Lopi vs Blaze King

[adubree86]

So I’ve been shopping around for a stove insert. We will be heating a 1976 1600sqfy ranch. Had myself settled on a Blaze King Princess but found a lightly used Lopi Freedom for $1600 vs $3200 for the princess. What are you guys opinions? Is the longer burn time and higher efficiency of the blaze king worth it? Here’s a photo of the lopi.

 

[Highbeam]

I have burned both in my home. My lopi was the freedom “bay” insert but still just a big noncat insert. The bk’s performance upgrade is well worth the cost increase to me. The efficiency upgrade is nice but the real advantage is burn time which is due to the wider range of outputs available to the operator. This wide range of output means you can keep the house at your desired temperature easily and I usually only load once per day.

How do you plan to use this stove? Ambiance or actual full time heating or somewhere in between? I heat full time so the range of output is very important.

 

[adubree86]

It'll be used for full time heat.

I have burned both in my home. My lopi was the freedom “bay” insert but still just a big noncat insert. The bk’s performance upgrade is well worth the cost increase to me. The efficiency upgrade is nice but the real advantage is burn time which is due to the wider range of outputs available to the operator. This wide range of output means you can keep the house at your desired temperature easily and I usually only load once per day.

How do you plan to use this stove? Ambiance or actual full time heating or somewhere in between? I heat full time so the range of output is very important.

 

[webby3650]

Lopi has made almost no changes to the Freedom, the Ashlip and the pull ring on the bypass is about it. You’ve got a late model one at least. I sold my Freedom for $400, and my current Freedom bay I only paid $100 for it. I prefer a Blaze King over a non cat anyway, but you already pulled the trigger on the Lopi, it’ll be difficult to get your money back, inserts are kinda tough to sell used.

 

[Highbeam]

Lopi has made almost no changes to the Freedom, the Ashlip and the pull ring on the bypass is about it. You’ve got a late model one at least. I sold my Freedom for $400, and my current Freedom bay I only paid $100 for it. I prefer a Blaze King over a non cat anyway, but you already pulled the trigger on the Lopi, it’ll be difficult to get your money back, inserts are kinda tough to sell used.

I don’t think he bought it yet. 1600$ for a used noncat insert! Too much.

 

[ohlongarm]

So I’ve been shopping around for a stove insert. We will be heating a 1976 1600sqfy ranch. Had myself settled on a Blaze King Princess but found a lightly used Lopi Freedom for $1600 vs $3200 for the princess. What are you guys opinions? Is the longer burn time and higher efficiency of the blaze king worth it? Here’s a photo of the lopi.

View attachment 229667 View attachment 229668

The BK will eat half the wood the Lopi will,guaranteed,Lopis are wood hogs .

 

[bholler]

The BK will eat half the wood the Lopi will,guaranteed,Lopis are wood hogs .

That really depends on the btu load. If it is relatively low and the bk will be running low and slow much of the time you are absolutly correct. But if the bk will need to be run harder then no there wont be that much difference. Have you run a freedom insert?

 

[Highbeam]

The BK will eat half the wood the Lopi will,guaranteed,Lopis are wood hogs .

Ha! Yes, the lopi stoves do have a reputation for running hot. Of course that means they can gobble wood. I know my noncat can gobble wood like crazy when it’s running hot. I got more than one call at work from my wife who had lost control of the lopi freedom so that even with the air shut off it was at 800 and climbing! That’s not fun. We don’t have that problem with the bk or the nc30 in my shop. Both are very controllable.

 

[webby3650]

Ha! Yes, the lopi stoves do have a reputation for running hot. Of course that means they can gobble wood. I know my noncat can gobble wood like crazy when it’s running hot. I got more than one call at work from my wife who had lost control of the lopi freedom so that even with the air shut off it was at 800 and climbing! That’s not fun. We don’t have that problem with the bk or the nc30 in my shop. Both are very controllable.

My front tube and baffle support would glow pretty routinely on my Freedom. Nothing you could do different, it just liked to burn!

 

[lsucet]

Like we all know tube stoves like to run hot. I think that is the reason of higher wood consumption.

