor informed me about the daikin inverter, well it turns out it uses R22..what the hell..daikin still selling R22 based inverter ac's..damn i have never been so badly confused in my life..not even for my pc...lol...and to add up we have an LBT tax strike in mumbai, so none of the stores are open for me to have a look and buy.. :-x

so we are back to the older ones... Sharp/Daikin/Hitachi/O general/Carrier and panasonic now??!!!

M

Daikin using R22 might be a case of the dealer wanting to rid himself of older stock.
How long is this strike for by the way?

Mario said:
Dude, I did not see your post while I was posting so it is really amusing how we both used the term "Big Daddy" while referring to Trane!!

Ha ha ha thats such a coincidence ,honestly.

@ Ronnie

Get the Sharp 2 Ton ,Rs 51/53K if bargained, excellent quality and value over any 2 Ton Inverter ,trust me. You will realize it once you buy one.Im glad that I bought the Sharp over Daikins and General Inverters,overpriced and even not as efficient or has the quality of the Sharp.Your next best option if not the Sharp is a Mitsubishi.But they are expensive.The Sharp has a Mitsubishi Compressor!

M

The Incinerator said:
@ Ronnie

Get the Sharp 2 Ton ,Rs 51/53K if bargained, excellent quality and value over any 2 Ton Inverter ,trust me. You will realize it once you buy one.Im glad that I bought the Sharp over Daikins and General Inverters,overpriced and even not as efficient or has the quality of the Sharp.Your next best option if not the Sharp is a Mitsubishi.But they are expensive.The Sharp has a Mitsubishi Compressor!

Just curious, did you check this on your own unit?

No, I read it in some forum,I dont remember where. At first I thought you told me but was not sure, so didnt stress on it.

Mario said:
Daikin using R22 might be a case of the dealer wanting to rid himself of older stock.
How long is this strike for by the way?

the strike according to the traders is indefinite though the word is that i will be resolved this week itself..fingers crossed on this one...

The Incinerator said:
Ha ha ha thats such a coincidence ,honestly.

@ Ronnie

Get the Sharp 2 Ton ,Rs 51/53K if bargained, excellent quality and value over any 2 Ton Inverter ,trust me. You will realize it once you buy one.Im glad that I bought the Sharp over Daikins and General Inverters,overpriced and even not as efficient or has the quality of the Sharp.Your next best option if not the Sharp is a Mitsubishi.But they are expensive.The Sharp has a Mitsubishi Compressor!

woah really..sharp has mitsubishi compressors..impressive if this is true..i think i am going for sharp Inverter AC now...will contact some of the dealers now..hoping their service is good though...

M

Mario said:
....... Mitsubs would be a better/safer bet as compared to Sharps (given that the all-important compressor in the Sharp is a Mitsub)......

The Incinerator said:
No, I read it in some forum,I dont remember where. At first I thought you told me but was not sure, so didnt stress on it.

I guess you are referring to this post of mine above.... AFAIK, Mitsub is the compressor OEM for Sharp (and a host of other AC vendors). But I specifically asked you, just wanting to confirm if they have finally moved on to building their own or still third-partying to Mitsub. Apparently, its the latter.

Ronnie11 said:
the strike according to the traders is indefinite though the word is that i will be resolved this week itself..fingers crossed on this one....

Ok. I hope, for your sake, it gets resolved as soon as possible. Don't want to see you running around in all this heat and finally buying one with peak summers already gone! :doublethumb:

Ronnie11 said:
woah really..sharp has mitsubishi compressors..impressive if this is true..i think i am going for sharp Inverter AC now...will contact some of the dealers now..hoping their service is good though...

It was true (definitely) and probably still is (had got some news sometime earlier that they might build their own but apparently not). Good you have finally zeroed in one brand. Hopefully, you won't need to service it before a couple of years at least.

Now its time to down cash and post pics!!!

Pull the Trigger!

The Incinerator said:
Pull the Trigger!

Hahahaha...i am...so i have finally decided...sharp it is...will update when i purchase this unit or even this strike ends...

..
Thank you guys esp mario and the incinerator... :doublethumb:

Small update...Most of the dealers quoted 58K for Sharp 2 tn Inverter but one of the dealer is willing to give for 55 but the problem is it will take 2 weeks for them to get the product..they have o general for 59k but willing to reducing another 2-3K..what should i do??? :cry:

M

Ronnie11 said:
Small update...Most of the dealers quoted 58K for Sharp 2 tn Inverter but one of the dealer is willing to give for 55 but the problem is it will take 2 weeks for them to get the product..they have o general for 59k but willing to reducing another 2-3K..what should i do???

Obviously, wait for the Sharp! And while you wait, call up some other dealers and see if you can find yourself a better deal! Seems a little on the higher side, considering Inci's quotes for the same!

