MY 300 dollar Lopi Freedom Insert

[Freakingstang]

Been searching Craigslist night and day for the last couple months looking for either a quailty insert or a free standing stove to replace my inefficient fireplace. I have a Napolean lined up and was supposed to pick it up a month ago, loaded up the trailer and drove an hour away only to find out the guy sold it while he knew I was on the way to pick it up.

Anyways, found this 2001 Lopi Freedom. Big firebox, good measurement for my fireplace. Owner said it was only used 2-3 years and then was taken out as the house was being rented out and didn't want the renters burning for fear of burning the place down.... Supposively sat in the garage for the last two-3 years. called him and everything was fine with the unit, fans worked, etc. got him down to 500 bucks while on the phone and went to dads to get him and the trailer..drove an hour away.



lupi "freedom" woodburning insert


Show up at this guys place. Has a huge 60'x100' shop.. I'm impressed. walk into garage to find a well rusted woodstove... Suddenly the story changed, sat outside balh blah blah. Reostat control box (fan speed control) rusted and can see corrioson coming out of it... Don't even plug it in for fear of damage to the fans. Firebox as a little water in it.. I am thoroughly irrate...told him it wasn't what he said it was, flue dampner needed cleaned up, needed paint, was told it was stored inside on the phone, yet once there it was outside with a tarp. At this point I'm into the trip 2 hours, (hour to dads, hour to him) He said I'm sorry and can work on the price some...After looking it over and assessing the amount of work, and making sure there was no vital problems, I said not lowballing you but I don't want to spend anymore than 300 bucks with all the work its going to need. It was on the trailer 2 minutes later.

It will need some cleaning, firebrick doesn't look like its had much use... I think I did pretty good, I can afford cheap with some elbow grease.

This picture makes it look worse than it really is, I took the top bricks and bar out for transport so none fell out. It was snowing and rust on fresh, bare steel looks worse than it really is. the firebrick really looks like it is new, honestly the whole stove looks like the same amount of use, but i really think it was sitting outside that caused all the "rust"

 

[Freakingstang]

So i'm going to remove all the bricks and steam clean it all out, grinder with a wire brush and use some POR-20 High temp paint it. I got the stove kettle, 6" SS flex that was about `10' long with an oval adapter, chimney bliock off plate and a few other things too. I don't think I got too bad of a deal.

Anything I should be conserned, or pay special attention too?

 

[Vibes]

Make sure you didn't bring any of that guys mice home with you. LOL. Looks good though. May be check the rope gasket and handle assembly. If it doesn't look like the guy overheated it you should be good to go.

 

[Freakingstang]

Make sure you didn't bring any of that guys mice home with you. LOL. Looks good though. May be check the rope gasket and handle assembly. If it doesn't look like the guy overheated it you should be good to go.

already check.... dropped it off at the shop to dry out...

The rope looks new... I think it really had very little use, but got all its wear for sitting outside... people amaze me... lets take something that is raw steel and set it outside (under a tarp). Raw steel doesn't matter if there is a cover on it or not, it will rust just from the humidity in the air. I'm glad there are so many 'not so much common sense' out there... I can afford that vs a 2500 dollar new unit being a new homeowner...

 

[brenndatomu]

I can't give ya any pointers on that stove, but to me, looks like ya done real good. Pics always seem to make the rust look worse. When I found my Yukon, the pics made it look pretty rusty on the bottom panel, the guy said it was not that bad, turned out it wasn't bad at all.

I don't get what these people that lie to ya about the condition of their stuff are thinking?! Do they not think it through far enough to realize that if you do come to look, you WILL see the actual condition!?!? I always tell 'em like it is when I'm sellin stuff, that way if they still come to look, chances are, they are buying. That way not dealing with a bunch of P.O.ed tire kickers either...

Like I said though, nice score, that's a pretty penny new, right?

BTW, what part of NE OH you in?

 

[Freakingstang]

I can't give ya any pointers on that stove, but to me, looks like ya done real good. Pics always seem to make the rust look worse. When I found my Yukon, the pics made it look pretty rusty on the bottom panel, the guy said it was not that bad, turned out it wasn't bad at all.

