I am looking at buying a self propelled lawnmower and was a store
today and the clerk said that is hard on the mower when you pull it
back. So if I cut forward into a tight area I would need to pull it
back also. He showed my on a model he had, don't recall the brand,
and there was resistance felt and what felt like a gear click.
I went to Sears and ask this question and they had not heard of that
being a problem. Once the drive lever is released there didn't appear
to be any resistance.

Is there merrit in the first clerks comment about the reverse thing?

Brian