If you are box modeling a humanoid character, the heirarchy tool is probably not a big deal ... perhaps only one object.
But if you are modeling something like Dennis's Haunted House ..
http://www.ac3d.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1346
with walls, roofs, pillars, posts, rails, doors, windows and a whole load of ornamentation of one sort or another, then the heirarchy tool becomes a huge factor. That's why the innovations introduced for this tool in AC3D V6 are such a *huge* improvement. It does not create any geometry, but can stop you screwing up something that is finished.
As an aside ... turning off the *Select Through* option should be useful too
griff