There was a discussion a year or so back about log splitters and if people kept them outside or inside and if outside were they covered. Mine stays out for a variety of reasons and I had an old wheel barrow I used to put upside down over the engine. Worked well for me as I didn't have to wait for the engine to cool. Shut it off, cover it, clean up and do something else. Well a season or two back my wheelbarrow developed a hole so my wife took it for her landscaping and I grabbed a galvanized washtub to put over the hot engine. I told you that story to explain this story. So for the past year or two I have had carburetor troubles constantly. I bought two off of amazon, install them and first pull the engine starts. Started putting premium gas in it, still problems starting or no starting if left for more than a week. Got to the point I kept one carb soaking and have gotten real good at changing carbs! This just happened again and frustrated is not near enough explanation of my feelings! As I changed that carb out I noticed a gray ashy coating around the gas cap, air filter housing and top of engine. Hmmmmmm. Galvanize flaking off??? Then I thought of galvanizing poisoning from inhaling burnt/burning galvanize. Did I create a contamination problem? Don't tell my Mrs., I reclaimed my old wheelbarrow hole and all. For the past two months, (probably jinx myself here) NO STARTING PROBLEMS. I haven't run a complete scientific experiment here, but in the event you cover yours while it is hot with a galvanized container, I just say, beware/ be aware. What say the majority? Think it possible? Pictures hopefully to follow in a day or two.
I have no information to offer about the "galvanizing" issue you've had. My splitter lives in my pole barn MOST of the time. I did keep it out for a couple months last winter because moving it with snow on the ground was inconvenient. I bought a cover from Amazon and weighed it down with ugly splits and off cuts. Kept everything clean and dry and was under $35.
Mine sleeps inside so no problems, Battery tender plugged in and a full tank of fuel. Just drag it out and go to work , when done it gets blown off and back inside.
Pole barn fills up quickly with the garden tractor trailer and log splitter in there. Only time splitter is left out side is when I am doing multiple days of splitting and the weather is nice.
No need for premium fuel unless yours in that area is E free then I can see maybe useing it. Install a $2 fuel cut off if it doesn't have one and run it till it stalls. I think fuel is your issue.
I just use a cheap tarp until it falls apart. No issues yet knock on wood. I either keep it full or empty. I definitely shut the fuel off and let it run out of gas when I'm done for the day. Tarp usually rips where the handle is though. Been thinking about just putting a bucket over the engine and calling it. The tarp creates a nice lil shelter for the bugs and critters. This season when I moved it, found a mouse nest under it and the wolf spiders completely colonized under it.
I keep an old plastic container that happens to drape over the motor well but it's now got a hole in it, it's years old, so, I am going to start using an old plastic feed bucket for same. I don't cover the splitter but maybe I should. As for real covers, I bought an ATV cover for my Honda 4-wheeler and that thing has been great, it's a few years old now and only cost about $25 as I recall. They probably make them for entire splitters. Then again, I do have a barn now, so, at end of splitting season, I should wheel it under cover! Your splitter acting up and it might be your galvanized cover... that is interesting! I recently went through two new cheap carbs on my splitter but it ended up being a stopped up filter INSIDE the gas tank that I didn't know was there until told. Let us know if you diagnose it farther, motors can be aggravating!
You can get dedicated splitter covers: Log Splitter Covers | Choose Custom Sizes, Layouts, Colors, And More I read on a forum (I cannot remember which one) about large canvas garden waste bags being used upside-down as covers for splitters and ride-on mowers, like the ones shown below.
Sits out with a piece of rubber roofing material covering it. If I want to cover it right after use, I put a fresh split over the muffler/motor so it doesn't melt the cover.
When we used the TSC 30 ton all the time, we had a metal box built to cover the engine. I need to get a tarp to coverbthe whole splitter now.
