I love work by hand but to say its harder, Coming from a machinist background I challenge anyone to write the program to have the CNC make the cut you need to do an inlay and then tell me it is easy. Then set the machine up to do what you want. Once all the tools and are all zeroed and heights set, and a fixture is in and the program is running like you like, then and only then would I call what is left, easy. If you don't agree then try it yourself. Then you are able to do one design and that's it. Change the design and it all starts all over again. A CNC is great for running many of the same thing. To go through all that to make one, would not be worth the cost. I would say if your doing one offs it is faster and easier to do it by hand.