Festool Manuals - Surely they can be improved?

[GarryMartin]

I'd be interested in at least an online copy of that MFT/3 manual. Granted, it covers NAINA items, too, but would be nice to see. Like the lay-flat spiral bound.

Do you speak Dutch? [wink]

https://www.festool.be/FR/Service/Documents/Brochures/NL/2008_NL_nl_MFT3_user_manual[1].pdf

Never did find an English version...

 

[Locky]

I got it from my dealer when i bought the mft it didnt come in the box, it is best manual i have ever recieved with a product, what i can do for you guys is scan it and if i can get a mods email address i can email it to them and they can post it up (im not to good with computers). am i allowed to do this?
It covers:
Set up
All the different clamping systems including vac clamp
Sawing
Routing
CMS attachment
Building a bench

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

I'd prefer that you not scan it. I have already asked to see if I can get a PDF copy.

 

[bkharman]

[size=10pt]

I have no real problem with the actual manuals. Yes they assume you already have a basic knowledge of how to use a tool safely, but most people purchasing a Festool are not beginners. But some mention of vacuum settings would be a significant improvement.
[size=11pt]
My real issue is that on all the Festool websites, the download versions are in a PDF format that cannot be read on an IPad. If the sales/publicity and 'how to' brochures can be downloaded to an IPad, why can't the manuals?
[size=10pt]
I would like to be able to read the manual when considering a purchase and not all tools have one of the excellent supplementary manuals.

I have read many Festool PDFs on my iPad. What are you using to try and open them?  I generally will bring them into my iBooks or through Evernote. I keep everything in Evernote.

 

[Stephen B]

I have no real problem with the actual manuals. Yes they assume you already have a basic knowledge of how to use a tool safely, but most people purchasing a Festool are not beginners. But some mention of vacuum settings would be a significant improvement.
[size=11pt]
My real issue is that on all the Festool websites, the download versions are in a PDF format that cannot be read on an IPad. If the sales/publicity and 'how to' brochures can be downloaded to an IPad, why can't the manuals?
[size=10pt]
I would like to be able to read the manual when considering a purchase and not all tools have one of the excellent supplementary manuals.

I have read many Festool PDFs on my iPad. What are you using to try and open them?  I generally will bring them into my iBooks or through Evernote. I keep everything in Evernote.

[size=12pt]
Thanks for your reply. It seams to be only the manuals. All other Festool PDFs and the supplementary manuals are no problem.

 

[Stephen B]

I'd be interested in at least an online copy of that MFT/3 manual. Granted, it covers NAINA items, too, but would be nice to see.  Like the lay-flat spiral bound.

Do you speak Dutch?  [wink]

https://www.festool.be/FR/Service/Documents/Brochures/NL/2008_NL_nl_MFT3_user_manual[1].pdf

Never did find an English version...

[size=10pt]
Gary from your link on the Dutch site -

[size=12pt]
The page you're looking for doesn't exist.

Check for a typo in the URL, or go to the site home

Could be due to the site assuming I want English translation?

 

[peter halle]

I just tried to open the manual for the TS-55 from the AU website on my original iPad and also my Mac.  It is recognized as a .zip file.  That might be the issue.  Also tried it on my wife's newer iPad.  WON't open due to .zip.

Peter

 

[Locky]

No problem Shane, thats why i thought i should ask. The last people i want to offend is festool
Great videos to Shane, thank you very much for posting

 

[GarryMartin]

[size=10pt]
Gary from your link on the Dutch site -

[size=12pt]
The page you're looking for doesn't exist.

Check for a typo in the URL, or go to the site home

Fixed

 

[Stephen B]

I just tried to open the manual for the TS-55 from the AU website on my original iPad and also my Mac.  It is recognized as a .zip file.  That might be the issue.  Also tried it on my wife's newer iPad.  WON't open due to .zip.

Peter

[size=12pt]
Peter thanks for x-checking.  [smile]
[size=10pt]
It is not just AUST site, UK and Germany also. NA?

If there is a multi-national problem, it probably stems from German HQ.
I would think that sales and 'how to' brochures which are rich in photographs and graphic images would be larger files than the manuals, so why are the manuals subject to zip file size reduction?

 

[peter halle]

I just tried to open the manual for the TS-55 from the AU website on my original iPad and also my Mac.  It is recognized as a .zip file.  That might be the issue.  Also tried it on my wife's newer iPad.  WON't open due to .zip.

Peter

[size=12pt]
Peter thanks for x-checking.  [smile]
[size=10pt]
It is not just AUST site, UK and Germany also. NA?

If there is a multi-national problem, it probably stems from German HQ.
I would think that sales and 'how to' brochures which are rich in photographs and graphic images would be larger files than the manuals, so why are the manuals subject to zip file size reduction?

