Good point you mentioned there Chuck, A good number of these riding mowers are SUPPOSED to come to a FULL-STOP ... BEFORE changing gears, yes, SOME... you can "stab" the clutch and change gears ( much like a car) but ONLY some, usually advertised as "shift on the go" models, otherwise, a complete STOP IS necessary. It is mentioned in the "toilet-paper" (owners-guide) that comes with the machine, but then, if some-one buys a USED machine and there's NO manual ...... well they MIGHT experience a trans failure sometime down the road. ........:thumbdown: