Why are these blinds so hard to pull down (need to use force) but easy to slide up? Does not make sense to me.

I'm sorry that you are having difficulty with the operation of your blinds. The stock cordless faux woods need to have enough tension to hold the blind up after it has been raised to the open position. It does require a firm pull to lower shade. This may become easier after some initial use. If the tension on the blind is too tight and lowering the blind is extremely difficult the blind may need to be returned to your local Lowe's with the receipt and exchanged for a new one. You may also reach out to us at 1-800-538-6567, one of our product specialist will happy to assist you. Our business hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm eastern standard time. My apologies for the inconvenience. - Kimberly