Wood Stove: Lopi Liberty

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Hoytman
Member
Posts: 5990
Joined: Wed. Jan. 18, 2017 11:30 pm
Location: swOH near a little town where the homes are mobile and the cars aren’t
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 354
Coal Size/Type: nut coal
Other Heating: electric, wood, oil

Post by Hoytman » Fri. Jul. 17, 2020 11:18 am

Before I found my Hitzer 354 I had been contemplating buying a new and modern wood stove. Of the stoves I had picked out they were Lopi Liberty/Endeavor, Blaze King King/Princess, Woodstock (a couple models), kuma (couple models), Drolet Myriad II/III, and Englander NC-30.

I just didn't want to spend that kind of money and still have to do all that work cutting, splitting, and stacking wood, moving it umpteen times before it got to the stove.

Anyway, I came across this Liberty cheap and close to home, so I knabbed it up yesterday. It's in great shape, not new, but still has life left in it before replacing air tubes, bricks, or glass. Gaskets are an automatic change, both glass and door will get new ones.

I am going to use it as is in the garage for now. Likely won't even hook it up or put a hole through the ceiling just yet. May just put it on wheels so I can move it in and out of the garage just to play with it some. Then I will decide whether or not to keep it or use it to make a little extra (I'm not the greedy type...LOL) to put towards a new hopper fed Hitzer or a #6...which I'd like to have. If I end up putting this in my shop I think it may serve me better for quicker heating and using only when I am out there working. IF I start spending too much time out there I'll just put a coal stove in and be done. Nothing beats anthracite for long even burns and even temperatures.

This Lopi, like my Hitzer, I just couldn't pass on it for the price and how close it was. The big 354 is a monster as far as heat output and weight goes, but let me tell you, this Liberty I believe is even heavier in weight and has 5/16" top plates on it, brick lined fire box as well as brick lined above the air tubes, unlike the new Liberty...which is now built similar to many other makes of wood stoves with a vermiculite baffle board and an insulating blanket above the air tubes.

This stove is very, very well built. Cold rolled steel hinges. There are holes punched through the stove body and the rolled steel hinges are placed through these holes from inside the fire box and welded from the inside so there are no visible welds in the front of the hinges. The hinge pins are 5/8" Bridge rivets...you can open the door and actually sit in the door with your feet off the floor. Super strong door and frame assembly. The door casting itself is very well made and pretty heavy with a large glass viewing area. Although, one door on my Hitzer 354 (double door model) is still heavier than the entire Lopi door (yeah Hitzer). It also came with a blower and a thermo-disc that operates the blower.


With some 3 years seasoned ash, oak, and apple, I should be good to go. With coal burning in the house, my wood will only get drier...and that's a good thing.

Here's a few links to the stove:

It's interesting that in this first video they "talk down" the use of baffle boards and insulating blankets, yet went to them in their new model stoves to help meet the new 2020 regulations. I'm glad I got the older, heavier built stove with the fire bricks on top.

I'm planning an air-tube modification from 3 tubes to the newer 5 tubes. Ideas on paper for now...should be interesting project.










The only thing that I dislike about modern wood stoves is a major safety concern for me; the inability to totally snuff a run away fire. Obviously, there's only one sure-fire way to prevent this and that is not loading the stove up all the way with wood. I think modern stoves should be made to burn just like they are today, but with the addition of functioning just like an old wood dragon...the ability to completely shut down the air supply. To me, that is the only down fall to modern stoves...and it's a big one because some stoves have, and do run-away fires. Something to be mindful of at all times. It's just another way big government encroaches on us and tries to think for us.

According to the manual a low burn is about 300F, medium is 400F-500F, and high is 700F-800F. Will be perfect for an uninsulated garage. A tad big for my house, thought I run my coal stove at all times right around that 300F mark when it's cold. Coal stove is bit big for shoulder seasons, which I can burn wood in it as well at that time which is why I went ahead and bought the 354. Not too concerned about extending a wood burn during the shoulder season. Will just fire up a short and hot fire to heat up the house a bit, repeat if I have to. By the time it gets cold enough to run the stove all the time it's time to light the anthracite.

 
Hoytman
Member
Posts: 5990
Joined: Wed. Jan. 18, 2017 11:30 pm
Location: swOH near a little town where the homes are mobile and the cars aren’t
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 354
Coal Size/Type: nut coal
Other Heating: electric, wood, oil

Post by Hoytman » Fri. Jul. 17, 2020 9:03 pm

Gosh!!! No responses yet. I hope my coal pail buddies aren’t making me part of “cancel culture” because I bought a wood stove.😂😂😂 ( I just had to say that🤣🤣 because I know better.) 😁


 
franco b
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Posts: 11416
Joined: Wed. Nov. 05, 2008 5:11 pm
Location: Kent CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: V ermont Castings 2310, Franco Belge 262
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Modern Oak 114
Coal Size/Type: nut and pea

Post by franco b » Fri. Jul. 17, 2020 9:20 pm

Lopi was the first to develop a relatively clean burning stove around 1982.

 
Hoytman
Member
Posts: 5990
Joined: Wed. Jan. 18, 2017 11:30 pm
Location: swOH near a little town where the homes are mobile and the cars aren’t
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 354
Coal Size/Type: nut coal
Other Heating: electric, wood, oil

Post by Hoytman » Fri. Jul. 17, 2020 9:43 pm

franco b wrote:
Fri. Jul. 17, 2020 9:20 pm
Lopi was the first to develop a relatively clean burning stove around 1982.
Never would have guessed that. I would have guessed Blaze King. Maybe Blaze King was the first to meet 2020 standards...25-30 years ahead of time I think. Or was it the 2015 standards? Heck, I can’t remember which standard...one of the more recent ones. Least that’s what I heard.

I bought this Lopi not because of wanting super long burn times. Would have bought the Blaze King for that. However, this Lopi is built like a tank. Reminds of the build quality of the old Fisher stoves. The Lopi is very heavily built...just like a tank, I mean like a Hitzer.😂😂😂 Had to throw that in there for my coal buddies.

What turned me off of the BK King model was I seen a picture of one online that wasn’t that old and somehow it had a hole burned into the lower corner of the firebox. That had me concerned about the BK. I think they did address the issue though. Not sure what caused it because it was a brick lined newer stove.

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