Why don’t I read the user manual instructions?

On Wednesday, I purchased a True Temper wheelbarrow at Farm and Fleet as a gift. Fortunately, I could afford to spend about $200 on a good and reliable materials carrier. My targeted wheelbarrow could move 6 cubic feet per load, had steel handles, and a flat-free tire option, so I thought that was my ticket. Unfortunately, I had to assemble it myself. I first noticed that the date “2022” was stamped on the bottom of the box. A certain amount of suspicion filled my eyes. I then looked for the manufacturer's country, but couldn’t find any. Oh boy!

On Thursday, I opened the box and started to remove all the materials, including the instructions. The one-page instructions were tucked at the bottom of the box, and the left corner was ripped as I fished them out. The good news is that it wasn’t damaged very much. The bad news, part of the QR code was ripped. (Why not the QR code in several places to mitigate this issue from occurring?) No fear, a web address was also included in the instructions, so as I organized all the parts on the garage floor, I tried to visit this site. It timed out, so I wondered if the WIFI signal wasn’t as strong in the garage. I later went back inside my house, upstairs to my laptop, and tried this address again, but it timed out. I sensed it was an old address. It confirmed to me that initially seeing the date of “2022” was not a good omen. (Please see picture directly below.)

The URL for the assembly video is not operational.

Moving on to the assembly, the monochrome directions were small and not very detailed. Yes, they identified all the parts, but the process steps were unclear, so I struggled to understand several steps. Where should the longer bolts be placed versus the shorter ones underneath the barrow? Where do you specifically place the brace to provide stability with the legs? Were the legs on correctly? Still unsure, I went to YouTube and searched for instructions for this model. Besides, my True Temper wheelbarrow's manufacturer model number, R6STSP14, was not listed, so the guessing game began. After not receiving the results, I visited the manufacturer’s website and called technical support. Unfortunately, it was 6 pm CT, but their hours were from 9 am to 5 pm ET. (People always tell me how great YouTube is, but sometimes, if you don’t find the right video with a clear narrator and an effective camera angle, it can be an exercise in futility.)

Fortunately, I could ring them tomorrow. I have to be fully transparent and say their support operation was only open for eight hours, using ET. I was surprised at their limited support.

I decided to call on Friday morning. In the meantime, having struck out with videos, I decided to search for a color picture of this True Temper Wheelbarrow. I finally found one and was happy I could zoom in to see the bolt length. I also realized that the next step involved the brace to support the two metal legs. I just couldn’t get the legs to completely line up with the brace, and couldn’t see in the instructions how the brace would align with the legs. I immediately thought maybe one of the legs is bent, so the brace couldn’t fit right. Based on how I was feeling that night, I will do a play on words, and say I will do a play on words, that will do a play on words, and say this wheelbarrow tested my "true temper."

If you look at this picture, it's difficult to determine what side represents the front versus the back. Including that identification would be useful.

About one hour later, I called customer support, and Shanna answered the phone. She was friendly and polite and wanted to assist. I explained my situation and mentioned that some of the steps in the instructions were not detailed – in other words, the diagram was designed so that I couldn’t tell the front from the back. So, I told her during some of the steps, I did it both ways. Second-guessing is not ideal, but with no video or using poorly designed instructions, what options did I have? My wife was not around at all, so I didn’t have anyone to bounce ideas off. I just second-guessed where things should go. Shanna also agreed that these instructions could be clearer. I told her that’s why I rarely follow directions, because they’re poorly written or designed. She just laughed. I said to her, “I often ignore directions not because I’m a man, but because they’re often not detailed enough, steps may be out of order, or questions you may have during installation cannot be answered through the instructions or website.”

I had to flip the brace over. I didn't realize the brand should been facing downward when the wheelbarrow is flipped over.

Shanna suggested that I take some pictures so the support area could help diagnose the issue. I told her I wanted to finish this project ASAP because it was a gift that I would be giving that same weekend. She apologized for the inconvenience.

As I was taking pictures of this True Temper wheelbarrow, I began to think that the brace was the issue. Perhaps the legs were not bent, but perhaps the brace had to be flipped around. Because of my research, I couldn’t tell which part of the brace should face upward. I flipped it 180 degrees and everything aligned correctly. (When instructions are incomplete, I sometimes rely on a picture to help me understand the steps. However, in this situation, the picture couldn’t help me determine how to secure the brace.)

Takeaways:

Sometimes it pays to sleep on a project; sometimes a fresh approach uncovers hidden challenges you may have overlooked the day before.

It would have been useful to have another person nearby when I started questioning certain parts of the instructions. Having another person at critical steps can sometimes prevent “paralysis by analysis.”

Sometimes you can get better instructions on the web. At the same time, find out their support number and hours of operation. That may help with planning. If you want to resolve something at that point, you have to work within the hours of operation.

Perspiration and persistence will often pay good dividends.

Why don’t I read the user manual instructions?