Lonsdale73
Established Member
Just wondering how many on here actually read the manuals that come with their hardware?
RTFM
- Thread starter Lonsdale73
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I do for some things, but to be honest 3/4 of them are useless beyond the assembly stage and half of those are all but useless for that stage. I don't think it is a new phenomenon though, I have some things from the 70s and 80s, the manuals were not much better from back then.
nev
Established Member
If it needs a manual its badly designed! 
lurker
Le dullard de la commune
My petrol chainsaw manual advises me not to stop the chainblade with my fingers, which I thought was a good suggestion.
lurker
Le dullard de la commune
nev":ohtmh5fq said:If it needs a manual its badly designed!
Except a well written manual is an excellent get out of jail card.
You cant "read" manuals anymore, you have to be fluent in pictograms. (hammer)
It seems I'm not.
I've just put together a flat pack bathroom vanity unit. I'm impressed with the build quality, and I did try to understand the computer drawings, but trying to get 8 soft close drawer runners into the correct slots was too much for the diagrams. I ended up improvising. :roll: :roll: 8)
It seems I'm not.
I've just put together a flat pack bathroom vanity unit. I'm impressed with the build quality, and I did try to understand the computer drawings, but trying to get 8 soft close drawer runners into the correct slots was too much for the diagrams. I ended up improvising. :roll: :roll: 8)
Trainee neophyte
Established Member
I have a fondness for Chinese English. I particularly like things written on toy boxes. Instruction manuals can be good, too.
This is an example: https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-chines ... ion-fails/
This is an example: https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-chines ... ion-fails/
AES
Established Member
I'm a boring old so & so. I ALWAYS "read" the manual (though just as sunnybob says, they're often "multi-lingual" pictures - i.e. not able to be clearly 100% understood by anyone) these days.
Mind you, to produce a GOOD manual takes a lot of time and expertise, (very clear and unambiguous text, photos, and/or artwork) and IMO, such are very few and far between - and always have been. Having had to produce the odd Manual or two myself I have some idea of what it takes to produce a reasonable effort.
It's definitely one of the ways in which the cheaper and mid ranges of the market saves the pennies.
But that doesn't stop me having a go at "reading" the Manual 1st time something new comes into the shop (or house). I usually learn something new (even if, as above, it's only the fact that Orientals generally can't get their heads around English grammar - just like I can't for theirs).
Mind you, to produce a GOOD manual takes a lot of time and expertise, (very clear and unambiguous text, photos, and/or artwork) and IMO, such are very few and far between - and always have been. Having had to produce the odd Manual or two myself I have some idea of what it takes to produce a reasonable effort.
It's definitely one of the ways in which the cheaper and mid ranges of the market saves the pennies.
But that doesn't stop me having a go at "reading" the Manual 1st time something new comes into the shop (or house). I usually learn something new (even if, as above, it's only the fact that Orientals generally can't get their heads around English grammar - just like I can't for theirs).
Trevanion
Greatest Of All Time
The manuals that come with the SCM machines are pretty good, very detailed write-ups on certain parts, uses, methods, troubleshooting, etc...
You do pay for it though :lol:
You do pay for it though :lol:
I've recently been messing around with inverters for use as speed controllers and have found that the, typically, 150+ page manuals are excellent for pretty well all of the decent makes. This is true even for inverters costing as little as £100, but may not be so for the really cheap Chinese models - but I wouldn't use one of those unless it came with a free fire extinguisher!
Duncan
Duncan
AES
Established Member
Yup, to add to my disparaging comments above, I must say that the Manual than came with Excalibur scroll saw really is 1st class. There ARE some exceptions about.
woodhutt
Established Member
Trainee neophyte":38ux4bwn said:I have a fondness for Chinese English. I particularly like things written on toy boxes. Instruction manuals can be good, too.
This is an example: https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-chines ... ion-fails/
My favourite was a company I spotted in Hong Kong named "The Wilful Shipping Co."
I guess their motto is "We'll send your goods where we want it shipped."
Pete
Robbo3
Established Member
Not only do I read the manuals & store them in folders, I also search for them online & download them so that I also have a copy on the PC. This allows me to print off just a relevant page or even the whole manual to give to someone else.Lonsdale73":1142jajq said:
AES
Established Member
Me too Robbo3. AND I keep the receipts too.
Lonsdale73
Established Member
AES":5hhsta2a said:
Recently, I was asked to produce a receipt for something I bought close on 20 years ago! I'll not be able to post my ressponse here.
