Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Craftsman Hydrostatic drive, directional valve, clutchs

Question
I have a Craftsman 2 / 12.5 HP ride on lawn mower with a hydrostatic clutch, reverse does not work, but forward works perfect. When I am in reverse it feels like neutral. There isnt even slippage.This lawn mower was second hand and I baught it knowing reverse didnt work thinking I could fix it. Just wondering if this was a common problem with hydrostatic clutchs.

Answer
This could be caused by a couple of things.  The first thing I'd check is the linkage adjustment to ensure the transmission is actually being engaged to reverse when the lever or pedal is in reverse position.  If this adjustment is OK, the problem is likely related to directional valve in the transmission.  Because the transmission still has forward, there SHOULDN'T be an issue on the pump side of it.  If this is the case, I recommend you take the machine into a shop to handle the repair unless you are prepared to do some learning with a proper service manual.  Hope this helps.

Correcting a typo