G27 or T300RS?

So recently I purchesed a T300RS and received it as a dud that physically doesn't work due to a factory defect, will be returning to amazon with a refund, I hope. [Got directly from Amazon]

Should I get another T300RS or a G27 which i can get locally or on amazon [Depending how things go]

The Thrustmasters seem like great wheels with a hell of quality control issues that havn't gotten worked out yet which is rather unfortunate.

So should I keep going back to Thrustmaster [Upgrading from old beat out DFGT]



Or go back to good ole' Logitech?

I'd get a G29 if it wasn't so darn overpriced.



Please give your thoughts and feelings.

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(imported from here)Thrustmaster T300RS Racing Wheel



(imported from here)G27 Racing Wheel



keep in mind I've been wanting to get into this kind of hardcore, so the G27 is a good budget choice but can someone with experience tell me what they think.

I like Simracing a ton and am pretty good at it. [Better than most of my friends with wheels are]


Obviously the G27 is more bang for your buck and better reliability.


also I have other things I'd like to spend money on so having $500 in my pocket would be wonderful.
seeing as the G27 is $200-300 or so.

 

If you get the G27, just know you will be dealing with alot of clacking like in this video. I own it and really want to upgrade to the T300 but to make it like the G27 (3 pedals & h-shifter) it'll cost around $800 when all is said and done. So it's really up to you if you want bang for your buck and lots of noise, or really f**kin expensive and a solid, silent wheel.

EDIT: Most of the noise can be toned down by fine-tuning the force feedback settings.

 

Thanks but I own a DFGT as it is, so trust me when I say I know what you mean.. gear - ear wrenching noise on any microphone. /= [plus I have three or more friends that own a G25/27]

The T300RS is something I might avoid however as many have said that after two months, two hours, half and hour, or I've even read 10 minutes these things have gone from a money sink to a lemon.

/= and mine didn't even make it to the track /=

also the rim on the T300RS [obviously up-gradable] is very plastic-like and has a seem straight down the side that is very intrusive to the hand, doesn't bother me too much but many complain about it.

I also have been wanting something like this for two years now. =S and after waiting over a week to purchase it after specific events and than receiving it three days after as worthless-out-of-the-box it discourages a re-buy.

Also I feel as though the only reason why I am buying their product is for their eco-system and many users state that the T300 feels very similar in FFB to the G27 if not identical with more strength added...
[Which is useless to me]

I've even read a review where a user had a T300RS with a bad D-pad, returned and got a new one only to face the thing appearing to develop the same issue 2 months later. /=

Thrustmaster, get your quality control down.

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Summery.

Only real reason to pruchese a T300RS

Eco-System for decent pedal upgrades and a realistic snifter for 7 speed gearboxs

[without spending three fortunes on pedals and standalone products because no one has streamlined this as a product line yet.]

Silent FFB

Better wheel construction than DFGT

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The SILENT FFB is a huge thing for me as I spend many hours in online skype chats, but the G27 seems like it would actually be a great product otherwise.

Other than the biggest issue for me being the shifter having odd reverse and 6-speed...

 

I own a G27 and since the day I got it I've been having problems. Downloading the files for it to work took me 3 days, and in those 3 days the steering was almost unusable. 2 weeks after I got it my FFB starting making lots of noise and the steering was grindy, this has since repeated twice. I searched around and the most common answer was that one of the motors came loose. Also, left table mount is stuck, I have to jam PS2 game cases in it to say put. BUT the thing I really love about it is the shifter, quite realistic for what it is.

 

Well I've dealt with Logitech software bs to understand, but I may have had issues with it but i now fully understand it inside and out as well as how to fix those types of things.

But that FFB issue sounds terrible. especially because it sounds like you have had nothing but bad luck with something that is generally without failure.

