Which AC to buy - a tough call Hitachi vs LG

geezi

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Hi, I wish to buy an AC for a room of the size 10.5 feet x 14 feet. It would be used about 4 hours every night for 9 months every year. The options at Croma are many.. but it seems that Hitachi & LG are the better brands.

Should I buy 1.5Tn or 1Tn? Also 3 star or 5 star?

Which brand gives a good after sales service?
 
I am using Hitachi 1 ton 5* for almost a similar size room. Electricity bill was down by almost 20% and very effective cooling. Servicing has been on time during warranty and after warranty I entered into an annual contract.
 
Hi, 1 ton should be ok. suggest you to look at an inverter type since its most comfortable as if maintains the temp constantly. I feel we can buy for that reason alone notwithstanding the savings etc. I think Panasonic or sharp will be ok.
 
Try out Sharp 1.1T inverter AC.

Inverter AC saves a lot of current that you may end up using it 12 hours a day and 9 months year. It also maintains uniform temperature.

Japanese ACs have much better quality. viz., Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Sharp, Daikin, Panasonic etc.
 
Try out Sharp 1.1T inverter AC.

Inverter AC ... ... ... maintains uniform temperature.

It maintains constant temperature and humidity.

It's a different kind of performance, and I wouldn't like to go back to non-inverter, especially for the bedroom.

On the may-be downside, there are reports of electronics failure and expensive board replacements. Please check this out for yourselves, I don't want to be a FUD spreader, especially as I am so keen on the technology.

We have had the Sharp 1.1 for about a year. There was a noise problem that it took some time to diagnose and fix. It needed a new indoor-unit fan motor, and that had to be ordered. Still, I am probably going to buy a Sharp 1.5 inverter for our main hall, It will replace a Samsung 2-ton we have had for about 8 years.
 
Using a Mitsubishi inverter 1.5 for the bedroom. Excellent. Using it on humidity control during the humid season. Perfect.

That said, I wouldn't put Hitachi and LG anywhere near each other in quality. Between those two, its Hitachi all the way.

Would definitely agree with reju. The Jap brands are way ahead of the rest.
I needed an A/C for the living room. Was adviced 2 Tons. Had the earlier Daikin 1.5 from the bedroom. Was told that that it just might work. And it does!!
 
I just bought three days ago a Panasonic S12RKY split AC. It is a 2015 model with 1 Ton capacity and Inverter technology. In the other room we have a 10 year Old Videocon AC. It travelled about 2000kms during various moves and works fine now but burns a lot of electricity.
But the difference in the performance is night and day. The new panasonic is super quite and we do not even notice it is on. Also, it cools very quickly (though we only go to 25 degrees), lots of technology especially what I read. It is too soon to say long term performance but I am very impressed. I already ordered a second Panasonic for the living room and will replace the bedroom videocon with another panasonic.
I just had a chat with the shopkeeper about the tonnage for the living room which is about 17 X 10 and it looks like the important factor is also the ceiling height as well as if there are any large wardrobes etc which reduce the effective cooling space. I went ahead with 1 ton for living room as well as we have only 8 feet ceiling and we never want the home to be cooler than 25 degrees. I know some friends who go down to 20 degrees and I understand that it is one more factor to consider in selection of the capacity / ton of the AC. May not be important but there is a nice filter system nanoe-g which was the main reason for me to go for this model.
Hope this helps.
 
1. Get Croma's own brand.
What really do you expect to get from LG or Hitachi AC that you won't get from a cheaper brand?
Are you wary about after sales support? Do keep in mind ALL manufacturers outsource their ASS, Croma's is better in my experience.

2. For your room size even 0.5-0.75T is enough. Unless you are on the top floor with South/west facing huge glass window.

3. 5 star vs 3 star - depends on how much often you will use the AC. Stars are overrated. Dont get dazzled by these stars
Can you please post the electricity consumption numbers (kW) for same tonnage 3 star and 5 star AC within the same brand? You will come to know the hype immediately.

4. Keep in mind that whatever star ac you buy, 5 years down the line, due to wear and tear it will suck a lot of electricity (more than what it used when you bough it shiny new).
 