I don't get what these people that lie to ya about the condition of their stuff are thinking?! Do they not think it through far enough to realize that if you do come to look, you WILL see the actual condition!?!? I always tell 'em like it is when I'm sellin stuff, that way if they still come to look, chances are, they are buying. That way not dealing with a bunch of P.O.ed tire kickers either...

Like I said though, nice score, that's a pretty penny new, right?

BTW, what part of NE OH you in?

Yeah it one of the biggest inserts will take a 24" log. although the freedom model was replaced by another name a couple years ago... comparable is about 22-2500. I'm not so sure about that gold trim, but whatever it'll work...

From wooster originally, now inbetween Akron and Ytown out by Berlin Lake/lake milton. I bought a killer garage and got a nice house with it

 

[winland]

I think you got a REAL GOOD deal there.
Probably save yourself at least $2500 over buying it new.
A little elbow grease and some paint, it will look and work like new.

Chuck

 

[Jgouras]

I have the same stove, also paid $300 for it. I love it, you will too. The "gold"door is actually solid cast brass. The only issues mine had was missing air tubes and some cracking in the air channel that needed to be welded up. I have been heating my house for over a month without using the furnace. The best part is all the parts are in stock for the stove, you can literally rebuild it if necessary.

 

[brenndatomu]

Yah , OK, I know roughly where that is. Wooster, huh? I'm over in Red Rider territory, the Generals cleaned our clocks this year! We STUNK! Worst record since 1973! You ever cruise downtown Wooster back when that was popular? Back then I had a big ole jacked up red Ford F-150 stepside truck...GASHOG!!

Garage that came with a house :msp_biggrin: least ya gots yer prioritys straight!

 

[Freakingstang]

Yah , OK, I know roughly where that is. Wooster, huh? I'm over in Red Rider territory, the Generals cleaned our clocks this year! We STUNK! Worst record since 1973! You ever cruise downtown Wooster back when that was popular? Back then I had a big ole jacked up red Ford F-150 stepside truck...GASHOG!!

Garage that came with a house :msp_biggrin: least ya gots yer prioritys straight!

The G/F lives in Orr, I can't even say it being a Titan.. I lived in wooster but south of triway... played footbal and was always into mustangs... graduated in 98... First time I played in a Varsity game my sophmore year, I got a laid out... remeber that, but not after that...lol. I remember cruising to newberrys back when you could cruise and hangout without getting run out of town... I remember a guy named snowman that had a jacked up f150 with a 460 4 gear in it, as well as a couple of others.... I'm pretty sure we have crossed paths..... I'm drawing blanks on some names, but one of my nicknames was slut-kitten..... if you knew Josh boreman.... I just moved out of wooster a few years ago...same kind of out in the middle of nowehere now... still have about a half hour drive to work in tallmadge... lived in norton for about two years and couldn't stand city life....

Remember this white car? This would have been 97-99ish

 

[Freakingstang]

I have the same stove, also paid $300 for it. I love it, you will too. The "gold"door is actually solid cast brass. The only issues mine had was missing air tubes and some cracking in the air channel that needed to be welded up. I have been heating my house for over a month without using the furnace. The best part is all the parts are in stock for the stove, you can literally rebuild it if necessary.

Yeah, I have done tons of research (ocd) about different brands and what was out there, parts availibily, reliability, effieciencym etc. I didn't want to buy a 30 year old stove I couldn't get any parts for. I was able enough to do some research because it was titled "Lupi" and when i first called the guy he hadn't had any calls... it worked out... I found a couple other smaller lopi's and napoleons but there firebox was very small. i have almost 2700 sq feet to heat and wanted something that could withstand long burns as i work alot. Oil heat isn't cheap these days. The fireplace makes the upstairs colder and puts out minimal heat and absolutely EATS wood. Never had a fireplace before, just a wood stove and wood furnaces...I've already been through more wood this year with the fireplace that I did all of the last winter I had in the last wood burning place I rented.. (and it hasn't even been cold yet!!!)