 

i have a G27,it is a really good wheel,ive had no problems with it except that the shiter tends to fall iff my stand

 

I own a G27 and from personal experience myself, it is great, the FFB is good if not noisy, which I can deal with. The profiler is incredibly annoying at times, but I have learnt to deal with it and know how to fix the problems with a bit of tinkering. For a reasonably cheap wheel, it is well worth the money, and from what I can tell, has great reliability. The pedals feel quite nice and well made, as well as the shifter which has ample buttons to program. You just have to get used to the fact that reverse has to be pressed down and shifted into the sixth gear position

 

I recieved my G27 3 weeks ago and to my dissapointment the grinding noise appeared on day two. The grinding is really annoying but atleast it doesn't affect the steering that much.
I found out a way to tone down the grinding by messing with the Logitech profiler. On the other hand I find the pedals and the H-shifter excellent to operate, they are both really precise and fun to drive with. If you're thinking about the G27 just make sure you leave the spring and damper effects on 0% and the wheel should last a long time without producing any grinding noise.

 

What is this "grinding" noise everyone is experiencing? I have had my g27 for a few months and I haven't heard any grinding whatsoever... only some slight odd vibration when ffb is throwing my wheel around and I stop it dead, for me its worked perfectly ever since I got it out of the box, the only problems I have had were problems with the games, not the wheel itself.

 

From my experience with the G25 it depends on the game. Assetto corsa is actually pretty quiet with the wheel. ETS2 is a bit louder because it shakes the wheel with the engine, if you goon dirt it gets really loud since it shakes the wheel everywhere.

I play with speakers and while you can hear it slightly it usually mixes in with the engine noise unless the game you happen to be playing has decided to shake the wheel all over the place. If you use closed headphones or IEM's then its probably fine. Due to the nature of force feedback all the wheel will make noise of some description since they need to physically cause vibrations which in turn will create audio, often the desk may amplify that. Also due to the sound of the motors which have to be pretty strong (usually two of them to ensure they can be powerful enough) and the sound of the cogs inside turing. They also need to be precise meaning they have to be able to stop rotating and even change direction almost instantly which will create noise. So no matter which wheel you get its going to make some noise. But i haven't heard any clicking with the G25.

 

Well obviously there will anyways be some, it's no big deal to me as long as the wheel doesn't sound like a chain saw from the other end of a hallway.

But what concerns me is how loud it is overall, the T300RS is at least 75% quieter in videos and in person, but even without operating properly I can tell the FFB has potential to create some odd noises.

 

Well I am aware of FFB clipping.

And I usually use pretty light FFB, I'd also like to know how much one can feel Oversteer forces and such in the G27..

I have no proof other than some peoples word of mouth but it seems more pronounced in the T300RS to some players.


Also

To clarify the noise of the wheel to myself is fine as long as I can't hear the sound familiar to that of trees getting cut down in front of me with headphones on.

I care about the noise levels because I skype call alot and most of the time I can't race because it would be too noisy on any mic I have.

And there isn't really a way to fix that other than having a quieter wheel.



I really need a new wheel over my DFGT and now I just don't know anymore.

Mine has the following issues:

Shifter comes out when shifting sometimes

Button "Paddle" shifters sometimes shift two gears instead of one in some games.

Feels like it is degrading dayly

Very old wheel running the 4 year mark

I also no longer enjoy gaming with this wheel as it just isn't that satisfying to use anymore /=

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Should I just screw it and buy a new monitor instead?

I am on an LCD with a bad power button that turns on maybe %40 of the time when you push the button and you have to contently press it in different directions.

It's an LCD from 2009 from Gateway running 1920x1080@60HZ.

I really want a T300RS but now I want a monitor, I just don't know anymore.



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So I just got my T300RS to calibrate after having it for three days on my floor... and now it is so bad.. it's worthless.


The steering sometimes works but if you move it harshly at all [even controlling a rwd pickup at 40mph around a corner and having to move it more than the speed you'd use pulling out of a parking lot] causes it to become uncentered so the axis thinks the center is like 10degrees offset and it gets worse and worse the more you let it.




