Pioneer mini-split: happy? wish you'd spent more?

[skipdup]

Hopefully this is an appropriate poll (still kind of new here).

Just wondering if those who've bought a pioneer mini-split are happy with it, or if they wished they'd spent more for a premium brand.

I'm very tempted to buy a couple.

Thanks!

 

[PoorOwner]

What size units and what's the used for?

Paying a pro to install it?

Just about all the "off-brand" units are rebranded pioneer and gree variants.

 

[skipdup]

40x40x12 shop. 19walls/38ceiling insulation. Three garage doors (two insulated, one roll-up non-insulated).
Probably 24K Inverter ++.
Planning to hang what I can and then have a pro finish.
I haven't decided where to hang the outside units - hard to judge esthetics and especially sound???

Thanks,
Skip

 

[ticklechicken]

I haven't decided where to hang the outside units - hard to judge esthetics and especially sound???

I have two 18k++ units. The outside units are remarkably quiet. You can barely hear them from 15 feet. They are ~1/4 the volume of the outdoor unit on my house.

 

[sreeb]

I have a 9k and a 12k 110v unit. Both working fine for ~6 months. Nothing much to say about them. I self installed.

Both are very quiet.

 

[co-pilot]

yep 22 x 22 w/8ft ceiling 1800 btu pioneer super quiet & cold!.....

 

[skipdup]

Thanks all!

 

[PoorOwner]

I have been experiencing vendors drop shipping cheaper brand (not sure on pioneer) units using UPS.
Tried a couple times but have not had one come through without damage yet by UPS yet. It seems they use their dollies and lift it by the short end of the box, where your fittings are.

Make darn sure they are using freight. If you use freight make sure to open it, sometimes they get poked by forklift.

Could I have used that unit, maybe... but for a pallet shipper I know it's not been tipped in orientation that wasn't supposed to.

 

[sreeb]

I have been experiencing vendors drop shipping cheaper brand (not sure on pioneer) units using UPS.
Tried a couple times but have not had one come through without damage yet by UPS yet. It seems they use their dollies and lift it by the short end of the box, where your fittings are.

Make darn sure they are using freight. If you use freight make sure to open it, sometimes they get poked by forklift.

Could I have used that unit, maybe... but for a pallet shipper I know it's not been tipped in orientation that wasn't supposed to.

My Pioneers ( from ebay seller highseer ) were both shipped freight with the inside unit stacked/strapped on top of the outside unit.

 

[chrispyny]

This thread is relevent to my interests. I installed a high dollar fujitsu system on one side of my house. I plan on imstalling one more on the other side of the house in a few weeks. I’m STRONGLY considering cheaping out and getting a pioneer two head unit. The wall i’ll be installing the condenser on is shared between my office and master bedroom. A 2 head unit is $995 and two heads ar $235 each at highseer. I already have limesets from the last project.
I would LOVE to save some money over another fujitsu which what i initially planned on installing.
I’m taking $1,200+ in savings if i go pioneer vs fuji.

 

[American Locomotive]

Is "Pioneer" not a premium brand? Or is this some other Pioneer, and not the Japanese Pioneer?

 

[chrispyny]

Is "Pioneer" not a premium brand? Or is this some other Pioneer, and not the Japanese Pioneer?

The minisplit Pioneer is not the japanese electronics manufacturer you may be thinking of. Not the speaker and head unit/stereo company. It’s a brand name unrelated to that company. The minisplits are made in china. I read they are just rebranded gree and some other company. Picture a huge hvac company in china. All the minisplits come off the same assembly/production line, some have a gree sticker, some have a pioneer sticker on them, some have other stickers on them. But they are basically the same product.

So i have read here and online anyways.

 

[sreeb]

Unless locating an extra outside unit is a big problem, I would go with two single head units.

 

[Radix2]

I don't know who makes pioneer or if it is even the same company for all models.

I bought a Gree that was a good price from one of the big online outfits. It is very good. I have the crown model which goes down to the hyperheat temp ranges ant it has been solid right through this years bitter cold winter.

While not a premier Japanese brand, I believe Gree is the biggest manufacturer in china, and makes many of the rebranded units.