 

[flashhole]

Nice score, that should clean up nicely. I hope you post pictures of the finished product.

 

[trophyhunter]

That is a very nice stove, and with some work can be made as new again easy enough. I'd pull the door and other small parts and blast and paint the stove, all new brick and seals and polish the door. Hopefully you wont need to much to make the blower assembly right, you did well for what you have in that.

 

[brenndatomu]

The G/F lives in Orr, I can't even say it being a Titan.. I lived in wooster but south of triway... played footbal and was always into mustangs... graduated in 98... First time I played in a Varsity game my sophmore year, I got a laid out... remeber that, but not after that...lol. I remember cruising to newberrys back when you could cruise and hangout without getting run out of town... I remember a guy named snowman that had a jacked up f150 with a 460 4 gear in it, as well as a couple of others.... I'm pretty sure we have crossed paths..... I'm drawing blanks on some names, but one of my nicknames was slut-kitten..... if you knew Josh boreman.... I just moved out of wooster a few years ago...same kind of out in the middle of nowehere now... still have about a half hour drive to work in tallmadge... lived in norton for about two years and couldn't stand city life....

Remember this white car? This would have been 97-99ish


Hmmm...no names ringin a bell, I have a couple years on ya though, I'm sure we have crossed paths at some time. I definitely didn't have the only red F-150 around, mine was called "toymakers dream." It had a 351M that someone modded like it was a 351W, it was a dog 'til 3k rpm, then ran like a raped ape 3-4k rpm, all over after that. Not a very good setup for a truck with hiway gears, oversized mudder tires, and a C6! If I still had it, it would get a 440hp 460 that my brother has.
I don't recall the 'stang. The blue convertible looks pretty sweet though! I had a black '88 GT back when 225 HP was fast. :msp_biggrin: The guy I sold it too still has it, it's his baby.

That's gotta be dangerous, working in Tallmadge, Summit and all, would be for me!

Got that insert painted yet!? :hmm3grin2orange: I think that's a pretty popular unit with the guys over on hearth.

 

[Freakingstang]

I started with this:

Tore it all apart today. The brick was in good shape, other than me breaking one getting everything apart. Because it had sat outside, even though it was tarped off it, the water and ash created a nice cement like goo...

 

[Freakingstang]

I started polishing the brass door back to her original luster. Still got a little to do....

I wire wheeled all the surface rust and started the metal prep for some good paint... more continued tomorrow....

 

[pennsywoodburnr]

I started polishing the brass door back to her original luster. Still got a little to do....

I wire wheeled all the surface rust and started the metal prep for some good paint... more continued tomorrow....

That stove will be brought back from the dead in no time considering how you made that door look like new again. Keep the pics coming.

 

[Ironworker]

I have the same stove and love it, heats my 3200 sq. ft. Home with no problem, I don't even use the blower that much only when it drops into the lower 30's. I suff it n & s with 15" splits, 6-8 pieces with the fatter ones in the middle and get 8 good hours of burn time, and up to 12 without not much heat loss.

This was last year, this year I made my splits a little bigger, 8 "

 

[Freakingstang]

Got some more work done today after work late tonight. I tore the fan assy tonight because I couldn't get the fans to come on. I thought maybe the rheostat was bad from corrioson and being outdoors. after taking the rheostat out of the system and it still wouldn't work... so I got to looking around and apprently it has a thrermal switch on it to engage the fans... so with a fan directly wired without the rheostat, I took my lighter and heated up the thermal switch and the fan was running...wired the rheostat back in and same deal, hit the lighter and she kicked on and the speed adjustment works like it should. Got it all back together and painted. Just have to install it back on the stove, but I'll wait til it gets installed in the house. First coat of paint on, waiting til tomorrow (24hrs) for the second coat. I used POR 15 black Velvet 1400 degree paint. It is a brush on paint. It will leave very, very slight streak until it is dry. Once it is heated it up it smooths out like glass. It is awesome stuff and well worth the money.

 

[Freakingstang]