Lopi 520 for sale locally. Opinions.

[BigBadJohn86]

I have a summers heat stove rated for *up to* 1000sq ft. Thats the catch. My house is a little over 1000 sq ft but is an old farmhouse with no insulation. I dont have the money or time to insulate the house any time soon but I should have enough of both to buy a used wood stove capable of a larger house. Plus the capacity of the summers heat is just a joke. I never even used the ashpan. I had too many ashes for it within a couple hours of burning wood usually

I saw a Lopi 520 with double doors for sale for $400. Opinions on this stove? A guy I work with has a liberty with catalytic converter and he thinks it's great. This looks to have the same square footage rating as the liberty but no catalytic converter.
Can a blower be added to this stove? The owner said it currently doesnt have one but they think it can be added on. Can a blower be found for this and if so will it cost just as much as a replacement for a current lopi model or will it be super expensive because its been discontinued?

Either that or I see a used wonderwood for $150 or an Ashley brand wonderwood for $250. I hear there is a signifigant difference in between those two as far as quality, and a guy that has owned both said the Ashley actually outperformed the wonderwood and was sad he got rid of the ashley
Can a blower be added to either of these?

If you were to choose from those three what would be the best choice? I want to take advantage of these low prices during summer and have plenty of time to install my stove and have it ready for fall

Thanks

 

[Mt Ski Bum]

I have a summers heat stove rated for *up to* 1000sq ft. Thats the catch. My house is a little over 1000 sq ft but is an old farmhouse with no insulation. I dont have the money or time to insulate the house any time soon but I should have enough of both to buy a used wood stove capable of a larger house. Plus the capacity of the summers heat is just a joke. I never even used the ashpan. I had too many ashes for it within a couple hours of burning wood usually

I saw a Lopi 520 with double doors for sale for $400. Opinions on this stove? A guy I work with has a liberty with catalytic converter and he thinks it's great. This looks to have the same square footage rating as the liberty but no catalytic converter.
Can a blower be added to this stove? The owner said it currently doesnt have one but they think it can be added on. Can a blower be found for this and if so will it cost just as much as a replacement for a current lopi model or will it be super expensive because its been discontinued?

Either that or I see a used wonderwood for $150 or an Ashley brand wonderwood for $250. I hear there is a signifigant difference in between those two as far as quality, and a guy that has owned both said the Ashley actually outperformed the wonderwood and was sad he got rid of the ashley
Can a blower be added to either of these?

If you were to choose from those three what would be the best choice? I want to take advantage of these low prices during summer and have plenty of time to install my stove and have it ready for fall

Thanks

None of Lopi's stoves, including the Liberty, use catalytic converters... all of Lopi's present stoves use secondary burn tubes. Lopi is known for making high-quality stoves... I can't comment on the 520, but it sound basically like an old smoke-dragon version of the Liberty. Sounds like a decent deal, though

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

Neither the Lopi 520 or Liberty use catalytic converters. I have a Lopi Liberty and love it. The 520 is the previous version, but still EPA approved and a great heater. I would definitely recommend the Lopi 520.

 

[summit]

Lopi did make a catalytic unit that was Liberty size for a short time... they are few and far between. As to the 520, it is a Liberty, basically.. just like the old 380's were basically a endeavor. I think you'll even find a reburn tube in there, somewhere, up front towards the glass side of the baffle. These old Lopi's are built like tanks (and so are the new ones, btw) and 400 is a steal for that stove. It has very basic parts, angle irons and firebricks inside, so it is an easy stove to work on. Grab it while you can. It should take a standard Lopi blower, rear mount, cost @ $250.

 

[BigBadJohn86]

What do you guys mean by smoke dragon and is it a bad thing?

 

[fossil]

The Lopi 520 was a "transitional" stove. The one that was installed in our home here in Oregon when we purchased was, as I recall, an M520. I'm sure it was UL listed, but it was too old to be EPA certified. It did have the rudiments of a secondary burn system built into it (brick baffle, dual air controls). They made stoves called 520's for some years, and I don't know whether or not the later 520's were EPA certified. In any case, you really need to thoroughly inspect the stove and lay eyeballs on the manufacturer's info plate on the back to determine what you're looking at. Mine did not have a blower, nor do I know whether or not that was an option. Even if it was, I'd think you'd be hard pressed to find an original blower for it today. You might be able to dig up some of the history of the 520's with some searches, beginning with Travis Industries. Good luck. Rick

ETA: Also note the 8" flue. It's something to consider.

 

[BigBadJohn86]

Nevermind on that lopi. I called again today and the gal said someone put a down payment on it
Guess Im back to searching