Both are good units,but Generals remote is a slow pain in the right place kinda thing.Its response is lagged.Maybe they have resolved it. You wont wrong with either units to be honest,but try because the Sharp can be had cheaper if you try around. What I did when buying the AC was call up atleast 15/20 dealers and 2 of them gave me the best prices!!!Thats how i did it. I got the numbers from Just Dial! So happy hunting.

People in my family has got the 2 ton sharp at Rs 51K/53K,so try.......

M

^^^^^ Meh, O Gen and Daikin are becoming/have become the "Hitachi" of Inverter ACs - if you know what I mean

^^ HA HA HA .... I know......

What made me go for the Sharp was a similar experience with another forum member, the sales man in the shop was pushing a Hitachi/Daikin/General, but when I looked around apart from two Hitachi Atoms(switched off) all tthe acs in the showroom were Sharp 2 Tonners!!!. When coaxed he told me ,yes Sharp is very very good but we dont want to confuse you with a little unknown brand in the AC segment(or loose a customer,so playing your tune with misinformation)!!!! :shock:

Just look at the audacity.They told they have sold over 160 pieces without a single complaint till date!!! So I nailed the deal.

The Incinerator said:
Both are good units,but Generals remote is a slow pain in the right place kinda thing.Its response is lagged.Maybe they have resolved it. You wont wrong with either units to be honest,but try because the Sharp can be had cheaper if you try around. What I did when buying the AC was call up atleast 15/20 dealers and 2 of them gave me the best prices!!!Thats how i did it. I got the numbers from Just Dial! So happy hunting.

People in my family has got the 2 ton sharp at Rs 51K/53K,so try.......

You mean the ogeneral remote control?? Then elaborate please

I hav 5 inverters and 5 non inverter acs... Have good experience with them

The Incinerator said:
Both are good units,but Generals remote is a slow pain in the right place kinda thing.Its response is lagged.Maybe they have resolved it. You wont wrong with either units to be honest,but try because the Sharp can be had cheaper if you try around. What I did when buying the AC was call up atleast 15/20 dealers and 2 of them gave me the best prices!!!Thats how i did it. I got the numbers from Just Dial! So happy hunting.

People in my family has got the 2 ton sharp at Rs 51K/53K,so try.......

what??53k...woah..most of the store said the price of this unit is 60K MRP...damn have to try harder..see here is the thing..i have personally been to 15 stores approx and almost all of them were pushing daikin/panasonic AC's and if i mention sharp, they say its not that great and it has poor customer service..none of them are interested to sell sharp..they were pushing daikin r22 one to me...some said they will call with the price and they never did...they just don't care about sharp AC...didn't think it would be so hard to buy an AC...

kARTechnology said:
You mean the ogeneral remote control?? Then elaborate please

I hav 5 inverters and 5 non inverter acs... Have good experience with them

Yes the Remote ,Not fast but a little laggy.

Ronnie11 said:
what??53k...woah..most of the store said the price of this unit is 60K MRP...damn have to try harder..see here is the thing..i have personally been to 15 stores approx and almost all of them were pushing daikin/panasonic AC's and if i mention sharp, they say its not that great and it has poor customer service..none of them are interested to sell sharp..they were pushing daikin r22 one to me...some said they will call with the price and they never did...they just don't care about sharp AC...didn't think it would be so hard to buy an AC...

Try people who is in to refrigeration only and not white goods seller. They might be able to quote you a better price.

Call all of them,all.

*www.sharpproducts.in/dealer.aspx

The Incinerator said:
Yes the Remote ,Not fast but a little laggy.

but i am really satisfied with the remote
you can operate it in the night(lights off) with your eyes closed
means its really easy to sense where the buttons are and waits a sec before makinga final decision

if you change temp, it will blank out all other things on the screen and waits if you are making still more changes

imo it is a excellent remote (but no backlight and real time room temp sensor in remote)

it has super range, you dont need to point it at the ac

The Incinerator said:
Try people who is in to refrigeration only and not white goods seller. They might be able to quote you a better price.

Call all of them,all.

*www.sharpproducts.in/dealer.aspx

Thanks a lot...truly helped...will call

G

Hello,
Guys,
Firstly, I am not hijacking Ronnie11's thread, actually, I also wanted to buy 2 ton ac, but my budget is something less, my budget is Rs.40000, The dealer gave me the quote of two ac's: ONE is R22 based and second one is R410 based, actually, I also want to buy Sharp, but Sharp's service is not good in my city, otherwise I'll definitely go for Sharp.

