James, everybody sorely misses you at VSS except maybe 2 people...
I get much better control of stopping and starting with a hand crank but it is much easier to control the fabric with both hands. I'm not terribly proficient with a treadle though so I'd say I'm not over using a motorized machine. I think a lot of it depends on the machine and what you are making at the time. I have machines I like better for one thing than another. I keep a crappy looking Singer 99 hand crank set up to do button holes. When my DGD is around she wants it to sew... I think she likes the control.