Drum machines are only as good as their operator, but so are real performances. Drum samples are so good these days, they are indistinguishable from real performances. Well, they are real performances, but you know what I mean.
Programming drums has the potential to save a lot of time and headache. It eliminates the need for rehearsal, setup and teardown, tracking, extensive editing and mixing. Most bands prefer playing with a live drummer though.
A good drummer may not be a good programmer. Drummers often do things when playing drums that they don't realize--subtle dynamics, rhythmic and tempo nuances, bounces and buzzes--that make a performance sound natural and musical. As a
drum instructor, I'm more aware of these things than many drummers. I've become a good programmer because of it.
A drawback of drum machines is that popular drum samples are used on many recordings, which means you'll hear "your drums" on other records. When you record your own drums, you'll have
your sound, for better or for worse.