If it was your home and money...

[heatpumpguru]

Many people have been burnt by GOODMAN in the past,and ALL brands have their skeletons.I went to Goodman in Texas and they flat out said we just want to sell boxes,I did not think poorly of that,we were there for a PRIVATE LABEL deal. I think that is an easy brand to get by moon lighters and people who do not do quality work and it falls on the Goodman name(many brands are alittle tighter)I think 35% of job is the equipment and the rest is install,remember when you buy a car,all the INSTALL WORK is done,if you bought a car at a place that they built them while you watched,I think that industry would be alot differnt.I think it is good for what it is,Honda's and Toyoya cost more then KIA but people buy them because of price and warranty.I am not trying to BASH!!

[smokin68]

All equipment has good points and bad, like stated a million times the install is the key. Whatever you decide, make sure you purchase an equal time extended labor warranty. The labor on a "warrantied" part will leave you as a brand basher. Make sure your installing company has good references, ask for some with equipment installed for at least three years. JMO.

[greggg1]

You get what you pay for ! There`s a reason for the price difference...

[smokin68]

You get what you pay for ! There`s a reason for the price difference...

Which is???? What are the superior parts of the more expensive system?

[Kevin O'Neill]

In my home I have a Lennox. But between Trane & Goodman, I would say Trane, hands down!

[corny]

You should be talking with friends,coworkers,church buddies and anyone else you know to try and find out who they have had the best service and reliability with. On here....you are still going to get a lot of bias from folks who want to see the brand they sell on top.

I have goodman in my home...and could have and afford trane....but why ???

My goodman has given many many long years or service...and so have my parents....my sister has a "no name" brand....and it has been kicking ass winter and summer for 10 years at least....

Ive seen every brand go belly up wayyyyyy before its time....and Ive seen every brand last wayyyyyyyy longer than they should have.

Find out all you can about your contractor and like I said...friends,neighbors and relatives are your best bet for recomendations.

Trane is my favorite brand of equipment....but then Ive been around Tranes all my working life....but still I believe they are well built equipment.

Goodmans ok too....they had a reputation for years as being cheaply built...which they were...and had a reputation years ago of being available for purchase by anyone....which is true of any brand today..... but Ive seen newer versions and it seems like they hae improved in quality by leaps and bounds...while other more famous brands seem to have started cutting corners to keep up.

good luck....

[sarpanch2001]

You get what you pay for ! There`s a reason for the price difference...

Trane

[marina]

Hi,
I have the same dilemma. The $$ difference between the Trane and the Goodman furnace & installation is $500. Is that typical? It was more than I expected.

Thank you,
Marina

[MN homeowner]

Hi,
I have the same dilemma. The $$ difference between the Trane and the Goodman furnace & installation is $500. Is that typical? It was more than I expected.

Thank you,
Marina

My difference is between 3 and 4 TIMES that amount. If it was the same as yours, I would be attempting to "convince" the Trane dealer to match the Goodman...

[MN homeowner]

It's sport of a weighted question. The equipment is less important than the installer. It's stated lots of times on here.....The best equipment installed by a hack won't be as good as the worst equipment installed by a high quality professional.


They all pass the same type standards it's more important to figure out what you want specifically in your equipment and then find a dealer that you are comfortable with and you feel knows what he is doing or vice versa.....

I see this common thought continually on here and I agree to a point. I've been a mechanic in varies industries for years myself and have experienced excellent parts installed incorrectly by hacks and they fail prematurely. I don't agree that a part of inferior quality, even when lovingly installed by the best person in that trade, will last as long as a better quality part will or provide the same level of performance.
I trust that the person providing the bid on the Goodman is qualified and competent. I am just trying to avoid going thru this again in 10-12 years versus 15-18. I am quite certain I will still be in this house in 10 years. I rather doubt I will be in 15-18. See what I'm getting at ??
My current furnace is the original at 22 years old. I'm the one replacing it. I don't want to do it again.

[slahac]

This is a reacurring theme in my household. How long will we stay? I finally got tired of trying to see a future that is allmost impossible to predict. Unless you have firm plans to move, I would recommend biting the bullet and installing the better system. This home is where you and your family will live for the next ??? years. After that, it will be someone elses home. Make it as comfortable as you can reasonably afford. If you install the better system and have a problem, then you have the knowledge that you did your best. You won't feel that way if you have problems with the less expensive system. This logic comes in very handy later with the wife if God forbid there is a problem. During home resale, name brands do count, and it's good business to treat your home buyer fairly. Do you really want to leave him with a hunk of junk? If you do, you usually have to adjust the sale price of the home to reflect the upcoming replacement.
I hope this helps

[dash]

At almost 50% less ,the lower priced contractor must not be charing enough for his part,could be a cause for concern .

In our area there's not that large of a difference between the brands.

[MN homeowner]

At almost 50% less ,the lower priced contractor must not be charging enough for his part, could be a cause for concern .

In our area there's not that large of a difference between the brands.

Goodman= small private contractor with low overhead and no other employees to pay insurance on. He installs it and stands behind it.

Trane= larger contractor with a lot of overhead and employee expenses. The installers put it in but any of the service techs could respond to a problem.

I actually prefer dealing with a smaller company and getting personalized care.