Why don't A/C condensing units come installed with soft start devices?

unnecessary added expense to an already expensive purchase.

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unnecessary added expense to an already expensive purchase

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are you in the HVAC industry?

RUUD/Rheem is where you want to be. We rep all brands of ACs but thats the favorite.

It's like the honda accord/ toyota camry of ACs. Affordable, reliable, cost effective to fix and maintain, easy to get parts.

Carrier is another good brand but typically a tad more expensive.

As for the soft start question, it's not that big of a deal. 95% of units in america don't have them and run just fine. Just preference to add one

HVAC manufacturers don’t even put decent USA-made capacitors in condensing units, which might add $20 to the cost of a HVAC.

Multi-Stage VFD HVAC by nature of their variable speed DC motors-compressors & electronics de facto are “soft start” systems, but of course those units are at a minimum several thousand more expensive than single stage units - cheaper to install a soft start capacitor in a single stage or two stage system after the fact.

The experts state all major manufacturers make “good” units, but it’s the installers and attention to detail in the install that is most important. Each manufacturer will have a “good”, “better”, “best” line of options for you to consider. Also remember this Trane=American Standard, Carrier=Bryant, Rheem=Ruud, Goodman=Daikan=Amana - meaning “same products, made in same factory, usually a different color and name on the equipment.

I personally would have no issue installing any major brand-manufacturer. Last year I changed out my unit with a Trane, but I was shopping the installer not the manufacturer - just so happens this installer was a Trane authorized dealer. BTW, Trane-American Standard are made-assembled in TX, as is Daikan-Goodman-Amana.

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Why don't A/C condensing units come installed with soft start devices?

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I asked two well known HVAC companies in my area about installing a soft starter and they weren't familiar with what I was talking about. That was surprising to me. When I said soft starter, they confusingly said "you mean hard start"?

Interesting that it's not more popular or common in the industry.

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hard start

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That was common 25+ years ago before scroll compressors.
Interestingly, soft start kits also include hard start caps to make up for phase shift due to added resistance.

100% Cost issue.

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I asked two well known HVAC companies in my area about installing a soft starter and they weren't familiar with what I was talking about. That was surprising to me.

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I had never heard of the devices until a month ago...

now that I am considering a generator, I am being told to install them.

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now that I am considering a generator, I am being told to install them.

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That is probably a good idea unless you have 2-stage or variable speed equipment. With multi-stage equipment it isnt bad but just might not be necessary.

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Not trying to be that guy but resistance doesn't impact phase angle or power factor. Capacitance or inductance does. The capacitors are there to store energy and release it at startup so the increased amperage comes more from the capacitors and less from the circuit feeding the unit.

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So you’re trying to say resistance doesn’t affect phase angle in a 60hz RLC system? Put it in the textbooks!
Edit:
Capacitors increasing alternating current also breaks the first law of thermodynamics.