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I use both- Hitachi and LG and if I have to choose between them Hitachi wins hands down both in terms of performance and service.
 
Buy the 1.5 ton one for your room size . A little bigger capacity tends to cool faster and the compressor gets cut off . A 1 ton would be underpowered in case if there are a lot of people in the room , a pc , a music system etc .

Just taking into account the size of the room does not help . Is there a terrace or building above your room ? If it is a terrace you might need more power than 1 ton .

Try to go in for the lowest star rating . The star rating is a humbug in all reality because the power saved and the cost of the additional stars do not warrant a higher rating ac . A 5 star rated ac has fins in the indoor unit which are so close together than they require service every month if one lives in a dusty area . I would recommend a window ac in such cases . Hitachi 5 star ones are pretty expensive and I see no point buying them . Also check if the compressor is a tropicalised one . Those compressors cool even if the outside temperature is higher than 42 deg.
 
1. Get Croma's own brand.
What really do you expect to get from LG or Hitachi AC that you won't get from a cheaper brand?

Actually, people rate LG as budget, but, advantages of a better make, which might indeed be more expensive...

Better build, longer lasting, better features (but beware of buying unneeded) quieter running, and probably more

About "quieter..." Yes! This is not hifi and there is no doubt that AC machines do sound diferent. :eek:hyeah:

Especially after they have been burnt in :lol:

--- ie after a year or two of running has loosened up anything that can be loosened up. This is for real: I'm joking around here, because its an audio forum, but this is indeed one of my prime expectations. Quieter for longer.

The noise from my 7-yr-old Samsung is now intrusive even when using headphones.
 
Actually, people rate LG as budget, but, advantages of a better make, which might indeed be more expensive...

Better build, longer lasting, better features (but beware of buying unneeded) quieter running, and probably more

About "quieter..." Yes! This is not hifi and there is no doubt that AC machines do sound diferent. :eek:hyeah:

Especially after they have been burnt in :lol:

--- ie after a year or two of running has loosened up anything that can be loosened up. This is for real: I'm joking around here, because its an audio forum, but this is indeed one of my prime expectations. Quieter for longer.

The noise from my 7-yr-old Samsung is now intrusive even when using headphones.
Let me let you in on a secret about consumer goods.
:eek:hyeah:

The brands that people go crazy and ga-ga about are just marketing entities having product final-assembly "factories" (well sometimes even this is outsourced). They are not manufacturers. They get stuff manufactured from OEMs. Sometimes they design the specifications and ask the OEM to fabricate, but most of the times they just pick the items "off the shelf".

So the same coterie of compressor OEMs supplies to Samsung, Voltas, Chroma, LG, Sharp, yada yada. And the same cabal of evaporator OEMs supplies to these blah blah folks ... and the same clique of fan OEMs supplies to ...

I find it amusing that people get highly attached to one brand when they don't even know what exactly has gone into making that product.
Yeah, one thing I do admit is that sometimes a particular branded product may cook a perfect assembled recipe of OEM items (good performance and low price), but this doesn't remain a secret for long in this highly competitive consumer goods industry. I mean one can easily do a tear down as soon as a new product hits the market.

Oh the story is the same about TVs, fridges, washing machines etc

So mainly people pay high price for the high marketing efforts (like advertising) by the large brands.
 
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I agree with 'alpha1' on marketing efforts and perceived brand image. There is a BBC series "The men who made us spend' which gets a bit more detailed on spending habits.

The other day, I went to buy an exhaust fan and they put the major brands on the same table and some even have the exterior design exactly the same but branded differently. Nonetheless, I ignored the brand and went for the one which gave better air suction and lesser noise (It is Crompton Greaves - Briskair) and it is performing very well!

It was a low priced product and I was willing to 'gamble' and this fear psychology makes us spend more on expensive products. Penny wise Pound foolish.

But the other important thing after quality is the features. Some are game changers and some are gimmicks. The AC that I got has automated louvers for left and right as well (along with automated up and down) which I think is very important and now we see the air getting everywhere in the room.

Features are easier to spot and so the one fits your bill should atleast help you in narrow down the zillions of choices we have.
 
