The pre-charged kits are fairly inexpensive and surprisingly easy to put in, but you’ll need about $400 in extra shit.
My extra shit list:
Disconnect box
Surge suppressor
Liquid-tight whip
Lineset chase
20A breaker
Various holesaws
12/3 wire
Caulking
Duct seal
Extra insulation
Wall mount or concrete paving block
I’d like an update in 5 years when/if they fail/leaks. They tried precharged lineset’s years and years ago for contractors, then pulled them from the shelves because they all failed as the rings were inherently garbage and it was a big nightmare for homeowners, contractors and wholesalers
The coupling system seems pretty robust compared to the run of the mill flare fitting that you’d find on a normal install. Also, they are not just quick couplers, they’re inside a JIC so there’s a backup seal there. Maybe not as good as brazed, but flare fittings work well enough on equipment. It does have ports for charging so I could always refit with brazed lineset some day and recharge.
We’ll see. Typical charge for installing one of these things around here is upwards of $4000, on top of the $4000 they charge for a $1500 unit. I’ll take my chances since I’m all of $1800 into it. And compared to my old 4t AC PAM unit, I’m pretty sure I’ll save that in a year.