Mitsubishi Electric Starmex Series - Which Model Should I Choose? (GE vs FJ vs FN)

Mitsubishi Electric's Starmex line is currently one of the most popular models on the AC market and it is not hard to see why - it's easy to clean, quiet and dependable - all the qualities you'd want for a personal AC.

However, in recent times, Mitsubishi have released a few variants of their Starmex line so it can be a little bit confusing, especially for consumers looking at different providers/contractors who may be advertising different models.

To help you guys out, I've decided to do a short list that will hopefully shed some light on the different choices that are available.

GE SERIES (2-Tick)

Mitsubishi's 1st model of the popular "GE" inverter series was released almost 9-10 years ago and remained one of Singapore's top selling AC models for the past decade with some suppliers still holding stock for this model till today.

It's recognizable by its distinctive 2 horizontal louvers and was characterized by the now-popular phrase "it's reliable, easy-to-clean and the quietest". Wall unit model numbers can be identified by the inclusion of the letters 'GE' in the model number, i.e. MSY-GE10VA.

Mitsubishi has made it such that the front covers, filters, drainage tray and blower wheel can be easily removed and these features are maintained throughout the various models featured in this article.

The GE series was initially rated as a "4-tick" series at the time of its inception. However, a revamp of the NEA energy rating system in 2014 meant that this rating was revised to '2 ticks' with the new system.

Previous 4-Tick rating

New 2-Tick Rating

While its new rating was only 2-tick, it is still considered an energy-efficient model when compared to the non-inverter models of its time.

Mitsubishi started slowly phasing this model out in 2016, and tried introducing the 1st generation 5-ticks 'FJ' series, but continued to produce units due to its popular demand.

In 2019, most Starmex models have already been replaced by the latest 2nd-generation 5-ticks 'FN' model, with only existing stock being held on by suppliers.

FJ SERIES (5-Ticks)

As previously stated, the 'FJ' was the 1st wave of 5-tick models produced for multi-split systems by Mitsubishi Electric. 

For various reasons (economies of scale?), all models regardless of capacity was manufactured to be the same size. With the older 'GE' models, the 24000 BTU/hr model was noticeably longer than the 9000, 12000 and 18000 BTU/hr models.

With the 'FJ' series, all models had the same dimensions - which was characterized by a surprisingly long length of 923mm. This posed a problem for many HDB/BTO owners who were limited by the design of their flats. As such, many of our customers reverted back to the 2-tick 'GE' variant as a compromise.

The Mitsubishi 'FJ' model

In terms of serviceability, the 'FJ' model had only a single louver and its cover was much easier to remove than the 'GE' model, although it did have 1 extra screw on its cover which meant 1 more step for servicemen.

There were comments from our customers who had installed this unit who felt that the room took longer to cool as compared to their previous 'GE' model, although both had the same capacity. I'm not too sure if this could be due to its greater energy efficiency rating, hence delivering less power to the system although it eventually cools the area.

The other grouse affected mainly owners of older HDB flats in which a stainless steel bracket is required. Since these brackets are normally placed at the master bedroom windows, there were feedback that the new condensers were generally noisy due to the larger fan speed which affected their sleep.

It wasn't long before Mitsubishi discontinued this model and replaced it with the newest 'FN' variant.

As of 2019, there are still suppliers holding on to these units but from my personal experience, there is not much demand for these models that are still on-hand.

FN SERIES (5-Ticks)

The 'FN' series is the latest of the 5-tick models and was released around end-2017. The units have a similar look to the 'FJ' series in the sense that it only has a single louver. However, there is now a size difference between the 24000 BTU/hr model and the other models.

In addition, you only have to remove 2 screws to open the top cover, as opposed to the 'FJ' series' 3 screws.

Both the 'FJ' and 'FN' series are similarly rated as 5-ticks.

With the FN series, Mitsubishi hopes to make adjustments to the problems that had plagued the FJ series. The units are generally smaller which make them perfect for installation at smaller homes and the condenser is quieter. The cover can also be more easily removed as compared to the GE series.

As of March 2019, this is still the newest model available and complaints have been few with reliability still playing a huge role in the Mitsubishi brand name,

Do you have any further questions? Feel free to contact us here.

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