Will a completely manual Nikon F-mount bayonette lens work well on a newer DSLR?

I have several nice Nikon F-mount lenses that I purchased 25+ years ago for my old, but beloved and trusty 35-mm SLR. Since the advent of digital, shooting on film has just become too cost prohibitive, but after several years of frustration with point-and-shoot digitals, I want to get an DSLR and put my lenses back to good use. Can anyone tell me if an entry-level Nikon D3000 or D3100 will work well with an all-manual (manual focus, aperature, and zoom) lens.

No.

You will have to buy a dSLR like a D7000, D300 or D3 series to use older Nikkor lenses. If your older manual lenses are AI or AI conversions, they can be used with those more advanced cameras.

The entry level Nikon dSLR's need to use the new AF-S Nikkor lenses

More on Nikon lens compatibilities

http://www.kenrockwell.com/...y-lens.htm

This is a great reference for comparing good used lenses with what you can use them with

Simply put, if it's made after 1976 (ai or ai-s mount) it will mount on all the bodies but you will need a D7000 or better to get light metering. IF your lenses are pre-ai you may be able to mount them on a low end body like the d3000 or you can have them converted (http://www.aiconversions.com/)

Having said that, you should take a critical look at the lenses. There are indeed some gems amongst those oldies but there are also plenty of lenses that just are not good enough on today's cameras.