Any mechanical questions that demand an expert answer from those very knowledgeable about Jobo items can be obtained from the Jobo service person at Omega Satter in Maryland ( I think ). His name is,I believe, Greg Blank. Worth a call about the questions concerning rotation, the lift, etc. etc. Of course, real world experience from those who have used the Jobo day in and day out is also quite beneficial.
I have run my Jobo at the "normal speed setting" ( in my case, "4" ) for black and white film processing using the usual black and white developers. IMO, there is no mechanical or "processing" reason to run the motor at slower speeds in such instances. With Pyrocat HD I do indeed use a slower speed-just enough so that the drum turns regularly without any hesitation or stress. Following Sandy King's instructions about the addition of sodium sulfite has decreased aerial oxidation significantly, and such oxidation is no longer an issue.
Of course, the final "arbiter" of any method is the look of the negative. If what you are doing works well, and causes no damage to your equipment, then there is no reason to change. I would suspect that NOT using the lift with the expert drums is probably not the best way to use the expert drums and your machine-however if you are getting the results that you want, then excepting the risk of damaging your Jobo, why change?
I believe that the questions concerning starting and stopping the motor to raise the drum, and the "need" to reverse the direction of rotation, have been discussed in depth previously on APUG. As I recall, there was no unanimity.
