Can You Store a Log Splitter Outside?

Let’s get this straight – wood splitters aren’t cheap.

It’s always better to leave one nice and dry in a shed to protect the investment, perhaps a garage of some sorts. But that isn’t always available to everybody out there.

The question is, will leaving such a thing outside instead in the blazing sun, rain or snow do any harm?

A log splitter can definitely be left outside, for as long as you desire. But you should only do so once you apply appropriate steps first.

Cover it

The absolute most important thing you must do, if you want the thing to continue running once left out in the elements, that is, is cover it.

Some use tarps, some just cover the engine with a tub or whatnot, but I think that, in this case at least, you should use a material that’s specifically designed for protecting those splitters.

The reason why is, well, tarps can be a bit of a handful to put on – you need to bungee it, hold down with wood splits or whatnot so it wouldn’t get blown off.

A cover just goes on and stays that way, no need to mess around with any of that.

Now don’t get me wrong, if you have a good tarp you’re confident will withstand the outside’s abuse, just stick to that instead. No need to be wasteful with the money here.

You can get covers made exactly for log splitter use right off Amazon.

But don’t overdo it!

When covering with your choice of material, make sure to leave an opening or two, preferably at the bottom, so air could come in and escape.

Sealing the log splitter fully will cause all sorts of problems related to condensation, so keep that in mind.

If you want to do it for a longer time…

Get the tires off the ground

Placing some sort of wood blocks, perhaps a pallet under both of the splitter’s tires will prolong their life.

You should also consider covering the tires as well, to shield from the harmful UV damage.

Doing all this will help combat the dry rot, which only causes premature wear and in the end will require tire replacement, especially if you tow the log splitter around.

Pest damage

The thing about wood splitters is that they make rather attractive nests for many critters out there.

Rats, mice, squirrels you name it, eventually one of those will make home somewhere near your splitter, and almost certainly chew through a hose or such.

The simplest way to go about it is by buying a sprayer full of mint repellent, and applying it on most of the splitter’s area. This should do the trick.

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The key here is to just be aware that these rodents can nest there, and be prepared to apply the necessary steps when you see them coming.

The biggest drawback of storing outside

That’s theft.

Keeping a log splitter in the outdoors with all of its glory runs you a risk of having it stolen simply because of how easy it can be to do it – back a truck up, hook it up and it’s gone in mere minutes.

Covering the thing will definitely reduce the amount of looks it gets, but that alone obviously won’t prevent a persistant thief.

So, in my mind, this is probably the most important thing you have to be aware of when doing what this article is all about.