My guess is that it is just an oversight - not intentional.  The source files come from one place I am sure.  The majority of Festool websites are handled / administered by Festool itself which would account for issues across the platform. I know that Australia and the US are two exceptions.  My guess is that the issue has now been noted and where it needs to be addressed it will be.  

Peter

Here in the NA the Manuals I checked are in straight PDF format so they can be opened on even the original iPad. 

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

No problem Shane, thats why i thought i should ask. The last people i want to offend is festool

No issues offending anyone. I just didn't want you to needlessly spend time doing that when I can email someone and get it potentially.  [wink]

I just tried to open the manual for the TS-55 from the AU website on my original iPad and also my Mac.  It is recognized as a .zip file.  That might be the issue.  Also tried it on my wife's newer iPad.  WON't open due to .zip.

Thanks for checking that out, Peter. I have emailed my colleague in Australia who administers their websites to bring this to his attention. Hopefully, it will get sorted out.

Shane

 

[Julian Tracy]

I will counter the claim that Canon Pro camera manuals aren't very good - all of the Canon cameras I've dealt with have very nicely done printed "mini book" manuals with all settings explained and functions, etc.  That's not to say some things aren't confusing - but the Canon manuals in general, I've been happy to have and use.

And through the years, I've also been impressed with Bosch's manuals for their larger tools like mitersaws and tablesaws - they have also been bound like booklets and have very clear and detailed directions for every adjustment and setup procedure needed.

Festool's manuals - not so much.

JT

 

[gkaiseril]

[size=10pt]
My real issue is that on all the Festool websites, the download versions are in a PDF format that cannot be read on an IPad. If the sales/publicity and 'how to' brochures can be downloaded to an IPad, why can't the manuals?
[size=10pt]

I see that the manuals are in a ZIP type file. This is library and compression format. One must first open the ZIP file and extract the manual before any other application can process it. If one opens the Australian ZIP file, one finds another zip file within the file and this file holds another 12 manuals in different languages. So the use of the ZIP file for the manual is a good approach for the Australia market where multiple languages need to be supported from one site.

 

[Stephen B]

My real issue is that on all the Festool websites, the download versions are in a PDF format that cannot be read on an IPad. If the sales/publicity and 'how to' brochures can be downloaded to an IPad, why can't the manuals?
[size=10pt]

I see that the manuals are in a ZIP type file. This is library and compression format. One must first open the ZIP file and extract the manual before any other application can process it. If one opens the Australian ZIP file, one finds another zip file within the file and this file holds another 12 manuals in different languages. So the use of the ZIP file for the manual is a good approach for the Australia market where multiple languages need to be supported from one site.

[size=11pt]
Our linguistic needs are no different from Europe and even NA. You will find that our manuals are the same as those distributed in Europe. The UK and German site manuals are also Zip.

Yes it is true that Australia is a diverse multi cultural society, but English is the official language for general communication and education. Within this diversity many have immigrated here since WW11 from Uk (hi Kev) Southern Europe and Asia, and more recently Africa and the Middle East. Melbourne, for example has the second largest number of people with a Greek background after Athens, and has a population covering over 120 cultures.

I note the languages are all European in my paper CXS manual and that Greek is not supported nor are any Asian or African Languages. Therefore the Festool manuals are as expected, directed more at Europe than Australia. If you look at Metabo and Bosch manuals you will find the same languages in their manuals. Europe is a significantly bigger market than us, so I am not criticising Festool or these other companies. The CXS manual also only has contact information for Germany.

The US probably has its own manuals due to differences of voltage and regulation. The rest of the world has one manual.  [smile]

Edit. Just checked NA CXS manual, an easy to download PDF and in the main NA languages of English, French and Spanish.  [smile]

 

[gkaiseril]

The PDF format can be very complex and has a number of different options for creation. For example  the text can either rely on the fonts on the user system the P DF can record the data needed to draw the fonts. If one relies on the users system to provide the fonts the file is smaller. If the PDF needs to draw the fonts the files become much bigger. Also the PDDF language support is by default the latin set of characters so any non-latin language like Greek, Japanese, Chinese,, Russian etc requires additonal font sets.  I did open the Chinese manual and saw no issues with the displaying of the Chinese text using Acrobat 9 Professional.

We should all realize that the PDF format has now been made public domain by Adobe and is controlled by the ISO. This means there will be many 3rd party applications and the quality of their product varies greatly form what I have see. And mobile devices like the iPad or android tablets have some very poor apps for processing PDF files.

 

[Stephen B]

[size=11pt]

Alex why did you just delete your post, it made some good points?

I was just going to say that Zip files are usually not a problem for desk and laptop Macs, but appear to be an issue for IPads.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Alex why did you just delete your post, it made some good points?

Because when I read some posts back I saw what I said was already more or less said.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Here's that MFT manual, in English, with NAINA products shown.

Shane

 

[Stephen B]

[size=12pt]

Thanks Shane, excellent manual as Locky said it was.  [smile]