[lgeek]

Note that as far as I know MCUs from that series don't have an ADC, which can be a real PITA.

Personally, I've switched to using MCUs in QFP packages a while ago. You get a lot more pins, peripherals, speed, etc for the physical dimensions and price. If you decide to make a custom PCB for a project you don't end up stuck with a huge DIP package or having to evaluate and port the software to a new MCU in an SMD package.

QFPs are perfectly easy to hand solder with the right tools, which are in fact really basic: either a temperature controlled soldering station or a hot air station and solder paste.

I'm now experimenting with QFN packages, which reduce cost and size compared to QFP. Hand soldering seems to work ok, but I have yet to see the yield for small batch manual assembly.

[lam]

We've worked with an assembly house that does manual assembly for small-quantity (10-20) batches. Usually they ask for extras due to attrition, but so far we've not lost any.

I usually check the quality of their assembly under a 20x microscope. I've only found 1 board that had a bit of stray solder between 2 pins which was easy to clean. So, yes, manual assembly seems to work, but that may depend on the assembler proficiency.