Modern AF is so good that it is almost too good. My cameras have so many AF options that, sometimes, it is just easier to manually focus to the focus point that I want rather than clicking through the menu to switch the AF mode to the one that will work for me at the time.
I genuinely enjoy manual focus for most things, but at first I HATED manually focusing through an EVF. Once I got used to focus peaking (and its limitations) and zooming in for critical focus it became a breeze.
If you have a DSLR then you will have a more difficult time. Sure, there are guys out there on the web that will claim they can hit critical focus every time on a DSLR, but the fact of the matter is that the focusing screens on modern DSLRs are NOT designed for manual focusing and are really a subpar tool for the job. Unless you can find a split prism screen for your DSLR most of us mortals are probably better off sticking with AF.
Now I'm curious how you managed to remove the lens in the first place...