this is where I get really confused lol
PLA is just so easy to use and totally forgiving on temps, things it'll stick too etc.

Whereas abs was alway a pain. Could never print anything without a raft, dimensions were never quite right, warped, cracked, smelt and forced you to always have acetone fumes around.

Both abs and the pla I like best, are made by same people: reprapper tech.

The reprapper pla is tougher than the abs, totally not-brittle, not quite as flexible as the abs - but certainly flexible enough for everything I've tried it with. And prints at the dimensions I design the models to.
Only smells of maple syrup, doesn't need acetone.
Abs parts I've made for a really tight fit generally crak where pla parts with same settings give enough to snapfit.

It really is weird I seem to have totally different experiences to everybody else.

Have never drilled pla - or abs - always put any holes in the designs.
So can't comment on that.