I remember my daily chores splitting & carrying wood for our home and grandparent's home every day in the heating season. we still heat the getaway shack with wood, and know I can't swing the maul like back then. When looking for fun things to run on my rusty tractors, I found a home-made log splitter on marketplace. It's just a little bit more dangerous than a self-contained unit. So, just like your dad said, "Stay away from that PTO Shaft when it's running." and more comments not suitable for mixed company.