Just thought I'd weigh in here.
I wouldn't suggest anything that's built light. Remember, You always get what you pay for! When it comes to wood there are two ways of looking at it. You cut the smaller trees so there is less splitting - or cut big ones so you get your wood pile built up faster.
When I cut trees I go for the big ones (normally poplar and birch) and then I take all branches right down to about an inch in dia. By the time I get to the branches, I am doing a heck of a lot of work for small return. Smaller wood burns pretty fast and is OK to get your first fire up and hot but you are constantly feeding the wood to it. I do like it though for the days when a fire isn't needed all day. To have my furnace go all night though without having the house temp drop too much I like the bigger chunks - nice even burn through the night. To get those blocks however, you need to split 12- 16" pieces. So, a splitter that has the ooomph to do that is important. Particularly when you get to a gnarley chunk with a limb or two in it. I use a "home made" splitter that a bunch of us share that is built like a tank.
I have never tried one that splits both ways as I find that one way is fast enough for these old bones. A disadvantage to it that I see would be that you need to clear the wood from the back stroke which has you handling a least half the wood an extra time. The one way splitter allows the pile to be pushed out the back and as it gets high, the splitter just pushes itself along the row.
So I guess I am sayiing that I have little use for the $500 or less splitters (unless it's a good used one) and definitely wouldn't want a hydraulic manual splitter. If wood is going to be the primary source of heat, remember you'll probably need more than you think and will want to get it done as easily and quickly as possible. I'm thinking you'd be better having the margin of over-kill than not.
Thanks, Siberios. I agree with you about the manual one but right now, my new place does not even have a wood alternative heating source (at least one that is ready to use today). I have both an oil boiler (supplemented by a few electric baseboard heaters) and an old wood boiler - and I have no idea how much wood it will use if it is put back in working order (which I am told should be possible but first I have to get the chimney repaired so that could take a while). I also have a fireplace in a small room, but it is currently completely blocked off and will have to be restored too, again once the chimney is fixed. So, wood won't be my primary source of heat unless SHTF and there is no way to get oil (or I cannot afford oil any more). I wish wood was my primary heat source but that brings a lot of problems for me (i.e. in terms of cutting and splitting the wood en masse) because I am not as young as I used to be (though I wish I could forget that, it is not prudent to do so). I guess I will bring along the manual splitter as a backup, hope for strong neighbour kids to help me, and pray that 'global warming' is real and sustained.
do you have a tractor with remote hydraulics, if so go with a 3 pth mount two way splitter, very fast and efficient. i would stay away from a gas model from ct cause most are vertical shaft chain drive. if you want a tow behind gas check out princess auto they have some good ones and get one with a two speed pump!! could always build one with a old engine off anything small, a valve, cyclinder, pump and some hose. agine p.a. is helpful and a local junk man may be your best friend, mine saves all that kind off stuff for me
Seems the Hydraulic pressure is a little low on my 30hp. Guess when I get older and need another tractor I may buy a larger one.