1. Hitachi Kaze Plus 2 Ton Split AC - RAU223HTD - Buy Online with Best Prices @ Shopping.IndiaTimes.com
2. Carrier Estrella 2 Ton Priced R410 based Rs.49000
Actually, second one is out of my budget, I just want to ask, How's the Hitachi Kaze Plus 2 ton Split as compared to another 2 ton acs of Panasonic, Daikin, etc.
Hope to see reply soon.
Thank You.
GEEKCOMPUTER_GEEK

so i called up the dealers listed on the sharp link you mentioned and wow, these guys are quoting prices in the range of 59-62K...What the hell??They are saying 62 or so is the price and they are reading to give for 59...well some of the normal dealers atleast quoted 55-56.5K for this...

M

Ronnie11 said:
so i called up the dealers listed on the sharp link you mentioned and wow, these guys are quoting prices in the range of 59-62K...What the hell??They are saying 62 or so is the price and they are reading to give for 59...well some of the normal dealers atleast quoted 55-56.5K for this...

Are you being little too polite with them? Generally, if I have got a lower quote somewhere else and calling dealers who are quoting higher rates, my voice will become a tad rude (not shouting, just little stern/gruff/rude) when I "politely" ask them why their rates are higher than the lowest quote I got! Then, they will either bullcr@p me saying, "woh purana stock de raha hai", "woh faltu maal de raha hai" in which case I say a "polite" goodbye....or they will say, "hold kijiye, check karte hai", which usually results in a "comparable" quote!

Oh and of course there is also the other trick that I had mentioned earlier of telling them that I am looking for not one, but 2 (or even 3) units!

Yeah trick them say you want two units,or say that you are getting it for Rs 53K,so thank you ,bye,they will try and get you back. The 55K quote you got is good but if it can be lowered nothing like it.

Mario said:
Are you being little too polite with them? Generally, if I have got a lower quote somewhere else and calling dealers who are quoting higher rates, my voice will become a tad rude (not shouting, just little stern/gruff/rude) when I "politely" ask them why their rates are higher than the lowest quote I got! Then, they will either bullcr@p me saying, "woh purana stock de raha hai", "woh faltu maal de raha hai" in which case I say a "polite" goodbye....or they will say, "hold kijiye, check karte hai", which usually results in a "comparable" quote!

Oh and of course there is also the other trick that I had mentioned earlier of telling them that I am looking for not one, but 2 (or even 3) units!

I really don't understand whats happening here...i have done exactly what you have said except for the multiple AC part...infact one of the dealers who quoted me said 59K is the best price...You can take it or leave it..lol he was dictating terms to me...i kept the phone..most said aapko lena hai toh lo varna leave it...infact one of the dealers who quoted 56.5K told me its impossible to get lower prices than this in the market anywhere in mumbai..the guy who is giving us for 54-55K is actually a person known to me...so hence he is giving us the price..have called at atleast 20-30 places..most have given the same response..planning to settle it tomorrow itself..don't see how i will get any lower than this..none are interested to reduce anyway...

M

Ronnie11 said:
I really don't understand whats happening here...i have done exactly what you have said except for the multiple AC part...infact one of the dealers who quoted me said 59K is the best price...You can take it or leave it..lol he was dictating terms to me...i kept the phone..most said aapko lena hai toh lo varna leave it...infact one of the dealers who quoted 56.5K told me its impossible to get lower prices than this in the market anywhere in mumbai..the guy who is giving us for 54-55K is actually a person known to me...so hence he is giving us the price..have called at atleast 20-30 places..most have given the same response..planning to settle it tomorrow itself..don't see how i will get any lower than this..none are interested to reduce anyway...

Hmm...might be DP set at Mumbai is different (and higher) than it is in Kol. Anyway, get it at the cheapest you can, I don't see any other options.

Its because of the Taxes ,VAT and Excise is higher in Mumbai ....than in Kolkata. Delhi is even cheaper. I got my 1.5 ton Sharp in Kolkata for Rs 41K,though the best I got was Rs 40,200 but didnt buy it coz I didnt trust the dealer as he was in ASS too,my friend in Delhi got for Rs 38,700!

So I think you should nail it at Rs 54K,try 53,500 if possible!

so finally i made a decision for which i was forced to...i went in finally to buy sharp 2 ton but most of the dealers said they have not received the unit from sharp...except the ones who did quote 61k..so the dealer we knew contacted sharp directly and we got the response from sharp itself that they are not sure when they will dispatch the unit...the company isn't sure..they said hence the reason why some of the dealers are quoting higher prices...i was left with no choice as my parents were also wondering why its taking so long to buy one and hence i was forced to order O General ASGA24JCC Unit which after bargaining i got for 60k from the dealer known to us...that was my max budget anyway..So finally thank you guys for the help..it was overwhelmingly helpful..Thanks a lot The incinerator and Mario...Will update with pics when it arrives...Thanks a lot you guys again...

M

Congos!!!!

Now, don't worry too much (or start feeling like you have "missed out" on something) - Generals are pretty darn good (if a tad overpriced) - make sure you have a qualified tech install your unit. I was thinking it might be a supply problem with the Sharps, turns out that's the case!

