What racing wheel to get?

[FloatingGrass 0]

Hi!

So yesterday the pedals for the FFB wheel I was using got jammed on the brake, and after prying the pedals open, there were no mechanical issues, so it's probably dead (cheap Argentine wheels, ugh). Therefore, I started browsing wheels and I settled upon a few options:

Logitech MOMO
Thrustmaster RGT
G25
Driving Force GT

The MOMO and the RGT have what I'm looking for, but their age puts me off. The G25 is a great wheel, but I'm hesitant to make a verdict, and the Driving Force GT seems the most convincing, except I'm worried about the noise it may make. So, what do you guys think? Shoot for the old ones or get the newer G25 and DFGT? Please, give me some tips!

(P.S. I decided that the G27 was not my thing because it doesn't have sequential).

Thanks!

[MBKF1 91]

I have a DFGT and it's been fantastic for five years, works perfectly and it handles really nicely. There's obviously better wheels out there but it's great for its price.

[Evilsmurf 71]

I have the G27, Driving force GT and  a Thrustmaster T100 (for my ps4)

The G25 is the predecessor to the G27 and is just as good, a little on the noisy side compared to the newer belt driven wheels (my T100 is a lot quieter than any of my Logitech wheels), but also a lot cheaper!

If you have no interest in using a clutch and "H" shifter, then I would opt for the Driving force GT. As @PeteTheDuck said, they are just about the best wheel for the price and I can't fault mine.

That's why I still keep it as a back up to my G27.

edit

Just noticed your p.s. on the G27 having no sequential.

I can confirm it has sequential paddles either side of the wheel and they work on every game I have tried them.

[FloatingGrass 0]

PeteTheDuck said:

I have a DFGT and it's been fantastic for five years, works perfectly and it handles really nicely. There's obviously better wheels out there but it's great for its price.

Thanks, that's one for the DFGT!

Evilsmurf said:

I have the G27, Driving force GT and  a Thrustmaster T100 (for my ps4)

The G25 is the predecessor to the G27 and is just as good, a little on the noisy side compared to the newer belt driven wheels (my T100 is a lot quieter than any of my Logitech wheels), but also a lot cheaper!

If you have no interest in using a clutch and "H" shifter, then I would opt for the Driving force GT. As @PeteTheDuck said, they are just about the best wheel for the price and I can't fault mine.

That's why I still keep it as a back up to my G27.

edit

Just noticed your p.s. on the G27 having no sequential.

I can confirm it has sequential paddles either side of the wheel and they work on every game I have tried them.

I meant that it didn't have a sequential stick but I get you. The thing is I'd like a stick to use as a handbrake, and the paddles for gears. I really don't want to spend money on a handbrake addition.

Any thoughts on the MOMO and the RGT?

[Evilsmurf 71]

If you want a stick to use as a handbrake then in all honesty, get the Driving Force GT (it still has the sequential buttons located in the back of the wheel). It quite simply out performs the MOMO and RGT in every department.

For me, the MOMO and the RGT are not even an option compared to the G25 and Driving Force GT.

[Pennyworth 0]

I also own a DFGT and it works very well. I got it from a friend so it was quite cheap and its hard to beat for the money. The G27 however offers a bit more when it comes to mods and other stuff, e.g. I´ve seen real racing wheels on the G27 platform which was very cool to see, because it allows for wheels with a larger diameter.
Dont´t know if the G25 is the same and if its fits your budget.
I really could not justify to spend more than what i paid for the DFGT.
As far as it concerns the noise I didn´t noticed anything special or annoying/disturbing.
The shifter should work great as a handbrake although I wished that it could be seperated from the wheel itself for more flexibility.

[FloatingGrass 0]

Great!
Last question: Can the G25 sequential be used as a handbrake as well?

[Evilsmurf 71]

Can't confirm, but see no reason why not.

[shadow118 18]

I used to have a DFGT, for me it was actually easier to use the shifter for shifting and one of the paddles for handbrake (atleast in Live for Speed)

[MBKF1 91]

I'm 99% sure my shifter has broken on mine unfortunately. I will need to go on a game and set the gears to that and test it out as I haven't done in a couple of years but yeah, that's the one thing possibly wrong with mine.

[Skunkmeister 0]

I have a driving force gt and I can't fault it. Obviously you go without some features but it works well and the noise isn't THAT bad. I usually have headphones on so it doesn't bother me. It shaking the hell out of the desk it is attached to is more the problme ;)

[scarl3td3vil 0]

If you are absolutely budget strained the DFGT is the only way to go. But if you want to be a little more liberal with your spending, you could probably get an entry-level Fanatec + pedals rather than the G27.

[xGabe62x 5]

Dfgt....  Just stick a squash ball behind the brake pedal. 

[MBKF1 91]

Skunkmeister said:

I have a driving force gt and I can't fault it. Obviously you go without some features but it works well and the noise isn't THAT bad. I usually have headphones on so it doesn't bother me. It shaking the hell out of the desk it is attached to is more the problme ;)

Exactly that for me! When I record myself and listen back to it it sounds so loud but I hear nothing with the headphones on!

[NoOneNBA 0]

Skunkmeister said:

I have a driving force gt...and the noise isn't THAT bad.