I don't know if my saving is by half but for sure I burn the last two winters a lot less wood compared to previous years. I used to load the tube stoves late before go to bed to get a overnight burn and in am 6 to 7 hrs later was just coals. A good amount but that was it. I had to put more wood to see flames and drink my coffee. Now I just turn the dial and flames appears and good amount of wood still in there, not just coals. Nice to drink the coffee in the morning in front of flames with just the turn of a dial.

That is letting me know that I am saving on wood usage. But the more important part is that the house still warm and cozy. We all know the different way that both technology works and why one always run hotter.

Just my observations based on my situation.

 

[begreen]

Like we all know tube stoves like to run hot. I think that is the reason of higher wood consumption.

I ran stoves like this for several years, but in the past few years I found that I was the problem, not the stove. I was following stove top temp for shutting it down. Got a flue probe and it proved I was wrong. Since then I start closing down the air much sooner and find I have a whole lot more temperature control by not letting the wood gases blossom and burn off rapidly. Flue temps would spike up to 1000F if I went by stove top temp. That wasted a lot of heat up the flue. Now I can run my stove at a steady 400F stove top or 700F depending on how I load and run the stove. Flue temps are not allowed to exceed 6-800F and briefly at that level. It makes a world of difference. Like Dad always said, a poor worker always blames his tools.

FWIW, since we got the T6 there never has been a complaint about "it's getting too hot in here" and we wake up to a warm house every morning.

 

[lsucet]

@begreen . And for sure he was right.
I think that I get the hang of it and was able to control them well after awhile and reading this site way before i became a member. I am burning wood for years but I was not depending just on wood to cover the heating needs. But finally years ago I completely switch to wood and I am happy I did. I like it.

I think my biggest problem was to get the family to use it and be safe plus like they weren't too much into it. At some times I have to be away for training and I was not comfortable. That's why at that time I still have pellet stoves and a propane wall unit installed too. Crazy.lol. Thru remodeling I got rid of those and having this stoves they are more comfortable using them now. Now sometimes they say, ( you can lay down if you want, don't worry we got this) lol.

 

[Highbeam]

I’ve also heard the saying, “when all you have is a hammer, everything is a nail”. There are certainly better tools than others. Once you use a screwdriver to drive a screw, that hammer seems silly and you would be right to blame that hammer for doing a bad job.

That might just summarize my thoughts on the whole cat vs. noncat debate. Sometimes you really do have a nail to pound but many folks have just never held a screwdriver.

 

[Alpine1]

I’ve also heard the saying, “when all you have is a hammer, everything is a nail”. There are certainly better tools than others. Once you use a screwdriver to drive a screw, that hammer seems silly and you would be right to blame that hammer for doing a bad job.

That might just summarize my thoughts on the whole cat vs. noncat debate. Sometimes you really do have a nail to pound but many folks have just never held a screwdriver.

Wasn’t it “if you have to drive a nail, everything looks like an hammer”?

 

[Highbeam]

Wasn’t it “if you have to drive a nail, everything looks like an hammer”?

I don’t think so. The saying is all about forcing a one-size-fits-all solution onto different problems because your mind is not open to alternatives.

I’ve never heard it reversed that way but I can see some logical applications. I have indeed driven nails with rocks!

 

[begreen]

It depend on using the right tool for the job. There are times when a nail is much more appropriate than screwing around. Not many roofs are screwed down. One chooses the tool appropriate for one's need.

 

[bholler]

I’ve also heard the saying, “when all you have is a hammer, everything is a nail”. There are certainly better tools than others. Once you use a screwdriver to drive a screw, that hammer seems silly and you would be right to blame that hammer for doing a bad job.

That might just summarize my thoughts on the whole cat vs. noncat debate. Sometimes you really do have a nail to pound but many folks have just never held a screwdriver.

Yes but just because we have screw drivers doesnt mean they are the right tool for every job. There are still plenty of places where a hammer is the best tool for the job. Yes screws are great but you dont see many people framing houses with them.

 

[lsucet]

Which one I should use

 

[Alpine1]

Which one I should use

Obviously, the hammer! Not for nothing is the easiest tool to grab.