yes i engage the bar full with lats and somehwat hitchin the weight off the floor like a bent row then standing up with ease, no worry about bar scraping shins *START OUT WITH LIGHT WIGHT TILL YOU GET THE FORM, its much like trap bar deadlift but teaches you to stroke back with your arms like a swimming stroke before you stand up with it using lats and biceps even triceps because you push BACK with your arms then pull rather than using my lower back and legs, much safer.. i feel it in quads secondary and this eliminates lower back using. my lower back is the LAST muscle i want to fatigue in anything, i aim to NOT fatigue my lower back=injury= inability to do anything if you anihlate your lower back on deads 
I just did some of these and I can feel what you're saying about pushing back with your lats and arms. And good quad involvement too, I did more sets with my heels raised on bricks to hit the quads in my leg workout.
Also, your swinging triceps kickbacks kindof match the effect of straight arm cable pulldowns for lats, with the bonus of them starting at the strongest/most effective point in the mid-range of the movement. Like seated barbell curls do.
Good stuff thanks man, I'm gonna keep using both of these.
