What’s Cheating Anyway?

Paul Sellers challenges the idea that using machines is “cheating” in woodworking. He says his advocacy for demanding hand-tool work does not reject machining; he personally avoids common power tools (like chop saws, planers, table saws, mortisers, spindle moulders/shapers, and routers) out of choice and a commitment to the craft, not moral superiority. The core message: choose tools that fit your goals and values rather than policing what counts as “real” woodworking.

Question: Where do you personally draw the line between skill-building with hand tools and efficiency with machines, and why?