The fact that your arms do not have to help support the weight that is balanced on your back and the fact that your low back and lats are not used makes a big difference in the amount of total muscle mass the is used during the exercise. They do not compare to the basic core lifts they were designed to replace. No, they are actually good machines and they have their place in training. Does it not make since that if one method or machine was superior to another in maximizing strength gains, strength coaches would not immediately jump on it. We always read the current literature and most of us are members of several research oriented professional organizations, we attend conventions, and hear the latest in everything on the market.
Universities are generally willing to budget anything needed to produce a quality athletic program.
Strength coaches are always in search of a better way to strengthen and condition their athletes, so far the above mentioned lifts have never been improved on. You are not the only fitness professional that firmly believes in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. It is very common in the Northwest also, especially among high school football coaches. If you check further you will find this common practice not only in the NW, but all over the world. However, there are lots of coaches that argue between the deadlift and the powerclean.