New Stove After Only One Year? Need reality check

[lumbering on]

Ok, so who has gotten rid of their stove after only one year?

As you may know, I have not been happy with my Lopi Leyden. Even when it was running perfectly, it was a disappointment to me and my wife. Sure, it gave off a ton of heat, BUT...

The visuals were disappointing. It was a box of smoke, with the flame going into the rear combuster low and behind the wood, where you couldn't see it, even when the glass was clean, which it rarely was. It burned hot so it ate a ton of wood, and had to be baby sat so it didn't smolder out, or become a raging inferno, so we were afraid to walk away from it, so no 24 hour burning. The lid warped, which is apparently common, and I'm sure the combuster will go in a couple of years.

So a negative rating on ambience which is a very big deal for us, as well as 24 hour heating.

I had no idea what downdrafting meant when I bought it, and knowing what I know now...

It was not exactly cheap, but life is short, and maybe another year of this frustration is not worth it.

Economics: $3200 dollars in oil to heat this old monster house for this winter, which is with a conservative thermostat setting.

I can get 3 to 4 cords for $175 and some hard work, and even more for free with harder work.

If I sell the Leyden, and if I switch to 24 hour burning, with a nice soapstone or hybrid, could I save enough in oil over the next 5 years to make the economics make sense?

So I need a reality check, how crazy is it to switch stoves after only one year?

And I need to convince my wife the economics make sense, she is disappointed in the stove, but nervous about another large purchase unless the math makes sense.

Thanks in advance.

 

[begreen]

I got rid of the F3CB after 2 years and the Castine after a season and a half. Both are good stoves, but the wrong solution for our house. The F3CB was supplemental to a pellet stove. Short burn times became a chore. I sold it when when we remodeled. I wanted an Oslo, but the side door was a show-stopper. We liked the Castine, but it was undersized for our house. I needed longer burn times. No regrets about either change. I shopped hard for each stove, buying on hot summer days in August. Lost about $200 on the F3CB and made about $300 on the F400 due to the declining dollar at the time. My wife loved the look of the F400 and was afraid the T6 would look too big. I was on the fence, but then Tom called me and asked if I wanted a deal on his showroom model that they had run for about 5 months. He made me an offer I couldn't refuse. We've been very happy with the T6. Even the wife is pleased and she's fussy. It was a good move. Get the right stove and you shouldn't need to pump iron again for awhile. If you can wait until fall to sell, you'll get the best price then.

 

[stovelark]

Gonna jump in there with BG, if you have a stove you're not happy with, and if your better half agrees, why not change it? Lots of good choices out there, my first choice would never be a "down drafter". Sounds like you've made a logical choice already, get peace of mind, thats important when inviting fire into your home, peace of mind with the stove you have.

 

[weatherguy]

I got rid of my pellet stove after one year for about $1000 loss, I did get a good deal on my Princess ($2,000), that was 5 years ago so Im well into profit now. Ive been more than happy with it, I think its worth the short term loss to be happy and stress free and in your case burn for 24 hours, after all the hard work we put into this you should be able to relax and enjoy your stove.

 

[Byrond]

Not quite sure if you have looked at buckstoves. I cannot brag enough on my model 81. It is a non cat insert but it can be used as a free standing zero clearance. The only faut I have found is the blower. It is loud but it also moves massive amounts of air. It really likes seasoned wood but I have found it will run on green as well. Once it dries out the tubes light off and it will cruise for 9 to ten hours and still throw a lot of heat. Lighting this thing is as easy as a little paper and splitter trash. the sweep who istalled it came back after a month and said the liner was spotless and that I could close the primary air more. He looked confused when I told him that after the wood charred I would close it completely. He couldn't believe it until I showed him the wood I was burning. Mixed hardwood, pine and poplar that has never been rained on in about 4 years. Even with green wood, I can close the primary down 75% and the stove still does its thing. The wife loves it and even had a fire last week when it was 75 outside. Said she liked watching the show. This coming from a woman who told me after the fire that she hated wood heat and begged for gas logs.

 

[webby3650]

As you know, I had a Leyden for only part of the season. It was quickly replaced for the very same reason that you mentioned above. It's a poor, poor functioning stove. It works OK just often enough to make you even more frustrated! I will never have a stove that I don't trust to let run 24/7.

If you can afford it, jump ship with that down drafter and never look back.

If you want a nice fire view, steer clear of Cat stoves as well, some are better than others. But, for the most part the fire isn't as pretty as secondary tube stoves. If you want an especially nice fire view go Hybrid!

 

[Bub381]

I got rid of my new Rangeley for the simple fact it was too big.Had it 1 yr and damned near burnt the house down with flaming creosote from burning too low.Lost $1000 but saved $125.000 house.No fault of the stove,i misjudged.Now we have a Fireview cat with beautiful fireshow.If you can't dry your wood a couple yrs ahead then i wouldn't go with a 2ndary.Just my opinion.

