Where Can I Rent a Log Splitter?

While you know it is worth it to purchase tools you use regularly, there are instances where you may not need to use a tool more than once. In these cases, it makes more sense to rent. Luckily tool rental opportunities have been on the rise, especially with the current shift to DIY culture.

Depending on what is available in your area, you can rent a log splitter from:

• Home Depot
• Lowe’s
• Herc Rentals
• United Rentals
• Sparetoolz

Rental HQ is a database that helps you find rental stores in your area.

Each of these places has different terms and ways of operating, so it is important to make sure they will work for you. While the cost of the rental tends to vary based on your location we can help you out by giving a background on each of their programs. Read on to learn all you need to know about renting a log splitter from them.

Home Depot

Home Depot’s tool rental program is one of the most popular for a number of reasons.

Home Depot has locations across the nation, making it easy for you to find a store to pop in and rent from. The company is also known for its competitive pricing, which means that you may find the best rental rates in your region at their store.

They have four durations you can rent your log splitter for:

• Four hours
• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly

The tools are offered on a “first come, first served” basis, so you will not be able to call ahead and reserve the tool you need. You can, however, check availability online. Not every store has the same tools available.

You will need a photo ID and a credit card to rent a log splitter. Home Depot does not accept debit cards to put a deposit on the tool rental, but you can use a debit card to pay off the balance when you return the log splitter.

Lowe’s

Even though they only began to roll out their tool rental service in 2020, Lowe’s has put hard work into catching up. They have the same great benefits as Home Depot regarding their popularity, but Lowe’s does one thing different.

You can reserve your rental online. Simply select the log splitter, confirm the dates, and then submit the reservation. Once they approve it you will be sent a confirmation email with the next steps you need to take.

Again, you will need to pick it up in-store with a valid ID and credit card.

Lowe’s offers the same four durations of renting. They also charge a cleaning fee of $50 if you return your log splitter dirty, so make sure you take the time to clean it before taking it back.

Herc Rentals

With Herc Rentals the pricing depends on location, but they have pricing transparency online after you submit the zip code of your project location.

The log splitter they show on site is a Barreto 920LS. This can handle logs with a width of 25 inches and it has a horsepower of 8.7, perfect for landscaping and tree removal to split logs quickly and easily.

Their rates are calculated by the day, week, or month. You can place a rental request online and they will contact you once it has been processed so you can finish the rental process.

United Rentals

With United Rentals they give you a generic description of a hydraulic log splitter when you check it out online, but their online reservation is a bit more specific than what we have seen.

You can select the duration of the rental (daily, weekly, or monthly) along with whether you want them to deliver or retrieve the log splitter from your job site.

They also offer a Rental Protection Plan that can protect you in the case of an accident. The protection plan does cost an additional 15 percent of the total rental fee, but that is nothing compared to having to dish out the entire cost of the log splitter.

Sparetoolz

If you are lucky you may have someone local to you using Sparetoolz. This is a new app that helps you out by offering peer-to-peer tool rentals. Rates will depend on your location and the rate determined by the owner of the tool, but they tend to be less than those found in tool rental companies.

Tool owners may offer delivery at an additional cost, but with something as heavy as a log splitter this can come in handy.

You will have a security hold placed on your credit card to cover the cost of the item in case it is returned damaged or you fail to return it, but their customer service is pretty knowledgeable at handling these issues.

The app is currently only available on IOS, but you can email customer service to request to be notified when it is available on Android devices.

Rental HQ

While Rental HQ is not a specific storefront, they serve as a database for rental stores in your area. You simply enter the tool you need (in this case a log splitter) and your location and they will pull up relevant stores near you.

In just one search I was able to find 20 stores near me that offered log splitter rentals, including:

• United Rentals
• Herc Rentals
• Home Depot

Alongside these larger chains were smaller rental stores that are intrinsic to your location. This tool seems to work even better than searching online for “log splitter rentals near me” because it is designed for this one task.

When It Is Not Worth It to Rent a Log Splitter

Unless you plan on making a business out of it, you will be better off renting a log splitter. This is because the general price for one can range anywhere from $600 to over $2,000.

Some extraneous cases where it would be cheaper to buy a log splitter include:

• Long term projects
• Intermittent projects
• A lack of availability

In a long-term project, usually, one that lasts two or more months, you might reach a point where you are better off buying a log splitter. While this has a lot to do with the price of the rental, the longer you have the tool the more that can happen to it. This increases the chance that it is damaged or breaks down.

If you are going to be doing work on and off for a long period of time you should also consider buying instead of renting. This will cut the hassle of returning to the store every so often or arranging the rental. On top of that, you can save on potential fees associated with renting a tool

You should also consider buying a log splitter if there are none available for rent in your area. This only works out if using a log splitter is essential to getting work done, otherwise, you might try to figure out an alternative. Check to see if anyone nearby is offering one for sale before you pay full price.

Which Log Splitter Rental Program is the Best?

It is difficult to determine which one is the best because they all have distinguishing qualities.

Home Depot and Lowe’s have the most locations, and there is a good chance that you can find the most competitive prices here.

Herc Rental and United Rentals offer online reservations, and their pricing is more transparent. This can be a great tool if you are trying to budget out your project before committing to it.

Though Sparetoolz is only available to iOS, it has great promise in the future as more users access it.

In the end, the best we can do is suggest you use Rental HQ to first determine what is available to you. From here you can decide whether you want to use a big name store or support a smaller business.

Conclusion

If you only need to use a log splitter once or for a short period of time, it is more cost-effective to rent. There are several hardware stores and tool centers that rent items like log splitters for that very purpose. You maybe interested in renting other tools, such as nail guns and wood chippers. Be sure to check out our articles were we go over more information about renting these tools!