Air Handler Vs Mini-Split - Any Advice?

[martyconlonontherun]

I'm kind of lost here and after talking to the 'experts' even more confused.

House: 2.2k Sq ft tri-level. 3 bedrooms upstairs, Kitchen and living room downstairs - Home Value $200k, bought $170k 3 years ago. Live in SE Wisconsin and only getting AC for unborn child coming before summer.

Quotes: Mitsubishi Mini-Split ($11k) Vs Air Handler ($12.5k)

 I expect to pay some ignorance tax on having them help me pick out and install these units, but are they both reasonable? Anyone familiar with these units and have good or bad things to say about them? I'm a little confused on the pros/cons of airhandler versus mini-split.

Thanks for any help or suggestions. If you guys want to have fun, just give me contradictory advice below :)

[dhc]

We have mini splits and they're super efficient, but if we'd had ducts already I would have gone with an air handler mostly for resale value. Using the ducted head for one floor helps, but a certain set of people will never be happy buying a house with a wall unit in the living room (at least that's my dear, although in my case I figured it's at least no worse than no AC at all)

[LightStache]

Does the installation of the airhandler system include drywalling in the new vent system, texture, and paint? If not, you'll have to add that cost on top or leave the metal ducts showing, which is OK if you have a modern loft-style home.

I agree with @dhc that in the US mini-splits are considered less desirable from a resale standpoint, so ducted systems are preferable. If you want to prioritize your electric bill and the environment, mini-splits are more efficient because they cool specific areas versus the whole house.