Nick, I do understand that if you have a recipe that you've dialed in, and know what the variables are and can get it to hit the marks time and again, it's good. But when you're posting the recipe for someone else, you need to include more info. Otherwise they won't brew it close enough to how you brew it and it won't come out the same.
I also understand that my methods won't be the same everyone uses. I'm sure there are times that someone's methods are looked at funny by others, but as long as you're getting good/great brew, who cares... Right?
For hardware, you have more than a few options for brewing an all grain batch. I started with BIAB. Loved it, since it allowed me to brew all grain on the stove. This last time I used the propane burner (experienced tank frost for the first time towards the end) and used my converted cooler MLT... Now that I've used one, with success, I can't see going back to the BIAB method, except occasionally, when forced to. I do plan on getting a small space heater to use when it's cold out, so that the propane tank doesn't get too cold.
I'd rather have as much detail as I can get when picking up a new skill. Give me all the info you can, and I'll process it, discard what I decide I don't need, and then move forward. Maybe it's because I've been in IT for over 11 years, that I can quickly do this. In my field a small piece of information can make the difference between an environment being online and stable and it crashing left and right all hours of the day.
I normally check the OG of every batch I brew. It was getting VERY late last night (pitched the yeast around 2am) and it completely slipped my mind, until I had already pitched the yeast in. But, I'm confident I hit at least 75% efficiency with the mash/sparge, which is what I used to compose my recipe. Even if I hit a little lower, at 70%, it will still be great. It will be much better than the first time I brewed it since I only hit ~50% due to not doing the mash right (didn't get the dough balls out, etc.)... Of course, I'm still getting familiar with the propane burner, but I had just over my volume in the pot by the end of the night. I might have had a cup, or two, left in the pot, and got just over 5 gallons into the carboy. LOVE the ball valve in the kettle. Makes things so much easier. I do see a refractometer in my near future. That will make getting pre-boil SG and post boil OG readings far easier. Hopefully, I'll have one within another couple of brew days.
As long as you have hardware you're familiar with, and a process that works, run with it. But if a recipe calls for a mash temperature range, and time, it's best to brew it that way at least the first time. You can always tweak it for the second time to see what you get.