Dragon 1,
You write, "...... Alot of noise, fuel, vibration through the airframe and mechanical wear and tear on the engines for little or no effective gain."
Reverse thrust, applied at high speed, can be an effective way to dissipate energy during the landing roll. Even more so when the runway has a low coefficient of braking.
Remember, there are only four ways to slow the aircraft after landing;
1. Aerodynamic drag .... not very effective
2. Brakes ... can be very effective
3. Reverse thrust ... can be effective if used at high speeds
4. Running into a solid object ... very effective, but hard on all concerned
My students were all given the same advice. Look ahead at the runway you will be landing on. How long is it ? Is it dry or contaminated ? Where are the preferred exits ? Are High Intensity Runway Operations in effect ? Do I have a short turn around time ? What is the outside air temperature ?
When you have all that information pick an energy dissipation configuration that suits the landing. Use flap, brake and reverse selections to optimize the landing. For example, on a long dry runway where you will be turning off near the far end and have no turn around time constraints I would use Flap 3, Auto Brake Off and Idle Reverse. On a short contaminated runway my choice would be Flap Full, Auto Brake Medium and Max Reverse.
The point is to be a thinking pilot and use the tools you have at your disposal in a safe and efficient manner.
best regards,
Bruce Waddington