Yea, Ace. No on is going to defend the safeness factor of the big, rotating drum.
While fumbling around on youtube, looking for part two of the 'splitter wheel', I saw the titles of a number of other wood splitter videos, because if you watch one, it lines you up a bunch of other related ones.
I summon the readership to sift through those videos and copy and return here with their links.

Click on the icon, just above, to paste in the link and it is done.
Please , though, write an introduction to the splitter video you found, let us know what will be seen and your summary on it.
I'll start.
Here is a video of another splitter that ALSO claims to be the world's fastest splitter, and all things considred, just may very well be.
This splitter is designed on a dual-flywheel concept, really, really interesting. It may shock you out of your hydraulic ways.
I found two videos on this. The first one is three minutes, the second one, just under 7 minutes.
Here is ONE Here is TWO