Opinions on the Lopi Leyden

[BJN644]

I am getting ready to purchase a new stove and the one at the top of my short list is the Lopi Leyden. Just wondering what opinions people have about this stove,especially the top loading part, do you get smoked out when loading? does the glass stay clean? does the bypass damper work good? you know, the good the bad ect. The other stove I'm looking at is the Jotul Oslo 500, but the features of the Leyden are making me lean toward the Lopi unless people can convince me differently.

Thanks in advance

 

[rhetoric]

Love my "new" Lopi Endeavor, though the name "Lopi" rhymes with "Dopey" and that is certainly a drawback. Cool names like "Quadrafire" and "Englander" and "Vermont Castings" all sound better, stronger, and tougher. Lopi sounds like a horse with a bad leg.

Still, I love the stove. I don't know what you're coming from, but wood consumption is already 1/2 the old one and clearances are astonishing! 4 1/2 inches from the back and the brick wall is cool to the touch. I may wish it were a bit bigger come January 15, but so far, so good. Glass seems to get a bit brown in the lower corners, but not enough to obscure the view.

 

[begreen]

Shane has been burning one at the shop and likes it. I haven't heard a single complaint about smoke when loading. Top loaders are really nice. The everburn design is very similar to the Harman Oakwood and the VC Encore, non-cat. The main concern would be back clearances, it will get very hot in back. Another top-loader with a bit larger firebox is the Quadrafire Isle Royale. It has a differently designed firebox and can be used in closer clearance installations.

 

[Corie]

Love my "new" Lopi Endeavor, though the name "Lopi" rhymes with "Dopey" and that is certainly a drawback. Cool names like "Quadrafire" and "Englander" and "Vermont Castings" all sound better, stronger, and tougher. Lopi sounds like a horse with a bad leg.

Still, I love the stove. I don't know what you're coming from, but wood consumption is already 1/2 the old one and clearances are astonishing! 4 1/2 inches from the back and the brick wall is cool to the touch. I may wish it were a bit bigger come January 15, but so far, so good. Glass seems to get a bit brown in the lower corners, but not enough to obscure the view.

Actually I was under the assumption that it was pronounced "Low - Pie" rather than "Low - Pee".


This is coming from the guy who thought Jotul was "Joe - Til" instead of "Yo - Tul" so perhaps you should take that with a grain or two of salt.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yep, it is low-pie. Rhymes with cow-pie.

 

[BJN644]

Yep, it is low-pie. Rhymes with cow-pie.

Is a cow pie what you think of a Lopi stove ?

 

[Todd]

Wasn't there a problem with the bypass damper? I though I read something about that. They probably fixed it by now. I also went and looked at one at a local shop. Nice looking stove, but I doubt their 17hr burn time claim.

 

[begreen]

Yep, it is low-pie. Rhymes with cow-pie.

Is a cow pie what you think of a Lopi stove ?

Probably not, but well dried, they'd likely burn fine in the stove. ;-P

 

[Vermontster]

I've got my Leyden this season, replacing a Vermont Castings Madison. The madison just wouldn't "crank" it seems so far, the Leyden will "crank".
I did have issues with the damper, there was a recall, and it was missed by the store (on my stove) and was quickly remedied.
So far, I love the stove, but the coldest night has been about 23 degrees and we'll see about those 0 and below degree days.
The top loading is worth a few points in making a decision on stoves as it really allows you to fill up without the risk of wood, ash or coals ever falling out.
I would recommend the fan, an amazing and simple invention, I can't imagine a stove without one.

The biggest fault of the stove is that of the windows getting dirty.

Good luck with making your decision.

 

[Vermontster]

FYI,
I have an old schoolhouse about 1500+ sqft. built in 1864, not well insulated, but the stove is centrally located.
on the coldest nights so far I have hit the high 80's without trying.

-just to put it in perspective.

 

[WILDSOURDOUGH]

Lopi Leyden- It's a fine stove, very nice size, Quality materials and Construction- as Vermonster says- "it will crank".
If it is the right size for you, I don't think you will be disappointed with it. Yes, the windows get dirty, you just clean them every now and then- no big problem. I like mine very much.- and as the Vermonster says- The blower is a great feature, I would say it is a 'Must have.'

 

[BJN644]

Thanks all for your replies.
No one has mentioned smoke in the room from top loading, so I'm guessing the bypass system works and it's not a problem.

Keep the comments coming, this is a great site for stove info !

