Both brands are Canadian Whiskeys, which have to be distilled in Canada by law.
I would wager that neither Hood River nor Indio, the respective sellers of these brands, are "craft distillers" or even own a still.
So, to answer your questions:
Is it recommended? That is a choice you have to make. If you want to sell Canadian Whiskey, it has to be distilled in Canada. If you buy bulk whiskey from Canada, you are an importer rather than a distiller. There may be different licensing issues and fees. You will essentially be a marketing company. Not that there's anything wrong with it.
Is it a way to get started with lower capital investment? I would guess that the initial budgets for Pendelton and Snake River Stampede were exponentially higher than the budgets most on this site are dealing with. That's not to say one couldn't start more modestly.
Do people do this with vodka? Yes, yes and yes. I think many (most) of the brands you see on shelves are made from neutral spirits distilled by another entity. Again, only you can decide if this is the route you want to take.
Is it difficult to maintain quality control? If you are purchasing bulk spirit from a distiller, chances are the quality of the product you are buying will not vary much from shipment to shipment.
Deciding whether your interest is making a unique, hand crafted spirit or a being marketer of a purchased product is up to you. I'm sure there is overlap and gray area between the two as well.