Lopi factory tour

[lopiliberty]

This will be the third year with my liberty and not a problem to speak of. Hopefully if there is a problem or I need a replacement part, because my dealer ONLY heats the showroom with a liberty and that its there best selling stove, not to mention there favorite that they know every part and keep them in stock. I just hope its not going to be like getting parts for my old vermont castings

 

[fossil]

I notice on the Lopi dealer locator site there is one in Lebanon and Salem. Perhaps they might be willing to sell you the part over the phone?

Swell, then what? Fax the part to me? Or do I have to drive over the mountains & back (adds ~$40 to the price of whatever it may be ) just to pick up a damned $7 gasket, all the time hoping that the Lopi recon drone doesn't ID me wandering outside my local dealer's territory and launch a preemptive missile strike on my Jeep.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Don't know. Bought my last stove from a stove shop in 1986. They were gone by 1987. Said never again. Got stupid and bought the Jotuls from a local dealer. Poof after delivering the stoves and dropping one on the sidewalk and breaking it. They went bankrupt before they fixed it. Jotul didn't want to hear it and a Mod on hearth.com com that was a dealer saved my butt by having the casting drop shipped to me. Thank you Ryan.

As for me and my house, we ain't gonna be buying anything from anybody but factory supported parts folks.

Six stoves in and I have never bought a stove from a stove shop.

Though, I do admit, it is kind of neat to have a brand new stove.

 

[Treacherous]

Most of the Lopi woodstove manuals with parts diagrams can be downloaded here:

(broken link removed to http://www.lopistoves.com/productuide/)

Current shipping products it will show up under the Documents tab on the selected stove.

Some discontinued wood stove manuals are here:

(broken link removed to http://www.lopistoves.com/Manuals/wood.aspx)

Hello

Yes, but without pics and details of the parts it makes it very hard! I just replaced a Blower on the Lopi Pioneer and I was very determined to get a good Fasco Combustion Blower at a reasonable price. Well after some hack sawing, drilling and splicing wires I did! ! ! ! !
See pics and detail > https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/lopi-pioneer-bay-exhaust-blower-fan-replacement.89209/

 

[fossil]

...I got a copy of the manual in the email the very next day. My Travis dealer is also ordering some parts for it but takes at least a week! The prices are not so bad. Hopefully more improvements will come.

"More improvements"?? You haven't described any change/improvement. Techies would always have provided what they could e-mail you from the archives, and dealers can always (with any luck) order parts. Nothing whatever has changed.

 

[Don2222]

"More improvements"?? You haven't described any change/improvement. Techies would always have provided what they could e-mail you from the archives, and dealers can always (with any luck) order parts. Nothing whatever has changed.

You are right, I was just trying to be optimistic.

 

[BrotherBart]

Though, I do admit, it is kind of neat to have a brand new stove.

And an 800 number.

 

[Treacherous]

stoveinfo@travis-inc.com

(broken link removed to http://travisindustries.com/contacts.aspx)

(broken link removed to http://travisindustries.com/safety-notice.aspx)

 

[webbie]

I should say that tour thing is great. Highly recommended for any stove heads or those interested in basic fabrication.

I usually find that making things is actually harder that I imagine...that is, despite all the modern inventions, it still takes a lot of individual piece work to make even a relatively simple product like a wood stove. Decorative finishes like the hammered stuff are really labor intensive.

 

[Treacherous]

Decorative finishes like the hammered stuff are really labor intensive.

I saw an example of that... one of the front fascias for a Fireplace Xtrordinair unit was done with a hammer and large anvil

 

[BrowningBAR]

And an 800 number.

Any chance they plan on buying VC?

 

[BrotherBart]

Any chance they plan on buying VC?

Why not? Everybody else has.

 

[papa bears stove]

It would seem to me that box stores do not stock every part or gasket in their inventory as well. Not to mention that the likely have no service or advanced knowledge of wood burning. What they offer is a sale at the time of purchase and nothing more. Yet that is acceptable to many, why the difference for a mom and pop store. I would think that the box stores would have much more capital to work with than mom and pop, yet they DO NOT carry replacement parts. Does the box store seem eager to order replacement parts? I would like to think there are many mom and pop stores out there that would be happy to order a part for a returning customer and appreciate the business as well.

 

[BrowningBAR]

It would seem to me that box stores do not stock every part or gasket in their inventory as well. Not to mention that the likely have no service or advanced knowledge of wood burning.

Which is no different that 99% of the stove shops I've come across.

What they offer is a sale at the time of purchase and nothing more. Yet that is acceptable to many, why the difference for a mom and pop store.

Because that is their only, and main focus? I'm not going to the mom and pop stove shop for lumber, nails, carpeting, and shelving. I'm going there for a stove.

I would think that the box stores would have much more capital to work with than mom and pop, yet they DO NOT carry replacement parts. Does the box store seem eager to order replacement parts?

Just as eager as any of the other thousands of items they sell. If I go to a lumber yard I expect a certain level of knowledge. Same for a carpeting store, a cabinet store, a lamp and lighting store and so on. All of those are also offered at big box store, but I do not expect experts in any category.

I would like to think there are many mom and pop stores out there that would be happy to order a part for a returning customer and appreciate the business as well.

I haven't found one. I went to order a 6" collar for my Defiant last Saturday. I was told I would get a follow up call on Monday to confirm the price and the order. No call. I called Tuesday and they hadn't gotten around to it yet. I was told Wednesday I would get a call. No call. I called Friday and the "guy that orders parts" isn't in. I called Saturday and the order hasn't been placed yet. A week of visiting and making phone calls and I am no further along.

And that VC shop is still the best customer service I have received from any of the 10-12 stove shops I have visited in the area. The Hearthstone shop acted like I wanted to beat their children when I asked to order a heat shield for the Heritage. I am trying to give people money and they act like I am a bother.

 

[begreen]

The policy depends too much on the dealer... unfortunately, all dealers are not created equal. A friend needed burn tubes for his Endeavor. Went to a Lopi mom and pop dealer to get them. It took 4 trips to the dealer to finally get them. At first they lost the order, then they lost the parts some how, then they completely misquoted the delivery date. Then they had no idea where the part was, until their service guy showed up and told they they always keep them in stock and that they were on the shelf in the warehouse. True story. And this dealer is within 20 miles of Travis's Mukilteo factory.

 

[Todd]

I'm buying my next stove from a dealer who sells hearth products on the side, their main thing is building houses. How many true mom and pop stove shops are there? Around here it seems like hearth products are just a secondary thing to make a little extra cash and keep the buisness alive in the Winter.

I agree with Rick that more of these big stove manufactures should have some kind of customer internet service or a hot line for questions, something similar to Woodstock would go a long way and help them sell more stoves.

 

[eclecticcottage]

I had to laugh at the knowledge part. The two closest Lopi dealers are owned by the same guy and I'm not impressed. I don't know what happened between when we bought our Berkshire and the Republic, but the one dealer was sold and the new folks were idiots. That one was where we bought the Republic. Sometime after we bought it, they sold again to the current owner and I'm still unimpressed. I was less impressed with the VC dealer so we went with the brand we knew. I have since found another dealer a bit further that has been in business for a good bit longer and seemed nice enough when I asked them about a different line they carry (Thelin). IF we end up needed parts, I'll try them. If we hadn't been looking for a place that sold and installed AND I knew there were more stoves out there, like Woodstock, I probably would have looked into stove companies that don't just rely on a web of idiots to service thier stuff.