Direct Vent Lennox vs. Mendota

[Grinder]

Looking at the two fireplaces the MPD3530 with blower kit and brick is ABOUT $1600 - the Mendota DXV35 with a discount is about $2000.

HOWEVER - the builder says the Mendota will cost ABOUT $1200 more.

Can I assume that the Lennox can be put in by a teenager and the Mendota being NON-mass produced need more attention?

Any other reason for the price difference? Perhaps the Lennox is cheaper because of a better builders discount?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

better builder discount, and worse build quality. The mendota is a neo ceram glass unit with a very high efficiency and great logs. Check (broken link removed to http://www.mendotahearth.com/mendota-specs.asp)
the lennox is a tempered glass fireplace at 20,000 btu's and about 62% efficiency the mendota is 81% @ 30k btus.
Check (broken link removed)
I would go with the mendota. The lennox is super cheap.

 

[Grinder]

I know the Mendota is better - I was just surprised at the difference in the builders price since the two units are BASICALLY the same price $1,600 and $2,000 yet the builder (who I feel is a VERY fair person) is charging $1,200 more for the Mendota.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

where is the additional $800 going?
Let me get this strait..
he is going to sell you the lennox at $1600 (way way way to much for that type of fireplace)
or He is going to sell you the mendota for $2800.. but the mendota retails for $2000.. if i had to make a blind guess, that mendota should retail for approx $2800 looking at its features, but a good builders discount would be around $2k. Can you buy it direct from the hearth shop for 2K? if so thats what i would do. Thats a TON of fireplace for 2k.

 

[Grinder]

Yes $2000 - $2200 with a 10% discount AND they will throw in the remote control. They won't sell just the box and said they would need to install it! UNLIKE the Lennox where they will just sell the box!

 

[jtp10181]

I still think you should come over to Fireside

 

[Grinder]

We were at Fireside Saturday - they are the place that had the furnace problem right - 115 for a weekend? LOL Nice place - learned a lot but zero builders discount.

Here is the bottom line on our fireplace / builder thing.

We are getting the Mendota for $2700 installed - the reason why the Mendota was going to cost us $1200 more was because we were getting the Lennox for $1500 installed with bricks and blower.

The Mendota WITH remote and installed for $2700 seems like a good deal!

 

[jtp10181]

Oh, your builder must not have an account there then. Too bad :-(

Our heating / cooling system is working again though.

 

[Grinder]

No he doesn't and even if he signed up we could not get a discount on the first one so we were out of luck . . . . :-(

Nice place you have - were you next to American a while ago?? Did you move?

 

[jtp10181]

Yeah they used to be near Todd drive, called Madison Fireplace.