No, the way YOU do an annual inspection (note clearly the word inspection)
takes about 25 hours. An annual INSPECTION takes 4 to 6 hours, half of
which is paperwork.

If you want to be pedantic, two can play that game. Note clearly the
absence of the word inspection from my post. Annual inspection has a
regulatory meaning per 14CFR43. Annual is a commonly used aviation
term to denote the annual service cycle comprised of inspection,
preventive maintenance, and repairs as necessary. It includes the
process of opening up and cleaning so that these things can be done,
and closing everything up again. It is common usage and generally
understood. It's the reason that an A&P can do an annual - the IA need
only perform the actual inspection.

I agree, the inspection itself takes 2-3 hours once everything is
opened up and cleaned. The associated paperwork may take YOU 2-3 hours
- my process is far more streamlined that that on an airplane I've
worked on previously. I can complete the paperwork on my airplane and
have it ready for IA signature in under an hour. On a new-to-me
airplane, it can take much longer than 3 hours - if the airplane has no
AFM when one is required, or an equipment list that hasn't been updated
in decades, and the AD compliance report is a joke, it can take much
longer to research the records.

THe rest of the stuff you mentioned (lubrication, greasing, and such) is
preventative MAINTENANCE, not inspection.

You are correct, but it MUST be done, and realistically the time to do
it is at the time of inspection. Most private planes fly 100 hours a
year or less, so the annual is the reasonable time to take care of the
100-hour service checklist items and AD's. Sure, the owner can do most
of it himself, since it is mostly preventive maintenance, and any A&P
can do (or supervise) the rest - but if it doesn't get done, the
airplane starts turning into a piece of crap.

Michael