Wow, impressive replies, even from the developer himself! Thanks for all these great tips and suggestions.
Looking forward to trying them out. And reading more.

Perhaps its just a matter of getting the hang of the workflow.

I'd still suggest you consider a gizmo as an optional preference to ease the poly folks orientation.
Sort of like how most video editing programs offer alternate hotkey settings to match Avid, FinalCutPro & PremierePro.

But, maybe I just missed a simple step. I'll give these tips a try first.