 

[Byrond]

81 cruising around 475 degrees

 

[TradEddie]

I know nothing about the Lopi Leyden, but your symptoms (smoke, black glass, erratic operation) sound a lot like insufficiently seasoned wood. It cannot be stressed enough how much of a difference fully seasoned wood makes. Oak takes AT LEAST two full years split and stacked in the sun to burn well in a modern stove, very few woods season in less than a year. Almost nobody selling "seasoned" wood is selling wood suitable for burning immediately in a modern stove. You might replace that stove now and be thrilled with its replacement but in reality the only thing you may have done is allow the wood outside to season another year.

TE

 

[webby3650]

I know nothing about the Lopi Leyden, but your symptoms (smoke, black glass, erratic operation) sound a lot like insufficiently seasoned wood. It cannot be stressed enough how much of a difference fully seasoned wood makes. Oak takes AT LEAST two full years split and stacked in the sun to burn well in a modern stove, very few woods season in less than a year. Almost nobody selling "seasoned" wood is selling wood suitable for burning immediately in a modern stove. You might replace that stove now and be thrilled with its replacement but in reality the only thing you may have done is allow the wood outside to season another year.

TE

This is often the problem with most stove issues, but not the Leyden. It's a turd.

 

[lumbering on]

thanks, tradeddie, but I was burning kiln dried hickory and envi bricks in order to remove the variable of bad wood. The experts here have taught me well, and have been through the ringer with me and this stove.

thanks, bub381, I have about 6 cords outside waiting to be split, so no worries on getting 3 years ahead on wood.

webbie, did Lopi or your dealer take a trade in?

 

[webby3650]

webbie, did Lopi or your dealer take a trade in?

I kinda have a unique situation. I am a full time installer for a great heart store. I am able to get great deals on new stoves, I took the Leyden because I believed it was a good stove and that most of the negative reports were from inexperienced users. I was wrong!
I hadn't even paid for it yet and my boss let me bring it back to the store to hook up on a flue so the rep could see it burn. I actually took another Leyden from that same flue to my house to try out, because it had lots of problems on the showroom floor. It was running on an 8" flue at the store and I have a 6", we just wanted to rule out that the flue size was any part of the issue.

The second Leyden was way worse than the first.

 

[TradEddie]

Dump it then. Life is too short to not enjoy your stove.

TE

 

[BrotherBart]

I would heat this joint with pretty much any stove out there and probably love it. But what I constantly hear about the downdraft stoves tells me I would never even try it. But for the life of me I don't understand why we never hear complaints about the Harman downdrafts. They are pretty much the same design.

 

[webby3650]

But for the life of me I don't understand why we never hear complaints about the Harman downdrafts

Good question. I've heard of a few, though.
The Travis rep said "we didn't invent the wheel here, VC has been using this technology for years" Do you believe that? I can't imagine bringing that up!

 

[Trilifter7]

Good question. I've heard of a few, though.
The Travis rep said "we didn't invent the wheel here, VC has been using this technology for years" Do you believe that? I can't imagine bringing that up!

I think the original VC's were actually horizontal draft stoves. They went to the downdraft design when they went the EPA Approved stoves. That's also when they started having problems.... Hmmmm

 

[mellow]

I have been averaging a new stove every 1.5 seasons, so your not crazy to swap out a stove after one year. Each stove is going to have its pros and cons, you just hope to have more pro's. Maybe try a stove with a tube secondary burn this time around.

 

[Kevin*]

I got out of my Lennox 210 after 1 year and haven't looked back. Sure i'm butt hurt from the dent in my wallet but I am still happy I did it and would do it again. 24 hour burning brings my gas bill to under 10 bucks when I am burning.

 

[lumbering on]

Maybe try a stove with a tube secondary burn this time around.

The Jotol F500 Oslo is a secondary burn tube stove, right?

 

[billb3]

You'd trade in a car that didn't suit your needs, why not a stove ?

 

[begreen]

The Jotol F500 Oslo is a secondary burn tube stove, right?

Yes.

 

[lumbering on]

You'd trade in a car that didn't suit your needs, why not a stove ?

Well I've only ever had two cars, 120,000 miles on the current one, first car was 18 years old when I gave it to my brother, so I tend to try and make expensive purchases last. Which is why I hesitate so much with dumping this. It's running contrary to how I usually like to handle things

 

[begreen]

I like things that last too, but am not afraid to admit if I made a poor choice. Sometimes this is due to lack of good information. Sometimes we get smitten by a pretty face (or good looking stove). Get over it and get a stove that will do the job well and will last for you.

 

[etiger2007]

I got rid of the Dutch West after a year and had no problem doing it.

 

[eujamfh]

Reminds me of the saying throwing good money after bad. Not completely analogous, but IMO the stove should bring you enjoyment. That enjoyment can come from watching the fire, the feel of wood heat, the fact you can keep your place warmer compared to gas/oil/elec, the enjoyment of the labor to c/s/s the wood and the joy of long seasoned stacks waiting for next year.

Assuming you lose $1500, and you burn 150 days a year, thats about the cost of a cup of coffee a day during the burn season if you keep the stove for three years. Not being frustrated every cold day would be worth threee bucks to me…add all the benefits above, and I would make a switch.

I would start shopping now and pull the trigger on whatever you decide in July/August and then hold your stove in your garage until October and then sell it.
Best of luck!