why is pulling considered better than pushing?

The static Friction is greater while Pushing as compared to pulling and thus it is easier to pull when compared to pulling.

For example,

Resolving forces in putting a lawn roller:

Which pulling a lawn roller, the forces are resolved as above. Now It is easy to pull a lawn roller than to push it because while pulling we can see two components of vertical forces as,

N? normal reaction.

F sin ??Vertical component of the force F.

As a result the affect weight decreases as —

N = mg – F sin ?

As the result the frictional force which is fs = Nr_s win decrease on the roller a_i it will be easy to pull it.

If a force 'F' is applied by us on the ground then flour will give a reaction force in opposite direction. Even a component of this force along with the frictional force (fs) will push us in forward direction. The N, mg a_i F sin ? only helps in maintaining the body balance and the net forces in forward direction will push us forward.