Since it looks identical to the Powerhorse brand @ NT ...... any review on those should apply.
No.
I had the opportunity to visit the factory in Minnesota where Northern Tool builds their red splitters, pressure washers, and generators. I have spent a lot of time in factories and was pretty impressed. Clean, organized, modern equipment, QA and QC testing, etc. I would buy or recommend those products.
I also spent some time with one of their design engineers. He said that NT owns their own factory in China, where the blue products are made, and that that gives them a lot more control on quality than with a contracted manufacturer. He noted cases where he specified better components, such as bearings, that maybe added $1 to their cost, but increased product life significantly. A bid manufacturer might substitute the cheaper components and be long gone when replacement parts are needed. They are still built as a 'price point' model.
I don't work for NT, and don't recommend all of their products. But I caution against comparing all of these imported, 'look-alike' products based solely on appearance.
I did try the Powerhorse 2-way splitter at a GTG and was impressed by it. I have been told by a few people that the GNE product is the same (came out of the same factory), but with a Honda consumer engine and different paint. I would buy one of those if I was in the market.
Philbert