I use a stringer on all of my bows. I use it on recurves, D/R longbows and even the one straight limbed longbow I have.
I used the push/pull method on a Hill longbow, NOT a Howard Hill, and the tip broke that was "resting" against the arch of my foot. It didn't really bother because the bow had more hand/elbow shock than I cared to deal with. I would have never traded or sold that bow because I don't care to pass a problem bow onto someone else! That was the first, and last, time I used the push/pull method for stringing a bow.
Bill