Used high end stove vs new

[Dmcqb]

Hi all,. Thanks for the add to the group.

I moved recently and an in the process of relining flue so I can add a new stove. I had a dealer come and give me a quote, and he said that the Lopi Endeavor is basically the best stove ever built and he tries to deal exclusively with them. Then I go online and it seems that there are plenty of new stove from Amazon, Home Depot, etc., That are highly reviewed and seem to have similar specs in terms of sqft heated, BTU, g/hr emissions, etc, such as Englander, Drolet, Ashley Hearth, Pleasant Hearth, that can be purchased new for c.$800-1200. Or, it looks like I could find a used Lopi for less than $1,000. I'm looking to hear about 1800 sqft, so need a pretty big stove.

Any opinions on which way to go?

A few more considerations.

First is how easy is it to get parts for these other brands (Englander, etc). The dealer I talked to suggested that you can get parts for Lopi or Vermont Castings even for a 30 year old stove, but some other brands you can't find parts for even for a 5 year old stove (he specifically mentioned Quadra Fire as a brand where parts are obsolete quickly).

Second is how easy it is to light the stove. I've seen a lot of reviews for the new stove (Englander, etc) that suggest that it is hard to light when cold and you have to leave the door open while it gets going. Some people attribute this to the EPA 2020 standards where the stove has to be so airtight. I would really like a stove that is easy to light when cold. My parents have a Quadra Fire insert that is a dream to light cold. Maybe the flue is just really good, but it seems like there is always a natural airflow in there so if the door is closed and the vent is on, all you need is kindling and burning paper or a few embers and your fire is started. If 2020 stoves are so tight that you need to always leave the door open a that suggests that an older model would be better for me anyway.

 

[begreen]

Not all lower cost stoves are created equal. Some come from abroad and have shortcuts taken to keep costs down. I would put US Stoves in this category. That doesn't mean that with a proper flue they don't burn and heat well, but the second concern of parts, longevity and support may come into play.

Englander and Drolet are North American made. They have been in the business for a long time and made good products. Of the two, for a large stove I would lean towards the Drolet models. SBI is a huge stove maker and has been very good for support and reliability. They also make Osburn, Enerzone, etc. stoves.

I like Lopi stoves and they makes some good heaters, but they certainly are not the only option and "best" is a subjective opinion. There are plenty of very good quality stoves that compete with them. The Endeavor is a fine stove, my buddy has one in his shop. It's medium sized stove though and might be a bit undersized. How open is the floorplan to where the stove will be located?

With decent draft and dry wood, most stoves are easy to light.

 

[kennyp2339]

Out of the budget line of stoves Drolet is the best in manufacturing, the other brands dont really compete with it anymore, Englander has gone down hill for the past 2 years (possible cost cutting or management / leadership changes) Pleasant hearth is Chinese manufacturing, you either get a good one, or you get one that craps out on you after 3 years (usually because of bad steel, or internal issues)
Lopi is a good brand, but there are other brands that are just as good as the lopi that are not as expensive, Vermont Casting has developed a bad wrap with quality issues, and very expensive / labor intensive part replacements that really shouldn't be going bad as fast as they are, now VC for 2020 has redesigned a few of there most popular stoves, but the jury is still out with quality and longevity, not many people on this forum want to take a chance with that brand, they offer little mental insurance.
Starting a cold stove all depends on location, tightness of house, whether is had an outside air connection, stack effect issues, down draft issues, fuel dryness, some stoves are easy breathers, other stoves are a little more finicky and require longer chimneys to establish better draft.
All newer 2010 and above stoves do have one thing in common, they require dry wood, wood that has a moisture content of 22% or less to function as designed, anything more and your going to experience performance issues, along with smoke issues.

 

[Dmcqb]

Thanks @begreen and @kennyp2339 for the feedback. My floor plan is very open on the side of the house with basement den (where the stove is) and kitchen, living room and dining room above, all with spacious entryways between the two. This is where we spend most of our waking days nad where I most want to heat. The bedrooms are in the basement and upstairs on teh other side of the house.

Anyway, I found a 2010 Lopi Endeavor on Facebook Marketplace for $500. Seemed like a great deal so I drove across the state and bought it yesterday.

I do wonder how you guys learn so much about different stoves. I'm likely to have this one stove for the next 40 years and won't get much experience with anything else.

 

[begreen]

The Endeavor is a classic and a good medium-sized heater.

 

[Highbeam]

Thanks @begreen and @kennyp2339 for the feedback. My floor plan is very open on the side of the house with basement den (where the stove is) and kitchen, living room and dining room above, all with spacious entryways between the two. This is where we spend most of our waking days nad where I most want to heat. The bedrooms are in the basement and upstairs on teh other side of the house.

Anyway, I found a 2010 Lopi Endeavor on Facebook Marketplace for $500. Seemed like a great deal so I drove across the state and bought it yesterday.

I do wonder how you guys learn so much about different stoves. I'm likely to have this one stove for the next 40 years and won't get much experience with anything else.

You might think you’ll have this stove for 40 years but most folks don’t even own the same house for 10 years. I’ve lived in this home for 14 and am on my 3rd house stove. It can be a hobby.

 

[Dmcqb]

It can be a hobby.

Nice! I do love all things wood fire! The whole chimney/masonry stuff is killing me, but maybe once that's done I'll get into some mixing and matching on the stove side.