When I was first learning the Fmaj chord - It was very discouraging for me as well. I either had dead strings or they would buzz like crazy...

But I just practiced over and over - trying to ring each string separately, and figure out how much pressure I needed and which way I need to position my figures in order to get each string to ring out right... I also pressed my thumb on the back of the neck right behind the first fret - that helped as well.

I guess you just have to find what works for you... When I learned piano as a child - everything was very cut and dry - there was a right way and everything else was wrong.. But with guitar it seems that the majority of people who play are self taught (or at least the people I have spoken with are), and there are no really set "right" ways to do things...

I haven't been playing for all that long and I can seem to land the F chord pretty well now - well most of the time... :o