After having my Fanatec for awhile, I plugged my G25 back in, to get ready for a party we were having.
I had to apologize to my wife for all the years she had to listen to that because I couldn't believe how loud it was.

My wheel is hooked to what is basically a small, open-fronted arcade cabinet in front of the TV.
That makes a great sounding board for all the noise the wheel makes, echoing it to the other end of the house, where my wife is usually watching TV while I play.

[Britpoint 4]

The pedals are way better on the G27 (and presumably the G25) compared to the DFGT. I had a DFGT for a while but the brake pedal was always slightly stuck on, so I always had to have a rubber band looped around my left foot so I could pull the brake off on the straights.

The pedals are much more solid on my 27.

[Skunkmeister 0]

NoOneNBA said:

Skunkmeister said:

I have a driving force gt...and the noise isn't THAT bad.

After having my Fanatec for awhile, I plugged my G25 back in, to get ready for a party we were having.
I had to apologize to my wife for all the years she had to listen to that because I couldn't believe how loud it was.

My wheel is hooked to what is basically a small, open-fronted arcade cabinet in front of the TV.
That makes a great sounding board for all the noise the wheel makes, echoing it to the other end of the house, where my wife is usually watching TV while I play.

My wife's never complained about the noise, but then again, the headphones are loud enough that she'd have to get up and tap my shoulder to complain ;). Strategic victory!

[MastaVonBlasta 1]

Britpoint said:

The pedals are way better on the G27 (and presumably the G25) compared to the DFGT. I had a DFGT for a while but the brake pedal was always slightly stuck on, so I always had to have a rubber band looped around my left foot so I could pull the brake off on the straights.

The pedals are much more solid on my 27.

I'm in the same boat ;] I had DFGT in the past and it served me very well for years. But once you try the G27 pedals the difference is huge. The G27 pedals are still a league below the Fanatec Clubsports ($$$), but the whole G27 package is the best value for money in my opinion.
What I need to investigate is how I could add a handbrake lever to my set up. The H-Shifter is not good for it as it doesn't spring back and for some cars I may want to use it for gears.  I've seen some guys use a rubber band for it - need to give it a try :)

So if your budget is about £200 go for G27, if it is more go for the new Thrustmaster wheel with better pedals. If you are loaded go for Fanatec :)

[NoOneNBA 0]

GentleNameMVB said:

The G27 pedals are still a league below the Fanatec Clubsports ($$$), but the whole G27 package is the best value for money in my opinion. 

What I need to investigate is how I could add a handbrake lever to my set up. The H-Shifter is not good for it as it doesn't spring back and for some cars I may want to use it for gears.  I've seen some guys use a rubber band for it - need to give it a try :)

So if your budget is about £200 go for G27, if it is more go for the new Thrustmaster wheel with better pedals. If you are loaded go for Fanatec :)

The Fanatec setups are actually considerably less expensive than the Thrustmasters, with exceptions in some parts of the world.
The Fanatecs also have better features on top of that.
With upgrades to the basic Porsche bundle ($240 by itself), you get gated and sequential shifting (+ $60), and a clutch (Free with basic pedals), and load cell brakes (+$100 for CSR Elite Pedals), for a total of $400, which is the same as the base Thrustmaster T300 would cost without all those features, or $250 less than the T300 with those features added.

As far as a handbrake goes, you have several options.
First, you can set up a separate stick, lever, or whatever, and wire the digital switch straight into the buttons on your shifter.
Second, the G25 shifters can be rewired for use with a G27, by swapping a couple wires, if you can find one.
This will give you the sequential mode for a handbrake, but still won't let you shift and use a handbrake, unless you use the paddles, which I prefer anyway.

Third, and best, buy the Fanatec handbrake, along with the USB adapter, and you'll have a relatively plug-n-play solution.
The big advantages to the Fanatec solution are that it's analog, and will still let you use your shifter.
The analog braking allows you to progressively deploy it, rather than slamming it full-on, like a digital button.
This means you can add some extra handbrake in the middle of a corner, to tighten your turn.

That said, the handbrake emulation in DiRT Rally still isn't where it needs to be.
The cars die out too drastically when it's employed.
I'm guessing they'll address that as time goes on though.
It's already been brought up to them.

[Ledanek 0]

With a new wheel coming out of Logitech, I wouldn't be surprised for the G27 to get a lower price. Also, Logitech has a "damaged box" section in their website. It's not refurbished, the packaging box are damaged. Got mine waaay below $150 (US)
A friend in UK got it for $175
http://www.logitech.com/promotional-items
http://www.logitech.com/en-gb/special-offers/blemished-box

[FloatingGrass 0]

Tis just in, G29 leaked. What do I do now? Should I wait for the G29 and settle with a controller for now, or get the G25 straight away?

[Ledanek 0]

FloatingGrass said:

Tis just in, G29 leaked. What do I do now? Should I wait for the G29 and settle with a controller for now, or get the G25 straight away?

get the G25 if you can't wait.  too many ppl complaining how loud the gears are on G25 and not as tactile as G27.
ONLY thing that keeps popping with word-search on G29 is how small the diameter of the wheel...but that's based on one picture.