 

[Gooserider]

I've heard good things about the Lopi Leyden, with one possible caveat - this from being in a store that sold them and overhearing a discussion between one of the managers and a distributer / factory rep (not sure which) They said that they found there were some problems with the hinges on the front doors being a bit flimsy. According to the store guy, he'd had a couple problems where people had tweaked the doors enough to cause an air leak that led to overfiring, and subsequent stove damage. This was apparently agravated if the customer tended to lean on the doors while loading, or standing after doing so (which I could understand doing without thinking about it.)

No personal experience, but looking at that shop's floor model, I would agree that the hinges looked a bit light compared to the ones on my Encore cat.

I wouldn't consider this to be a "killer" weakness, just something to be aware of and watch for.

Gooserider

 

[Vermontster]

the only times I open the front doors is to clean it out and refire, other than that I always just load from the top.
Hopefully if the hinges are in fact weak, the limited use will help prolong their life.

 

[Vermontster]

Thanks all for your replies.
No one has mentioned smoke in the room from top loading, so I'm guessing the bypass system works and it's not a problem.

yes, works great, just flip the handle and give it a few seconds and presto! no smoke.
it took me once or twice to set off the fire alarm to realize I forgot, now it's second nature.

 

[Gooserider]

the only times I open the front doors is to clean it out and refire, other than that I always just load from the top.
Hopefully if the hinges are in fact weak, the limited use will help prolong their life.

My understanding was that the problem wasn't in normal opening and closing, it was more if the owner was leaning on the door while it was open. I could see this happening if you were working with the door open and needed to get up to grab something - lots of us will grab whatever's handy to use as an aid in pushing / pulling ourselves up - if you grabbed the door it might not like it.

As I said, I didn't think of it as a big problem, just something to be aware of in the "Dr, it hurts when I do that" - "So don't DO that!" sort of way....

Gooserider

 

[hearthtools]

My understanding they fixed all the problems
and Gave us the Avalon Version to sell.
I have sold 3 but they still have not been picked up or installed yet so I dont have any data.

The only draw back I see is the GREATER clearances because of the Rear venting and bypass.
here is the other thread on the TRAVIS Leyden/Abor stoves

here is my post about the clearances
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/8486/#98471

here is the start of the thread
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/8486/

 

[Gooserider]

I don't know how current my info is, the conversation I overheard was within the past month however, and seemed to be in the context of feeding back info on field problems to the manufacturer for use in upgrading. So whether the Avalon version fixes the hinge problem or not I don't know. It might even be that they beefed it up some, but this dealer thinks they need to do better...

Gooserider

 

[BJN644]

Well after reading all the replies and doing other research I have decided to pass on the Lopi Leyden.
I made another trip to the stove dealer today to have a closer look. It is true the hinges are quite flimsy, I could flex them just by trying to latch the doors. I did like the idea of the bypass damper but I could just see my wife trying to work the added lever and end up burning the house down. And speaking of burning down the house, the one thing I did not take into consideration was the added clearance needed for this stove, much more than the Hearthstone I have now. The other thing I wondered about, how much are those fancy cast firebricks and ceramic combuster going to cost when it's time to replace them ?
So thanks to all who helped me make my decision, I guess I'll keep looking for now.

 

[Vermontster]

Well after reading all the replies and doing other research I have decided to pass on the Lopi Leyden.
I made another trip to the stove dealer today to have a closer look. It is true the hinges are quite flimsy, I could flex them just by trying to latch the doors. I did like the idea of the bypass damper but I could just see my wife trying to work the added lever and end up burning the house down. And speaking of burning down the house, the one thing I did not take into consideration was the added clearance needed for this stove, much more than the Hearthstone I have now. The other thing I wondered about, how much are those fancy cast firebricks and ceramic combuster going to cost when it's time to replace them ?
So thanks to all who helped me make my decision, I guess I'll keep looking for now.

Hmmm, that is one I hadn't really thought of...
Anyone tell me what the life expectancy of the ceramic combustion thing?

I am not sure what the clearance talk is all about, I replaced a VC Vigilant with a VC Madison (with rear heat shields on both) and both of those stoves made my back wall feel like it was going to burst into flames and now the Leyden does not seem to even seem to change the wall temp at all, it is actually one of the things I like best about the stove.

And curious.. Why are you getting rid of the Hearthstone?

 

[MANIAC]

Well after reading all the replies and doing other research I have decided to pass on the Lopi Leyden.
I made another trip to the stove dealer today to have a closer look. It is true the hinges are quite flimsy, I could flex them just by trying to latch the doors. I did like the idea of the bypass damper but I could just see my wife trying to work the added lever and end up burning the house down. And speaking of burning down the house, the one thing I did not take into consideration was the added clearance needed for this stove, much more than the Hearthstone I have now. The other thing I wondered about, how much are those fancy cast firebricks and ceramic combuster going to cost when it's time to replace them ?
So thanks to all who helped me make my decision, I guess I'll keep looking for now.

