diff --git a/cake/console/libs/help_formatter.php b/cake/console/libs/help_formatter.php
index 82f40563ad0..a728d147314 100644
--- a/cake/console/libs/help_formatter.php
+++ b/cake/console/libs/help_formatter.php
@@ -29,11 +29,12 @@ public function __construct(ConsoleOptionParser $parser) {
 	}
 
 /**
- * Get the help as text.
+ * Get the help as formatted text suitable for output on the command line.
  *
+ * @param integer $width The width of the help output.
  * @return string
  */
-	public function text($width) {
+	public function text($width = 72) {
 		$parser = $this->_parser;
 		$out = array();
 		$description = $parser->description();
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/console_option_parser.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/console_option_parser.test.php
index a3806d82a31..2b46cd00b7f 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/console_option_parser.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/console_option_parser.test.php
@@ -366,64 +366,6 @@ function testAddSubcommands() {
 		$this->assertEquals(2, count($result), 'Not enough subcommands');
 	}
 
-/**
- * test getting help with defined options.
- *
- * @return void
- */
-	function testHelpWithOptions() {
-		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('mycommand', false);
-		$parser->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.'))
-			->addOption('connection', array(
-				'short' => 'c', 'help' => 'The connection to use.', 'default' => 'default'
-			));
-
-		$result = $parser->help();
-		$expected = <<<TEXT
-<info>Usage:</info>
-cake mycommand [-h] [--test] [-c default]
-
-<info>Options:</info>
-
---help, -h        Display this help.
---test            A test option.
---connection, -c  The connection to use. <comment>(default:
-                  default)</comment>
-
-TEXT;
-		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Help does not match');
-	}
-
-/**
- * test getting help with defined options.
- *
- * @return void
- */
-	function testHelpWithOptionsAndArguments() {
-		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('mycommand', false);
-		$parser->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.'))
-			->addArgument('model', array('help' => 'The model to make.', 'required' => true))
-			->addArgument('other_longer', array('help' => 'Another argument.'));
-
-		$result = $parser->help();
-		$expected = <<<TEXT
-<info>Usage:</info>
-cake mycommand [-h] [--test] <model> [<other_longer>]
-
-<info>Options:</info>
-
---help, -h  Display this help.
---test      A test option.
-
-<info>Arguments:</info>
-
-model         The model to make.
-other_longer  Another argument. <comment>(optional)</comment>
-
-TEXT;
-		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Help does not match');
-	}
-
 /**
  * test that no exception is triggered when help is being generated
  *
@@ -438,104 +380,6 @@ function testHelpNoExceptionWhenGettingHelp() {
 		$this->assertTrue($result[0]['help']);
 	}
 
-/**
- * test help() with options and arguments that have choices.
- *
- * @return void
- */
-	function testHelpWithChoices() {
-		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('mycommand', false);
-		$parser->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.', 'choices' => array('one', 'two')))
-			->addArgument('type', array(
-				'help' => 'Resource type.',
-				'choices' => array('aco', 'aro'),
-				'required' => true
-			))
-			->addArgument('other_longer', array('help' => 'Another argument.'));
-		
-		$result = $parser->help();
-		$expected = <<<TEXT
-<info>Usage:</info>
-cake mycommand [-h] [--test one|two] <aco|aro> [<other_longer>]
-
-<info>Options:</info>
-
---help, -h  Display this help.
---test      A test option. <comment>(choices: one|two)</comment>
-
-<info>Arguments:</info>
-
-type          Resource type. <comment>(choices: aco|aro)</comment>
-other_longer  Another argument. <comment>(optional)</comment>
-
-TEXT;
-		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Help does not match');
-	}
-
-/**
- * test description and epilog in the help
- *
- * @return void
- */
-	function testHelpDescriptionAndEpilog() {
-		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('mycommand', false);
-		$parser->description('Description text')
-			->epilog('epilog text')
-			->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.'))
-			->addArgument('model', array('help' => 'The model to make.', 'required' => true));
-
-		$result = $parser->help();
-		$expected = <<<TEXT
-Description text
-
-<info>Usage:</info>
-cake mycommand [-h] [--test] <model>
-
-<info>Options:</info>
-
---help, -h  Display this help.
---test      A test option.
-
-<info>Arguments:</info>
-
-model  The model to make.
-
-epilog text
-
-TEXT;
-		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Help is wrong.');
-	}
-
-/**
- * test that help() outputs subcommands.
- *
- * @return void
- */
-	function testHelpSubcommand() {
-		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('mycommand', false);
-		$parser->addSubcommand('method', array('help' => 'This is another command'))
-			->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.'));
-		
-		$result = $parser->help();
-		$expected = <<<TEXT
-<info>Usage:</info>
-cake mycommand [subcommand] [-h] [--test]
-
-<info>Subcommands:</info>
-
-method  This is another command
-
-To see help on a subcommand use <info>`cake mycommand [subcommand] --help`</info>
-
-<info>Options:</info>
-
---help, -h  Display this help.
---test      A test option.
-
-TEXT;
-		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Help is not correct.');
-	}
-
 /**
  * test that help() with a command param shows the help for a subcommand
  *
@@ -648,46 +492,4 @@ function testParsingWithSubParser() {
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Sub parser did not parse request.');
 	}
 
