Originally Posted by
Rowan
No rim is a perfect extrusion and bend, which means that if a machine is set to tension the spokes, the out-of-trueness of the original rim may not be accounted. for.
I think the theory is that the machine clamps the rim into a round and true condition before the spokes are tensioned.
I think machine built wheels can be range from very bad to very good depending on the manufacturer and the model. You can probably say the same for hand built wheels, but I think the odds are better that you get a decent wheel with hand built.
I found wheel building to be pretty straightforward and I got good longevity out of the ones that I built. The thing is that buying the individual parts tends to be more expensive than buying a machine built wheel.