 

[justinjoyal]

I don't know who makes pioneer or if it is even the same company for all models.

I bought a Gree that was a good price from one of the big online outfits. It is very good. I have the crown model which goes down to the hyperheat temp ranges ant it has been solid right through this years bitter cold winter.

While not a premier Japanese brand, I believe Gree is the biggest manufacturer in china, and makes many of the rebranded units.

True.

The Crowne is a solid performer and will take on any « premier » brand unit.

 

[driftpin]

The distributor is in Doral, a city in the metro Miami FL area. I went there & bought a 240 V unit w/my friend who is a HVAC contractor. We opened them when we got to my house, I'm using a 9K unit in a 10' X 20' detached garage/shop. I still have some insulating to complete and then it will be going in.

The warehouse/office is a big industrial building, they were very professional, and it was an easy transaction.

Parker Davis HVAC Systems, Inc.
2250-2260 NW 102nd Place,
Doral, Forida 33172 USA Toll Free: (800)-919-0150
Phone: (305) 593-8815
Fax: (305) 513-4499

 

[ticklechicken]

The distributor is in Doral, a city in the metro Miami FL area. I went there & bought a 240 V unit w/my friend who is a HVAC contractor. We opened them when we got to my house, I'm using a 9K unit in a 10' X 20' detached garage/shop. I still have some insulating to complete and then it will be going in.

The warehouse/office is a big industrial building, they were very professional, and it was an easy transaction.

I also went to their warehouse to pick up my systems. They were great. They walked me through the installation while we were looking at the actual hardware. I was happy with their service.

 

[79rallysport]

I installed a Pioneer 24K Inverter++ last spring in my 30x30x11.5ft shop. Pioneer recommended the 2ton unit and I thought it would be too big but I went with it anyway. I installed it myself. It wasn't too difficult but I did a lot of research before doing it. I used it for cooling last summer and supplemental heat this winter. I'm happy with the performance. It works good.

 

[GNX423]

I purchased another last week for my 30x40 shop, 36k btu (inverter+).
Looking forward to getting it installed.

 

[PoorOwner]

I am curious if you are doing self install and you would get no warranty anyway..

if you would still go with a more expensive brand for reliability or go with something cheaper like pioneer which possibly may break down sooner but you can afford to replace the whole thing once.

depending on size, the difference maybe a few hundred dollars, or $1000

 

[GNX423]

I am curious if you are doing self install and you would get no warranty anyway..

if you would still go with a more expensive brand for reliability or go with something cheaper like pioneer which possibly may break down sooner but you can afford to replace the whole thing once.

depending on size, the difference maybe a few hundred dollars, or $1000

I have installed 3 units thus far, two 24k but and the smaller 9k recently. The oldest is 12 years in and have had to replace the cooling fan on the outdoor unit, along with the capacitor that controls the speed. Total cost was $160. Install is straight forward, a vacuum pump from amazon and a set of harbor freight gauges that I use both for automotive a/c on a regular basis and running well. If you understand the reason for the steps, you can get it done. Worst case is a compressor goes out... 410a is available and so are parts for these units. You might be 400 in parts and refrigerant total at the worst problem.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[drspine]

Does anyone know the name of the shop in Doral that sold you the units?
Thanks

 

[chrispyny]

Highseer.com

 

[driftpin]

Parker Davis HVAC Systems, Inc.
2250-2260 NW 102nd Place,
Doral, Forida 33172 USA Toll Free: (800)-919-0150
Phone: (305) 593-8815
Fax: (305) 513-4499

 

[Jackfre]

... but for a pallet shipper I know it's not been tipped in orientation that wasn't supposed to.

I represented a manuf who was having problems with equipment that were definitely tracked down to rough handling. They decided that they would only "pallet ship" that product. Problems dropped but there were some instances where the same problems were seen again once some returned items were broken down for analysis. The freight companies swore up and down that they did not "repackage the freight". It took some effort to witness what was happening, but in fact the freight companies would cut banding and lay a unit on its side in order to "properly" pack the truck. Always take pictures of the freight as it comes off the truck and inspect it carefully for damage. Don't sign for it until you are sure it is correct.