Have you looked at the Harman Oakwood? I ask only because the Leyden was on my short list as well but thougt it was a little cheesy in the door catagory.

You will likely read and hear from others regarding Harman's current state of flux as a business which could possibly affect warranty and dealer relationships but overall I think the stove is well made and has performed very well for us in the short time we have been using it.

 

[BJN644]

Well after reading all the replies and doing other research I have decided to pass on the Lopi Leyden.
I made another trip to the stove dealer today to have a closer look. It is true the hinges are quite flimsy, I could flex them just by trying to latch the doors. I did like the idea of the bypass damper but I could just see my wife trying to work the added lever and end up burning the house down. And speaking of burning down the house, the one thing I did not take into consideration was the added clearance needed for this stove, much more than the Hearthstone I have now. The other thing I wondered about, how much are those fancy cast firebricks and ceramic combuster going to cost when it's time to replace them ?
So thanks to all who helped me make my decision, I guess I'll keep looking for now.

Hmmm, that is one I hadn't really thought of...
Anyone tell me what the life expectancy of the ceramic combustion thing?

I am not sure what the clearance talk is all about, I replaced a VC Vigilant with a VC Madison (with rear heat shields on both) and both of those stoves made my back wall feel like it was going to burst into flames and now the Leyden does not seem to even seem to change the wall temp at all, it is actually one of the things I like best about the stove.

And curious.. Why are you getting rid of the Hearthstone?[/quote]

I think if the Hearthstone had that bypass damper system it would be a much better stove. My Phoenix is an SOB to get started and you get smoked out every time you open the door, and yes I have plenty of draft. The other reasons are the typical soapstone things like long times to heat up, and not really feeling like it throws a lot of heat.

 

[BJN644]

Well after reading all the replies and doing other research I have decided to pass on the Lopi Leyden.
I made another trip to the stove dealer today to have a closer look. It is true the hinges are quite flimsy, I could flex them just by trying to latch the doors. I did like the idea of the bypass damper but I could just see my wife trying to work the added lever and end up burning the house down. And speaking of burning down the house, the one thing I did not take into consideration was the added clearance needed for this stove, much more than the Hearthstone I have now. The other thing I wondered about, how much are those fancy cast firebricks and ceramic combuster going to cost when it's time to replace them ?
So thanks to all who helped me make my decision, I guess I'll keep looking for now.

Have you looked at the Harman Oakwood? I ask only because the Leyden was on my short list as well but thougt it was a little cheesy in the door catagory.

You will likely read and hear from others regarding Harman's current state of flux as a business which could possibly affect warranty and dealer relationships but overall I think the stove is well made and has performed very well for us in the short time we have been using it.

I did look at the Oakwood, I really liked the door latch set up on that stove. The one thing I didn't like was it was $300.00 more than the Leyden. It also has some type of ceramic combuster on it as well.

 

[MANIAC]

Well after reading all the replies and doing other research I have decided to pass on the Lopi Leyden.
I made another trip to the stove dealer today to have a closer look. It is true the hinges are quite flimsy, I could flex them just by trying to latch the doors. I did like the idea of the bypass damper but I could just see my wife trying to work the added lever and end up burning the house down. And speaking of burning down the house, the one thing I did not take into consideration was the added clearance needed for this stove, much more than the Hearthstone I have now. The other thing I wondered about, how much are those fancy cast firebricks and ceramic combuster going to cost when it's time to replace them ?
So thanks to all who helped me make my decision, I guess I'll keep looking for now.

Have you looked at the Harman Oakwood? I ask only because the Leyden was on my short list as well but thougt it was a little cheesy in the door catagory.

You will likely read and hear from others regarding Harman's current state of flux as a business which could possibly affect warranty and dealer relationships but overall I think the stove is well made and has performed very well for us in the short time we have been using it.

I did look at the Oakwood, I really liked the door latch set up on that stove. The one thing I didn't like was it was $300.00 more than the Leyden. It also has some type of ceramic combuster on it as well.

I paid $1600 about two months ago in NH. I notice your in Maine if your anywere near Bridgton I'd be happy to show you the stove and give you my early feedback.

Let me know.

 

[BJN644]

Wow, $1600 is a good deal, I just looked a painted one and they wanted $2100. I live just north of Augusta, I'll give you a holler if I get down that way. Who is the dealer in NH you bought your stove from ?