Like you I normally just observe, but why not post!
I've just started using sick submitter and although it a monthly outlay it wasn't no where near as much as senuke/x, it takes a little time to master, but you can make your own packets by scraping for forum profiles to create links on
If you're just looking to create links without a monthly outlay, I've seen some great gig's on fiverrdotcom, get an article written for $5, then for another $5 get it spun and submitted to over 100 article sites with links back to your site, $5 to get an article on 20 web2.0 site. $5 for 1000 pr5+ site, bookmarking and much more
It all depends how many links your looking for and how much you want to spend?
I used sick because I can send links to 2/3 tiers and cross link them too
Mark