I'm going to have my 2 cents here if you don't mind ? & sorry if my post has nothing to do with your thread Geoff.
I have Parks optics in my 12.5" newt. Not GS. I also own a 6" achro. Both are collimated VERY well. No pinched optics in the newt. Both scopes throw up very good images IMHO.
In DIRECT comparison between these 2 scopes.....The newt blows the achro out of the water. BUT The achro throws up better contrast on planets, & ONE dso. The orion nebula. I'm not talking resolution or light gathering or image scale or anything else, but contrast.
Seeing I like contrasty views, I like looking at mainly Jupiter & the orion neb with the refractor over the newt. BUT! hehehe..If I want to resolve something such as triton? It's not possible in the achro. It's also not possible to get the image scale on jupiter & saturn & still retain crisp images or to see that fine detail.This is where the reflector comes into it's own.
I think the guys that are saying their getting better planetary views out of their refractors either: their reflectors are out of collimation as you said Geoff, or is it possible their actually saying their getting better CONTRASTY views?
Define the statement/or term: 'better planetary views'