Let me let you in on a secret about consumer goods.
:eek:hyeah:

... ... ...

Oh the story is the same about TVs, fridges, washing machines etc

So mainly people pay high price for the high marketing efforts (like advertising) by the large brands.

There is a lot in what you say, but it is not always true.

I had a Bosch washing machine, now I have an LG. The Bosch machine never gave any problems whatsoever, and was destroyed by a rat decomposing on the controller board. The LG is impossible to balance, shakes, and generally a pile of, well, you know...

I had a Maruti Swift, now I have a VW Polo. The Swift (much to my regret: I liked it!) was falling to pieces from about three years of age. My Polo... isn't.

These may not be really valid arguments, as things like car bodies are not sourced from anonymous Korean or Chinese factories. I am generally aware that there are not that many manufacturers of AC compressors, etc, in the world. But I do believe that there is a difference in how they are put together, and the sum-total satisfaction that they give.

This is an audio forum, and, in audio, irrational biases are a major part of life. Audio too, is consumer products, and sure, the same thing applies to ACs, fridges, washing machines and so on. I try to be aware of my biases, but fail often.

There is an aspect of AC choice that I don't think gets enough attention: the remote control. This is the thing we have in our hands when we operate it. It is the thing we need to operate sometimes when we are three-quarters asleep. There is a wide variety of designs and button layout, from sensible to awful. It's something I'm trying to take account of in my buying plans for next year.
 
Till some time back Daikin was the preferred AC for audiophiles because of the low noise. Is it still as good or other brands equally quiet?
 
Many years of personal experience has taught me to give Korean products a wide berth. I find a discernible difference in build quality and the feel of the product while in operation. I don't mind paying more for a Japanese or German or American product, but won't touch a Korean one.

Cheers
 
EER (energy efficiency ratio i.e. BTU/power consumption in watts) is a better criteria to select an AC. Better ones have a higher EER than inferior one.
Check whether the remote works from various angles or does it need to be pointed right at the sensor area. What is the distance the remote can work? Does it have a night LED type display?
There are only 2 local compressor manufacturers in India I think, Shriram and Kirloskar. Maybe Trane also manufactures locally?
Check the warranty on the compressor. Usually it would be 3-7 years.
Check the warranty on the fan motor as well. Usually it is 1-2 years.

The inverter AC's are definitely more energy efficient but they bring their own technology complications (they are too sensitive to indian power)

If its a split AC, the dealers will make a killing on the copper piping from the indoor to the external unit (copper piping can easily cost upto 150 rupees/running feet)
 
My current buying focus is on Panasonic.

Also, we asked the people at one of the concert halls I frequent, which of their split ACs gave the least trouble. (LG, Hitachi, Panasonic, maybe I forgot one or two more) and the answer was Not one problem from the Panasonic in three years. It's a straw poll of one, but still encouraging.

Don't know when the buying will be. February or march, if I can stand the old Samsung that long, and it is the low-AC-usage season.
 
This might have not much to do with ACs but more general sense. Our 3 Year old Bosch front loading washing machine stopped working normal. The Powerboard seems to have a problem and the authorized repairman gave us a a quote of 10000 INR to replace which will have a month of warranty. He said that this problem is super rare but that is the only solution.
It is insane to pay 10K for repair so went ahead and got a a new one for 23K which has two years warranty.
Guess which one I bought ? Bosch again! Asked around a lot and people gave various views / opinions and there seemed to be no logic and not enough data to conclude anything. So, just went ahead with Bosch as the previous one worked flawless for the 3 years. The new one is even quieter and a bit more smarter. The reason given for the old one failing is, the washing powder we were using, Ariel Front Loading, is frothing more than normal and might have spoilt the power board. They recommend Surf Excel Matic. Let us hope the new one lasts.
 
So the same coterie of compressor OEMs supplies to Samsung, Voltas, Chroma, LG, Sharp, yada yada. And the same cabal of evaporator OEMs supplies to these blah blah folks ... and the same clique of fan OEMs supplies to ...

Coterie - cabal - clique. You language beauty!
 
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