Got mine at a camera show for next-to-nothing. I've never seen the loading guides. I made 4"x7" cardstock sheets that I slip into the film slots with the lights on. The cardstock sheets stick out beyond the slots by 2" or so. Then I load each sheet by sliding it along the card stock until completely seated. Then I remove that one card and load the next sheet against the next cardstock sheet. ( I hope I've described this adequately, if not I can post a pic)
It seems to use more chemistry than absolutely needed for development, but my negatives have always been very uniform.
You can't invert the tank to agitate, I just rock it from side-to-side. I use it in the dark, remove the lid for filling and draining to speed things up.
John
