Because the only reason you think through-hole is easier is that you're accustomed to it. Starting from scratch, a syringe of paste and some tweezers is not on

Because the only reason you think through-hole is easier is that you're accustomed to it. Starting from scratch, a syringe of paste and some tweezers is not only easier, it's faster and smaller. Young eyes might not even need a magnifying glass. There's no pile of sharp little trimmed leads everywhere afterward, even! I teach newbies SMT all the time at my local makerspace. It's insanely easy.