I also implemented my backup scheme using "pull" as it is easier to do than an append-only system, and therefore probably more secure as there is less room for mistakes. The backup server can only be accessed through a console directly, which is a bit annoying sometimes, but at least it writes summaries back to the network.
I used to do this too, using rsnapshot to backup ssh:// locations.
At some point I switched to instead using Syncthing to sync all my files to the backup server, and then the backup server did local backups from the Syncthing folder to the backup disk using Borgmatic. Works better for laptops.
Now I daily drive a Mac, and switched to Arq backup with a BackBlaze remote, instead of hosting my own backup server. More of a turnkey solution but works fine, especially given all the settings to suspend backups depending on e.g. battery status, WiFi connectivity, etc. when roaming around.
