I mostly stay in tree mode because I like looking at the structure of the thread and it's easier to follow the discussion.  I toggle to flat mode to quickly see the most recent post, by whom and time.

I've read past threads concerning this topic but wanted to see if there was anything new or something I'm missing that may be useful. Thanks.

I think most people do it like you. (except the ones who keep it in flat mode and get lost trying to follow threads. 😊)