The check valve would defiantly be a fool proof way of not letting pressure go the wrong way. Also you can mark one of the hose ends with a colored plastic wire tie, and also the same color wire tie around the remote connection on the tractor, and a colored dot or something on the panel next to the control lever. This just helps keep everything the same every time you hook up.
That is exactly what I plan to do. As far as deadheading the pump is concerned, my experience is that when you do that the tractor lugs down immediately, and you instantly know you've done it wrong. Also, I don't plan to jam the A-B valve into the detente position, so the pressure rise won't happen quite so quickly.