I need to listen to the Jamil show podcasts on lagers, thanks for reminding me.
Having done many lagers in the last several years, and trying to do 8 this year, I think they are more work, but not much more than for some big beers. The brewdays can be longer if you do a decoction, or a multistep mash, 90 min boil, and it does take longer to get them down to pitching temps. A pond pump and an ice bath are what I use for the last 30-40 degrees of chilling.
Why do I do lagers, I like them. Nothing better than a good Pils in the Summer. To paraphase a German saying "Pilsner is what God drinks on a Sunday afternoon in the Summer".