We want pics and review!!

Mario said:
Congos!!!!

Thanks...

Any idea how good it is???
Feeling bad about missing out on sharp but hoping this turns out well

M

Ronnie11 said:
Thanks...
Any idea how good it is???
Feeling bad about missing out on sharp but hoping this turns out well

Oh darn! This is what I warned about in my previous post - STOP HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS! Its agonizing.

Listen, OGens are solid units, at par with Hitachis, old Nationals, even Heavy Mitsubs.
You did not "MISS OUT" on anything - its not like the entire world uses nothing but Sharps - yes they are pretty good, but not the BEST!!! No one is the BEST!

You seriously need to "chill" - literally and otherwise!

Just ensure a proper AC tech installs your stuff.

@Inci: Care to post the things that the installer technicians should be carrying that OP should look out for?

Mario said:
Oh darn! This is what I warned about in my previous post - STOP HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS! Its agonizing.
Listen, OGens are solid units, at par with Hitachis, old Nationals, even Heavy Mitsubs.
You did not "MISS OUT" on anything - its not like the entire world uses nothing but Sharps - yes they are pretty good, but not the BEST!!! No one is the BEST!

You seriously need to "chill" - literally and otherwise! Just ensure a proper AC tech installs your stuff.

@Inci: Care to post the things that the installer technicians should be carrying that OP should look out for?

LOL yeah my bad..just thought that after doing so much research in the market, i had to settle for another unit..so apologies for crying here..

yeah pls help out with regard to installations..

M

Ronnie11 said:
LOL yeah my bad..just thought that after doing so much research in the market, i had to settle for another unit..so apologies for crying here..
yeah pls help out with regard to installations..

Ensure your AC tech carries (off the top of my head) -

Saw
Powerdrill
Gas Leakage Detector
Putty
Flare Tool
Vacuum Pump
Charge Hose

etc.

@Inci: Add whatever I missed - you have seen this process more recently than I have!

Mario you are bang on with the equipment that should be carried. I would just like to add few more things ,Pressure Gauge to check the Gas pressure,A good quality AC insulation Tape to wrap over the sponge of the copper tubes,its very important to get that done and a High Quality Godrej Boyce AC L Outdoor Unit Stand.

The Godrej Boyce L stand offers the best quality and fixtures and is the only ODU L stand that offers the maximum gap between the ODU and the wall its been installed on.The large gap offered by the Godrej is very important for the AC to cool optimally.

And you have got one of the A listers in AC domain! So great purchase in my honest opinion.

Thanks a lot incinerator..

Do post pictures and a review.

The Incinerator said:
Do post pictures and a review.

Most definitely...units coming on tuesday/wednesday due to LBT strike again..will post pics then...

The Incinerator said:
Mario you are bang on with the equipment that should be carried. I would just like to add few more things ,Pressure Gauge to check the Gas pressure,A good quality AC insulation Tape to wrap over the sponge of the copper tubes,its very important to get that done and a High Quality Godrej Boyce AC L Outdoor Unit Stand.

The Godrej Boyce L stand offers the best quality and fixtures and is the only ODU L stand that offers the maximum gap between the ODU and the wall its been installed on.The large gap offered by the Godrej is very important for the AC to cool optimally.

And you have got one of the A listers in AC domain! So great purchase in my honest opinion.

Monkeys damaged the sponge tubing on the two copper pipes last year. But the unit is working fine. Should I worry?

M

kARTechnology said:
Monkeys damaged the sponge tubing on the two copper pipes last year. But the unit is working fine. Should I worry?

If the sponge is just shredded, see if you can tape up the damaged area! If its torn and gone, see if you can buy some extra (just for the portion that is damaged, you can even re-use from some old sofa or something like that) and tape it up.

Finally delivered...Time for installation...

Congrats........

The Incinerator said:
Congrats........

Thank you...

M

Ah! Finally!

But we want pixies of the real thing!!!

---------------------------

Edit: Just noticed! Dude, I can read the serials of your product - you need to modify these pics!

Mario said:
Ah! Finally! But we want pixies of the real thing!!!

---------------------------

Edit: Just noticed! Dude, I can read the serials of your product - you need to modify these pics!

Thanks a lot...will install it today or tom max...ahh shucks..forgot about the serial numbers...

M

Ronnie11 said:
Thanks a lot...will install it today or tom max...ahh shucks..forgot about the serial numbers...

I think kARTechnology still has your images quoted in the Post your latest purchase thread!

Mario said:
I think kARTechnology still has your images quoted in the Post your latest purchase thread!

Yeah..thanks he fixed it...

..

So the installation is done...took a good 3 hours to install..will post pics and review later

M

Very Good!

Finally, you are chilling!