On 1 May 2007 14:32:19 -0700, wrote:

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.

That seems strange. I pull the mower back all the time when doing
around bushes, etc. and when I had a self-propelled Motor-Mower (1958
to 1964) I did the same thing with no problem.

How can one live with a mower that can't be pulled backwards?

I have seen but not used mowers that had front-wheel drive. Perhaps
some of them can't disengage and depend on the user to push the handle
down if he wants to back up. Was this mower front or rear drive?

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?

Front or rear drive?

Brian