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I have only had a Telrad for a little while, but have found it very useful. it makes pointing the scope easy. Note that the Telrad helps align the scope where you want, not to find what you want in the sky....
Use the sky map to determine a naked eye star (mag 4.5 or brighter say) as close as possible to the object you wish to view, look for it in the sky, use the Telrad to push the scope there, then use the finder (which usually has some magnification) to spot the actual object you want to view. Many nebulas are clearly visible in the average 8x finder scope. If you don't have a Telrad (they aren't expensive) you need to aim the scope roughly by hand by looking along the tube instead then find the spot you want in the finder.
You do need to make sure the finder and Telrad are aligned to the scope though. Get Jupiter in the centre of view with a moderately high magnification eyepiece and then adjust the screws on the finder so that it is in the centre of the finder.
Also, go for bright nebulas, galaxies are generally a lot harder to see.
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