Is there a limit to the number of directly connected devices that the hub can realistically handle? I've noticed that all but 4 of my devices are now directly connected. The 4 that aren't direct are known line of site issues to the radio around reflective objects I cannot relocate such as the fireplace. Looking to push the device count close to 232 but don't want to swamp the radio.
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232 (max z-wave nodes) is the only limitation.
LR extends this node count dramatically to 4000 nodes
I'm not pushing 232, but as a point of reference (ie, roughly halfway there) I do have a C7 pushing 124 Zwave nodes at the moment. Three deadbolts using S0 security, everything else no security.
No complaints with Zwave performance. Looks like 106 of mine route direct to the hub.
Last year when I first switched to Hubitat I was having all kinds of Zwave problems.
Before I figured those out I planned to do the same thing you did -- I got a second C7 and was going to basically cut the house in half. But since I fixed issue or two that was the root cuase of my sick mesh, I've been very happy with Zwave performance. I'm at the point now where I perceive a slight but of Zigbee latency, but I perceive zero Zwave latency.
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Does Zwave LR still do the mesh bit? I saw something about them quadrupling the distance for LR -- that +4 hops would cover a lot of ground.
No LR is direct.
Ok, yeah, quadruple the distance to eliminate the sometimes-headaches of the mesh. That makes sense.
I think LR makes a great addition to the mesh approach. Longer distance isn't going to help with 'around-the-corner' RF blockages that Mesh can cure. RF is straight lines and needs mesh type solutions to get around RF obstacles.
I imagine I'll deploy a LR only hub to go with my current 3 hubs (under 70 devices per hub, so far) My mesh reaches out to my end of my property where my Pool equipment lives. LR would certainly reduce the hops but none of my existing hubs are well situated to be an unobstructed line of site, and the C-7 (the only one qualified for LR) is in the worst location of all. 
What did you do to get here?
I have 59 Z-Wave devices,3 with S0 security (2 garage door, 1 battery lock):
- 4 Z-Wave (non-plus) devices (1 garage door, 2 thermostats, 1 lock)
- Only 22 are DIRECT connect to the hub.
- 37 at 100 Kbps
- 12 at 40 Kbps
- 10 at 9.6 Kbps
For the life of me, I can't get the 9.6 Kbps to take any other path (a device in the box right next to it will be 100 Kbps with less hops).
I never had this sort of data visibility with my past solution...so sometimes more data is a bad thing - hehe.
Oh, I see; I didn't realize the market intention was to only use ZR on an application-by-application basis. I guess I thought it was the "next generation" of Zwave.
Well in this case, I'd love a Zwave LR contact sensor for my mailbox. Maybe 10% of the time it doesn't successfully report back a closed event.
I don't know what the market intention is.. but certainly both are expected to run from a single hub simultaneously. You can only Join a device one way.. mesh or LR.. or Exclude then Include again the other way. Therefore a Hub will have some number of Mesh devices and some number of LR devices.
If LR works out and I have more than 2 LR devices, I'm simply thinking out loud that I'd throw a Hub at the job... mostly because moving an existing hub to a better LR physical location is "more expensive" than dedicating a hub. 
I only have 7 hubs so far today... maybe next Sale I should pick up another, huh?
I know you can do it, Lewis. That would be a great project for this summer.
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Well, first thing would be to swap out the non-plus zwave devices that are not battery-powered since they act as routers and limit the maximum speed to 40kbps, and if its connecting at 9.6kbps then any devices that route through them will be capped at that lower speed.
The next thing to try is to make sure you have a good path to the hub. Try to centralize the hub to the middle of your devices. If you stick your hub in the southeast corner of your home then devices in the northwest corner are going to prefer to hop through devices, rather than direct connect. If possible try to position the hub away from your router a good distance. Avoid reflective objects and surfaces such as tile backsplashes and metal where possible.
