Lopi Answer stove - Any complaints on this stove?

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MyFyrByrd

New Member
Oct 17, 2008
83
Northeastern, Ohio
Hello,
I'm considering purchasing a Lopi Answer stove to heat a 1300 sq ft ranch style home. Anyone here have any poor experiences with this stove. I realizee the stove has only a 1.6 cu foot firebox - Will I get sick of constantly tending the fire? The room this is going in is only 13 ft X 11 ft. (I think the larger Endeavor model would throw way too much heat considering we spend alot of time in this room. Any help or comments would be very much appreciated. I wan't to make a good purchase with my hard earned money.
Thanks
 
As a satisfied Endeavor owner, let me ask you this: how much of your heating do you desire from the stove? Nights and weekends only? Twenty-four by seven heating? If you're looking to get overnight burns and do more serious heating, I would personally choose the Endeavor. It's a jacketed stove, so it really doesn't throw a ton of radiant heat. It's more of a convection stove. We have ours in the downstairs living room (total space downstairs is about 1,000 sq. ft.), and it doesn't heat us out at all. Now, your house may be tighter, and your insulation and windows may be better. But if it's not heating us out in TN, I can't imagine it doing so in the throes of an OH winter.

One other bonus on the Endeavor is the bypass damper - it makes reloading, starting from a cold stove, and sweeping the flue mighty easy. I know you'll invest more in an Endeavor, but sometimes the extra is worth it when you make a long term investment like heating with wood. Let me know if you have further Endeavor questions.
 
answer works great. i would not be afraid of the endeavor, however, if you are looking for longer burn times. The answer will top out at @ 6 hrs of usable fire, while the endeavor will get you 8-10 hrs. Peak btu output will be pretty close between the two when fully loaded and air wide open: @70k btu. For either stove, I would strongly suggest the blower option.
 
Summit is correct. I have an Answer Insert, and useable fire is about 5-6 hours when packed to the gills. I was limited to this unit as my fireplace is small, so I had to go the smaller route...if you have the room go with the bigger firebox....big difference on reloading at 3:00am vs 6:00 am :)
 
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I plan on using the stove in the evenings (when I get home from work) and on the weekends. Considering that , do you still think it would be better to upsize and go with the Endeavor? I have no intention on burning 24/7. I do like how the Endeavor can load North / South. What I liked about the Answer is that it's firebox floor is about an inch deeper from the front lip of the stove(less chance ash would fall out during reloads).
 
Even if your not looking to burn overnight now, you may want to at some time in the future. I never sold Lopi products, but during 26 years in the Hearth Industry I have heard almost nothing negative about their wood burners
 
Franks said:
Even if your not looking to burn overnight now, you may want to at some time in the future. I never sold Lopi products, but during 26 years in the Hearth Industry I have heard almost nothing negative about their wood burners

+1 You are going to find on those cold winter nights that you are going to want to keep that puppy goin until its morning.
The room that you are putting it into is small, but if you have a blower you can control the temps in the room and not heat yourself out.
Again, both are good stove, I would just go with the larger unit.
Good luck!
 
MyFyrByrd said:
I plan on using the stove in the evenings (when I get home from work) and on the weekends. Considering that , do you still think it would be better to upsize and go with the Endeavor? I have no intention on burning 24/7. I do like how the Endeavor can load North / South. What I liked about the Answer is that it's firebox floor is about an inch deeper from the front lip of the stove(less chance ash would fall out during reloads).

This is what they all say. ;-)

I have the Endeavor in my family room, the room is 11x16 which is open to the connected kitchen which is 12x11. When I have it fully loaded with the blower cranking it can get pretty warm in the family room. All I need to do is turn the blower down or off and it makes a huge difference. In the middle of winter I can load it around 10/11 and wake up from 6-8 with a good enough coal bed for an easy restart with full size splits. Of course the heat isn't what I consider usable at this point. I feel it gives me 6 hours of what I consider usable heat in the cold snaps.

Does the room have one or two entry points? How big are the doorways? I run a ceiling fan in reverse and have a fan in the hallway blowing cold air into the family room. This helps a lot in moving air around my house. It's a 2 story house about 1950 sq', the lower level is around 1100 sq'.
 
+1 One thing to consider is the frequency and length of power outages in your area. Will the stove be the primary source of heat during these times?

