I am really liking the switch since I went to hydro. But they are right, it is not really less work. I only have a couple plants, they go through about a gallon of water each per day right now, so for me, I am lugging water in quite often. Also swapping and cleaning the res every 7-10 days takes a bit of time, but it is a labor of love and I enjoy it.
From a cost standpoint, I go through a lot more nutrients so that is more expensive, it is offset by not having to buy soil, but in the end I think it is still a bit more. Should be able to get away with a shorter veg time (I probably went to long) so you may save some additional money with the shorter time.