The answer depends on a couple of factors pertaining to time and/or money. For small to medium quantities and if time and manual labor is not a factor the manual tower would be a better solution. For larger quantities or time and manpower is limited the autoloader would be a wiser investment.

Tower duplicators are best when you have the manpower/time available to continually load and unload each drive as the load cycle is finished. Towers can perform faster per hour than an automated unit due to the time needed for the robotic mechanism to load and unload each drive in the final throughput. But that is subjective based on the quickness of the person(s) loading and unloading the manual tower drives.

Automated duplicators allow for unattended duplication. Once a system is loaded (with up to 1000 discs) the machine can be left alone to duplicate while you are busy doing other tasks or left to run overnight requiring far less human interaction than a manual tower.

Manual tower duplicators are less expensive to purchase compared to most automated systems. If cost is a prohibitive factor then a manual tower is a better solution.

Automated equipment can cost more initially, but since the autoloader can run continuously day and night without any dedicated manpower, you can increase production and lower expenses. The bottom-line is that, for larger quantities, autoloaders costs are often lower in the long run.