Our next door neighbor has the Answer insert. They got the stove mostly for comfort fires and not for primary heat. The stove is sturdy and does a good job during the milder weather. They like the stove, but their primary complaint is short burn times. Second complaint is that it is a little hard to start and spills smoke when it starts. Neither problem is the insert's fault. They have an insert that is too small for the space being heated and therefore have to burn it hard, on softwood, so they get 2-3 hr meaningful heating times (good heat before a refill). And they have it on too short a chimney to achieve good draft (about 12 ft).
 
My house is about the same size as yours, and in a milder climate, but I'm glad I have the flexibility of a mid-sized stove. I rarely load the Endeavor full. Usually about 3/4 full, sometimes less. I'm not a 24/7 burner either. However, I've used it as my only heat source a few times, including when the furnace died our first year in the house. Nice to be able to load up for a long burn when you want to, but you can only put in an Answer's worth of wood if you like. Floor plan is a consideration, I suppose. I have an open floor plan downstairs where the stove is, with a staircase carrying the heat upstairs. I must say, though, that I use the stove for a much larger portion of my heating than I expected to when I bought the house.
 
My vote would be to buy the larger stove and build smaller fires in it when necessary. Keep in mind that I have little experience in heating only 1 room as you are attempting to do. I heat my entire house. The larger stove will be more versatile in that it can do small and larger fires and burn longer. It is also possible that you will change your mind as to how often you will use the stove. I know I did. The seductive warmth and beautiful fire/glow can enchant you to burn more than you are originally planning.
 
First of all , "thanks" to you all for your helpful advice.
I see the logic in all of your comments. My floor plan is not an open one. This, along with being only a single story house, is why I cannot make up my mind. I feel that the excess heat from a larger stove (Endeavor) will escape to the upper level of a two story home and allow it to be more comfortable on the first level. If I had a second story I would not hesitate to go with the Endeavor.
Another Question - If I load the stove at 10:00 PM, will I be able to re-kindle a new fire with hot coals by 6:00 AM the next morning using the Answer stove?
Thanks again to you All for the expert advice.
 
I just went through the same decision making process you are going through. I have a 1500sq ft ranch style brick home that I want to heat with wood. I chose the Endeavor for the longer burn times and like some others have already posted, you can put small loads in like an Answer would hold but you can't load an Answer up like the Endeavor for more heat and longer burns. I just picked up my stove yesterday and can't wait to finish the install and try it out. Also the Endeavor has lower clearances to combustibles when fitted with double wall pipe than the Answer does. Only 4.25 inches to the back compared to the Answers 9 inches. Not sure how you plan to install your stove but that really helps me keep the stove out of the hallway.
 
I think the 10:00 to 6:00 would be a big stretch.....you would need to jam pack that thing to the gills, and have a very large bed of coals before packing.
If you wood is perfect....i.e. 18% MC or so...you might be able to get 6-7...but I think 8 hours would be really pushing it. (But with decent wood and a good setup, you can restart no problems)
 
If you are old you just get up in the middle of the night to pee and throw wood in.
 
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You'll only have "excess heat" if you load it up. You can put in a much smaller load, and get the same amount of heat as the Answer would give you. Burn smaller loads when you're sitting there, and load up if you want to go overnight.
 
I think a good point to repeat is the benefit of north to south burns. I simply love the fact that I can stuff my insert to the gills and not have to worry about logs falling out at you. I am sure every north south loader will agree. I have had small size firebox that is east/west (Avalon Pendelton) and unless you cut it small it can be frustrating at times to get the box full. I have also had the Big Avalon Olympic, loved the stove but again it was sometimes hard stuffing for a really long burn (not that I had to stuff it most of the time, still got nice burn times)

I just think the Lopi Endeavor is a perfectly sized stove, good burn times, good heat, and the benefit of north to south loading of 18 inch logs. Think about the small difference in price when using this stove for a very long time and you will not be sorry. This will be my next stove if I move to another home
 
I had to make the same desicion last year and I went with the Lopi Republic 1250 same size stove as the Answer. I have not regrets. It cut our heat bill in half. I was able to have enough coals in the morning to start a fire everytime. We have a 15x32 room it is in and at times it way to hot but most of the time it kept it a toasty 75. I vote for the Answer.
 
You said that you have a ~1300 square foot house, only want to burn nights and weekends, and don't plan on 24/7 heating. The Answer is the perfect stove for you unless your house is really leaky. In that case, step up to the stove one size larger - the Republic. The Endeavor would be way to big for you. The people who are coaching you to get the Endeavor do not fit the profile you describe for yourself - they are committed 24/7 burners with larger homes.

