Ah man, totally get that. I still mix a small batch for special projects, but for regular stuff the strips save so much time lol. Maybe keep doing both?
Remember when I tried to mix cement by hand last summer? (what a disaster, by the way.) @lane.morgan is right about the hands-on thing having a special feel, even when it goes badly. I ended up with lumps everywhere and had to start over, which ate up my whole afternoon. Strips would have saved me, but now I kind of laugh about the mess. Sometimes the hard way teaches you more, I guess.