I have started using Best when I did the GAP stores in Canada in 1990's. Installed and serviced these 40+stores for any flooring problems over 10 years.Half of these stores (each ave.4000 sq.ft) was installed with ULTRA and half with BEST.As you can imagine we needed to be quick to get the job done and two guys just spreading glue non-stop.Ultra and Best allowed us going fast.
I look for end results:specially when I have to replace the part of the flooring due damage.The floor boards with Best holds much much better than BST or 811.A junk of slab usually comes with it.(same with ULTRA-if you do not mind paying some more).I can remove floors with BST much easier.
"holds the trowel ridges better" it does not make it better.
"BEST slumps to a pancake" does not make any worse, actually it is very difficult to pull it off the floor during installation if you want to remove the board.it just sucks the board into slab:laughing:
Do not forget tpo roll the floors with 150 lbs roller after couple of hours,not a must but I do it anyway.
I was informed on a nightmare take up that was stuck like poop on ass- wipe, it was Franklin 811. One of the hardest I have ever removed.
I use a lot of Mapei 980 and 990, along with Taylor's cross linkers for the green crowd. Bostik's doesn't impress me all that much. I can say for a fact, that Best does not suck the wood down, but I know what you mean, all urethanes have that characteristic, when trying to pull a cull board out of the glue.
I have had to do board replacements with different adhesives brands and types used, including BEST, and no glue was really any worse then the other to get the boards up, unless it wasn't bonded in the first place and the adhesive grew legs(no transfer) Which reminds me of another thing with adhesives that slump, Like BEST and Sika T-55, they are so runny, even a slab within flatness specs you will be chasing hollow areas, even when rolled with a 150# roller.