OK, having said that, the Answer will go 4-6 hours on hardwood without reload. It will have coals at 6am if you reload at 10am and you burn properly seasoned hardwoods. It throws out a lot of heat, but the blower is needed if you are going to put it into a fireplace opening or if you get the insert. Vdog and I had this same kind of conversation a year ago, and he seems happy with his choice.

My house is 1250 square feet in a colder climate than yours. It is a one story house with a not so open floor plan. It keeps the living room where the stove is comfortable but not overly hot, and the two rooms farthest away from the stove (the bedrooms) are cooler, which is what we like. Below 15-20 degrees, we probably have to run a little supplemental heat, but even at 15 degrees outside, the stove could heat 24/7 if I chose to tend it every 4-6 hours.

Lopi Stoves are well built and will last a long time. You get more quality, in my opinion, than a stove that could be had for less.
 
MyFyrByrd said:
Hello,
I'm considering purchasing a Lopi Answer stove to heat a 1300 sq ft ranch style home. Anyone here have any poor experiences with this stove. I realizee the stove has only a 1.6 cu foot firebox - Will I get sick of constantly tending the fire? The room this is going in is only 13 ft X 11 ft. (I think the larger Endeavor model would throw way too much heat considering we spend alot of time in this room. Any help or comments would be very much appreciated. I wan't to make a good purchase with my hard earned money.
Thanks

I have a Lopi republic insert, the one that's the same size as the Endeavor, in a 1430 sq foot ranch. It definitely is not too big. I would think the answer might be a little small. They sure are nice solid stoves though.
 
Am I wrong in thinking that an insert is going to throw less heat into the house? I'm thinking this because on a free standing stove you would have at least 5 or 6 feet of exposed stove pipe above the stove throwing off alot of heat into the area. If using an insert, there would be none or very little heat from the enclosed fireplace and chimney. Any thoughts on this?
 
The Answer stove i'm looking to purchase is a free-standing unit not an insert. I would have about 6 feet of pipe before it connects to the chimney support box at the ceiling. Also those of you with an answer or small republic model - Do you find yourself having to re-split firewood or shorten length that were purchased from a firewood distributor? How about starting the stove-is that a real pain in a smaller stove such as these with the 1.6 cu in firebox?
 
Answer free standing and insert are on in the same, and will give you the same performance. Because the firebox is enclosed in a convection shield, the radiant heat from the stove is negligable, its pretty much all convection, in a fireplace or outside of one. If you are set on the Answer, go ahead and get it. There is nothing wrong with that unit, and I know you'll be happy w/ it. The larger endeavor will give you more flexibility, however. After a couple years, and an almost certain increase on the schedule that you think you'll be burning at now, you'l will probably be finding yourself saying that you wished you'd gone w/ a bigger stove a couple yrs down the road.
 
MyFyrByrd said:
The Answer stove i'm looking to purchase is a free-standing unit not an insert. I would have about 6 feet of pipe before it connects to the chimney support box at the ceiling. Also those of you with an answer or small republic model - Do you find yourself having to re-split firewood or shorten length that were purchased from a firewood distributor? How about starting the stove-is that a real pain in a smaller stove such as these with the 1.6 cu in firebox?

You will have to re-split firewood from many dealers if you have the Lopi Answer, I had the Avalon Pendelton and I could not get that many in the firebox from local dealers, once again very frustrating and that is why I upgraded in less than a year. You can get away with cutting smaller splits as I am sure many do but why do extra work when you can have something like the Endeavor and not worry about doing that. Yes it could be a little hot having the Endeavor in a room your size but if you use door fans, like I did, a decent amount of heat will circulate to other rooms. I would always side on the bigger firebox and north to south loading as opposed to cramming stuff in and taking a chance of busting or bending a tube. Just my opinion but I am sure many will agree
 
Good point.
I went to the dealer today and brought four normal size split logs. I loaded them in each of the stoves. I didn't have much air space between the logs in the smaller Answer stove. It looked as though I might smother out a fire with them stacked on top of each other with such little room in between. I was thinking that might make in a real pain in the butt trying to start a fire with them packed so tightly. This didn't seem like it would be a problem with the Endeavor. I like the Answer alot(especially cause it doesn't stick so far out into the room) but wouldn't purchase it if its going to be a real pain starting fires. Is it generally easier to start a fire with the larger fireboxes?
 
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