I always try to say "assemble" when I'm talking about an ARF and "build" when I'm talking about a kit.
I'm a swinger.
I like ARFs and kits.
I tried scratch building. Forget it. I just don't have the tools to do it right. I guess I should say that I don't have the tools to make it easy enough for me to want to do it again. I CAN do it with a jigsaw, palm sander, dremel and hand tools--but it would be easier with a scroll saw, bandsaw, belt sander, vacuum bagger----etc..
I guess, I build about 1 or 2 kits for every 10 ARFs that I slap together.[:-]
Kits are WAAAY more expensive that an ARF. I built a Midwest Extra 300S and I had $500 in the airframe. Thats not counting the servos and engine. That was just the plane, linkages, and covering.
I can buy an 80" ARF for about $400-$450 and save myself about 3 or 4 months worth of time spent building the kit.