We bought an older home (1915 & a little drafty) about a year ago now. It was an old one room school house that has some add-ons in total about 2800 sq ft. The main room where the stove will be located is about 800 sq feet with three bedrooms above on the second level. The master bedroom (400 sq ft) is off of the main room, with the kitchen behind accessed via a narrow hall. I would love to heat the whole house with a good stove (if possible) but it is rather cut up. After much research, I decided that that Jotul 600 would probably be best, but my wife went to buy it and the salesman convinced her that it was too much stove for the space and that the Lopi Leyden would be a better deal ($3700 vs $2500) with install. We live about an hour west of Chicago, and are new to wood stoves. Any suggestions? Any thoughts on either or both of these stoves? Thanks in advance!
Lopi Leyden vs Jotul 600 Firelight
- Thread starter KishKottage
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Rule of thumb is go a little bigger if anything. If you are heating 2800 ft, the Firelight should work just fine without being overkill. If it is the overkill you are worried about, you can go down a size to the Jotul Oslo (f500). That would be more comparable in size to the Leyden. As far as the brands, you've done your homework, as both are excellent stoves. Guess it's a matter of looks and detail. The salesman was probably pushing the Leyden to get rid of it for some reason. Best of luck w the decision.
PS- love our Oslo.
PS- love our Oslo.
+1. I would go with the larger, simpler stove too. You don't have to fully load it during milder weather. And sometimes it is possible to open up a floorplan without destroying the character of the house.
Also, there are other alternatives if you want a less radiant stove that still have a large 3 cu ft capacity.
And welcome to the forum KK!
Also, there are other alternatives if you want a less radiant stove that still have a large 3 cu ft capacity.
And welcome to the forum KK!
I have experience with both stoves. IMHO it is which ever one you like the best.
You might find that there is a general concession on this forum that high efficiency stoves operate better at the upper end of their rated capacity.
The Jotul is able to produce more heat, but are you able to move the heat around in a house that is described as cut up? If not, then you are operating at reduced rate.
My family likes, or better said they LOVE the top load feature on the Leyden. No hot stuff pops out on the floor and the hearth area stays cleaner.
The Leyden is a downdraft type stove. Some folks have had problems with downdraft type stoves of another brand. But we have avoided those issues with the Leyden simply by following the written operating instructions and we have been very happy with its performance.
I can vouch that Lopi has been very good to us on our one and only warranty issue. Small cracks developed in the stove top. To be honest, I think it was as much our fault for the cracks because the stove had been over fired on occasion. None-the less, they seemed happy to replace the top as soon as they could. https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/41569/
On the other hand the Jotul is another very fine stove. My uncle that lives near by has this stove in either the 500 or 600. It is simpler to operate since it has no bypass damper to open and shut like the Leyden does. They are happy with its performance as well. I will note one thing. Their house is "cut up" and the stove is throttled back most of the time to the point that the after burner rarely kicks in.
Since I just got off the phone with my mother, I should throw in her opinion. She has played with both stoves over the last few years and she prefers the Leyden because of the top load feature. For what it is worth she also prefers the Jotul and Leyden over her Country Flame fireplace insert with a cat combuster. That is why she called. It is time to replace the cat combuster AGAIN.
You might find that there is a general concession on this forum that high efficiency stoves operate better at the upper end of their rated capacity.
The Jotul is able to produce more heat, but are you able to move the heat around in a house that is described as cut up? If not, then you are operating at reduced rate.
My family likes, or better said they LOVE the top load feature on the Leyden. No hot stuff pops out on the floor and the hearth area stays cleaner.
The Leyden is a downdraft type stove. Some folks have had problems with downdraft type stoves of another brand. But we have avoided those issues with the Leyden simply by following the written operating instructions and we have been very happy with its performance.
I can vouch that Lopi has been very good to us on our one and only warranty issue. Small cracks developed in the stove top. To be honest, I think it was as much our fault for the cracks because the stove had been over fired on occasion. None-the less, they seemed happy to replace the top as soon as they could. https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/41569/
On the other hand the Jotul is another very fine stove. My uncle that lives near by has this stove in either the 500 or 600. It is simpler to operate since it has no bypass damper to open and shut like the Leyden does. They are happy with its performance as well. I will note one thing. Their house is "cut up" and the stove is throttled back most of the time to the point that the after burner rarely kicks in.
Since I just got off the phone with my mother, I should throw in her opinion. She has played with both stoves over the last few years and she prefers the Leyden because of the top load feature. For what it is worth she also prefers the Jotul and Leyden over her Country Flame fireplace insert with a cat combuster. That is why she called. It is time to replace the cat combuster AGAIN.
Thanks for opinions everyone! I appreciate the advice, and although I am "bigger is better" sort of guy, my wife tells me that "top loading is easier" and I do believe that she is going to win. I understand that it is a little trickier to use the Leyden, but she doesn't seem phased by the thought. I'll keep you posted as we move forward! Thanks again.
KishKottage
KishKottage
A couple of other top loading stoves to consider are the Jotul Rangeley and the Quadrafire Isle Royle. The Isle Royle is an especially nice looking stove in porcelain.
Good luck,
Bill
Good luck,
Bill
KishKottage said:
Plan on a little more time to get the fire going when you first build it. Pay close attention to temps on the rear burn chamber, as these stoves give results that vary widely by user - there can be an occasional tendency to overdraft/overfire depending on your setup.
Top-loading is nice, but personally I'd get the Jotul, or an Isle Royale if you really need the top load. While most are happy with the Leyden (aka Avalon Arbor), a few have the draft/damper problems:
https://www.hearth.com/ratings/art.php?id=2732
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