-/**
- * test that the console max width is respected when generating help.
- *
- * @return void
- */
-	function testWidthFormatting() {
-		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('test', false);
-		$parser->description(__('This is fifteen This is fifteen This is fifteen'))
-			->addOption('four', array('help' => 'this is help text this is help text'))
-			->addArgument('four', array('help' => 'this is help text this is help text'))
-			->addSubcommand('four', array('help' => 'this is help text this is help text'));
-		$result = $parser->help(null, 30);
-		$expected = <<<TEXT
-This is fifteen This is
-fifteen This is fifteen
-
-<info>Usage:</info>
-cake test [subcommand] [-h] [--four] [<four>]
-
-<info>Subcommands:</info>
-
-four  this is help text this
-      is help text
-
-To see help on a subcommand use <info>`cake test [subcommand] --help`</info>
-
-<info>Options:</info>
-
---help, -h  Display this help.
---four      this is help text
-            this is help text
-
-<info>Arguments:</info>
-
-four  this is help text this
-      is help text
-      <comment>(optional)</comment>
-
-TEXT;
-		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Generated help is too wide');
-	}
-
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/help_formatter.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/help_formatter.test.php
index 06a24d96cfc..4b54e37fc69 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/help_formatter.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/help_formatter.test.php
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@ function testWidthFormatting() {
 			->addOption('four', array('help' => 'this is help text this is help text'))
 			->addArgument('four', array('help' => 'this is help text this is help text'))
 			->addSubcommand('four', array('help' => 'this is help text this is help text'));
-		$result = $parser->help(null, 30);
+
+		$formatter = new HelpFormatter($parser);
+		$result = $formatter->text(30);
 		$expected = <<<TEXT
 This is fifteen This is
 fifteen This is fifteen
@@ -62,7 +64,8 @@ function testHelpWithChoices() {
 			))
 			->addArgument('other_longer', array('help' => 'Another argument.'));
 
-		$result = $parser->help();
+		$formatter = new HelpFormatter($parser);
+		$result = $formatter->text();
 		$expected = <<<TEXT
 <info>Usage:</info>
 cake mycommand [-h] [--test one|two] <aco|aro> [<other_longer>]
@@ -93,7 +96,8 @@ function testHelpDescriptionAndEpilog() {
 			->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.'))
 			->addArgument('model', array('help' => 'The model to make.', 'required' => true));
 
-		$result = $parser->help();
+		$formatter = new HelpFormatter($parser);
+		$result = $formatter->text();
 		$expected = <<<TEXT
 Description text
 
@@ -125,7 +129,8 @@ function testHelpSubcommand() {
 		$parser->addSubcommand('method', array('help' => 'This is another command'))
 			->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.'));
 
-		$result = $parser->help();
+		$formatter = new HelpFormatter($parser);
+		$result = $formatter->text();
 		$expected = <<<TEXT
 <info>Usage:</info>
 cake mycommand [subcommand] [-h] [--test]
@@ -141,36 +146,6 @@ function testHelpSubcommand() {
 --help, -h  Display this help.
 --test      A test option.
 
-TEXT;
-		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Help is not correct.');
-	}
-
-/**
- * test that help() with a command param shows the help for a subcommand
- *
- * @return void
- */
-	function testHelpSubcommandHelp() {
-		$subParser = new ConsoleOptionParser('method', false);
-		$subParser->addOption('connection', array('help' => 'Db connection.'));
-
-		$parser = new ConsoleOptionParser('mycommand', false);
-		$parser->addSubcommand('method', array(
-				'help' => 'This is another command',
-				'parser' => $subParser
-			))
-			->addOption('test', array('help' => 'A test option.'));
-
-		$result = $parser->help('method');
-		$expected = <<<TEXT
-<info>Usage:</info>
-cake mycommand method [-h] [--connection]
-
-<info>Options:</info>
-
---help, -h        Display this help.
---connection      Db connection.
-
 TEXT;
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $result, 'Help is not correct.');
 	}
@@ -187,7 +162,8 @@ function testHelpWithOptions() {
 				'short' => 'c', 'help' => 'The connection to use.', 'default' => 'default'
 			));
 
-		$result = $parser->help();
+		$formatter = new HelpFormatter($parser);
+		$result = $formatter->text();
 		$expected = <<<TEXT
 <info>Usage:</info>
 cake mycommand [-h] [--test] [-c default]
@@ -214,7 +190,8 @@ function testHelpWithOptionsAndArguments() {
 			->addArgument('model', array('help' => 'The model to make.', 'required' => true))
 			->addArgument('other_longer', array('help' => 'Another argument.'));
 
-		$result = $parser->help();
+		$formatter = new HelpFormatter($parser);
+		$result = $formatter->text();
 		$expected = <<<TEXT
 <info>Usage:</info>
 cake mycommand [-h] [--test] <model> [<other_longer>]