Kits vs. scratch?
Time? So , after tracing patterns..you spend , maybe , an additioinal two or three days cutting parts ( cumulatively)...no big deal - if you're really a builder in the first place !
Two or three days, cutting wood? I don't know about you fellas, but I have other interests and demands beside model building. If I can eliminate two to three days of a chore that has nothing to do with how accomplished a builder I am, I will gladly fork over the $20-$30 and use the two days working on the model's finish and detailing.
(Just my .02 worth!)