Saw how popular this was on Newz and ownz hey Netmech??
Unless Z has killed the thread it was the best non-sticky he had going... shame to provide him with such a useful thread - to bad one can't kill a thread one started after 14 days on ownz!
By the way the vias are so much quicker than the legs on a couple of conditions:
1) - that the vias are not overly covered in conformal coating - some times you get station that are so thickly covered that it takes to long to scrape - these I use the chip legs for, some stations how ever almost have the copper 100% exposed, on these I use the vias...
2) Obviously you need to be able to solder to vias - but typically if you can't solder to vias well then you also probably could not solder to the chip legs safely...
See here for some install examples of my own - mine are going more for reliability and short wire lengths than to win awards for being pretty... but that does not mean I don't admire the work of others like Kiezer Sozei
http://www.cyber-mag.com/station/wired.htm