I like to warm up my legs with some ass to the ground squats on the smith. (3 sets, 1st no weight, then 50lb, then 70lbs)
Then I will go to the leg press for some really heavy work. 4 sets
4 plates, 6 plates, then 8 plates for last 2 sets.
I used to deadlift, but I found that I get much better hammie contractions from the leg curls so I have stuck with that. And I use that energy for the more explosive stuff like the leg press or hack squats.