Rob, I wanted to build my own splitter but after searching for parts and pricing everything out I just couldn't do it for anywhere near the price of the Speeco at TSC. I've had it a couple years now and lots of wood thru it, no problems yet. I have 2 other splitters to that I have customized to do what I want them to so it's not that I wasn't capable of building it, I just couldn't justify it at the time.
You don't have to build it to prove it, just list everything you need to build it and the prices for the stuff, I'll bet you will be surprised. Here a pump and the motor is almost $1000.
What about junkyard parts?