It's impressive to see the persistence and dedication of people who undertake projects like building miniature versions of historical computers. These types of projects require a lot of time, effort, and attention to detail, and it's impressive to see the results of those efforts.
It's a matter of personal preference and the specific goals of your project. If you enjoy the process of coding and solving problems on your own, then that is certainly a valid choice. But if you find that certain tools can help you be more efficient or allow you to focus on the parts of a project that are more meaningful to you, then there is no reason not to use them.