I don't happen to like machine built wheels mostly due to difficulty getting them fixed when they go bad. I realize that most bikes purchased new these days come with machine built wheels and they have to be accepted as part of the cyclist's life. All my replacement wheels have either been hand built by an LBS or Peter White who made one of my sets, and one set by me. I found it worth my time and the cost of buying the tools just to have someone else do it (typical labor to build a wheel set is about $50 at most LBS's, Peter White charges about $40 per wheel); then you need a wheel truing stand that cost about $200 depending on brand, a tensioning tool for about $60, a dishing tool about $40, a nipple driver about $25, a spoke wrench which you should have anyways for about $4, a plastic mallet is helpful for about $7; and that doesn't include tools to overhaul your hub if needed; so your going to spend roughly $350 in tools, for that amount you could have 7 sets of wheels built! So by the time I spent the money to buy the tools plus the time to build it just isn't worth it to me since my wheels last forever anyway, so it's not like I'm going to be building a wheel set every year. But there are books like Jobst Brandt mention by JIMC in book stores or on the internet that can show you color photos and step by step instructions. I got the Jobst book and it helped out a lot with my first and only wheel set I built, but I borrowed tools from friend to do it. Now your probably wondering how I true my wheels if I don't have tools to do it...I use my brake calipers as a guide and true them on the bike; but all my wheels have been built so well any truing I do is very minor and infrequent.