Face/plane mating (3 mates) vs Edge mating (2 mates), better?

I have been using SW for 7 years now and today I learned something
that I should have thought of trying many, many years ago. I had
learned and always done a common 3 mate approach when constraining
parts in an assembly, mate a top face/plane to a top face/plane, a
right face/plane to a right face/plane, mate a front face/plane to a
front face/plane.

But this morning I tried something else, I mated a horizontal edge to
a horizontal edge and vertical edge to a vertical edge fully
constraining a part, 2 mates instead of my typical 3.

Who else is using this technique? Advantages, disadvantages? My only
worry is that there may be some unforeseen errors in my future, naaaa,
when does that ever happen?

 

Will your method work (all mates satisfied) if you substitute another
part for the original one? I don't think so, but I may be wrong. Try
mating the primary planes in your part with planes in your assembly.
The primary planes are always present in a part, therefore, a
substitution should give you mates that are always satisfied.

 

Who else is using this technique? Advantages, disadvantages? My only

I do that occasionally, but avoid using model edges if it's reasonable to
do so. My model templates have the 3 main axes added. I'm more likely to
use those when doing this sort of mate scheme.

 

yeah, model edges are too easily changed. I would only use this
method in rare instances.