So than I hit Select+Start+Mode and reflash the center into the memory of the wheel which is good for about 30seconds - 5min. /=


Than sometimes it gets weird and @900deg it hits the 1080 lock on one side and than stops around 400deg on the left side


So from the center about 540deg on the right and 400deg on the left.




Than sometimes it just doesn't have any steering or is just glitchy all-round.




The wheel feels amazing when it works though and the FFB which I can barely use without practically obliterating the wheel in it's critical condition.


So I think I'll either contact Amazon about it, or see what Thrustmaster does.

 

I havent used a decent thrustmaster wheel before so my opinionis probably a little biased. But i think the g27 is a pretty good way to go. You will get an extra pedal plus a gear stick as well as the nice metal and leather construction of the wheel itself.
If you want to go more high end than that then there is also the fanatec stuff but that aint cheap.

 

After using the T300RS even in a broken state I can say that it makes the Logitech look like a night/day difference.

Just seeing videos one can tell there is no straight line dead-zone.

Not to mention I've used it now.

And the paddle shifters that are a full metal construction fit so perfect in my hands.

I really don't care anymore it's a done deal I want another T300RS that actually works and doesn't operate like someone throw it out of a building before shipping it, than drove on every bad road in the country.

 

I haven't got either, but I'm looking to purchase a G27 as soon as I see the right price.
I've searched for years, and G27 seems like the best wheel for the price.

 

It may be but I want the wheel for the sound and ffb. for the most part.

And the ability to buy new pedals and a full 1 reverse 7 forward speed shifter with full metal construction ect ect.

[The ecosystem]

Is shifter now a word in the English language? [I am tired don't nock me on the face]

 

Does the T300RS even have anything included like shifter? And doesn't it just have 2 pedals, and no clutch? Because with G27 you get it all. But if you got the money, I guess T300Rs is a good choice, quality wise.


(Also some of my experience is from this.)
http://www.carthrottle.com/post/top-10-racing-wheels-for-ultimate-simulator-control/

 

The T300 RS is a deal-breaker in my mind as it has no clutch (what the fuck Thrustmaster?!). So I think I'd actually go for the Logitech G27 and here's why (I have the G27 myself actually):

Adding a clutch to the T300 RS would be too expensive (and then you'd probably just want to buy the T500 RS?). G27 is a decent wheel in an decent package. The quality is not fantastic, but it's not bad either. It got some weaknesses, but they can be worked around if you're not afraid of a screw driver. A normal problem is that the wheel gets out of sync after some years maybe, and fixing it is just a matter of fastening a screw that holds a sensor inside the base (you need to disassemble the base). It's not hard, and it fixed the problem for me and others (for now). It's problems are decently dokumented (with some search effort), and it has been modded a lot (many aftermarket parts available). Especially one mod that I like is the cheap gear shifter mod, which adds a more realistic feeling to the shifting. It's a mandatory mod if you're the modding kind.

All in all, the wheel performs well. There are better things out there, but G27 is sufficient for sim-racing, it's just not as good as the more expensive alternatives. It feels a bit artificial, and is not as smooth as the competition, but again, this will not keep you from having fun. Your budget is what it is. It has this knocking-effect people are talking about, you get used to it. It does give you good force feedback effects, G27 is just not as smooth. Don't see this as me being negative, I've had great fun with it, I'm just not interesting in lying to you. Every product has it's pros and cons. I'd take the G27.


(G29 is shit imo, because it costs a premium and it's just the same old G27 with another fancy look and fancy buttons... Logitech should be ashamed of themselves for repackaging their old products for a much higher price and call it a successor.)


EDIT:
I don't know where you're located, but let me add another alternative to you: Fanatec. I'm not sure how well this choice would reward you, but Fanatec wheels are indeed good. Better than G27 for the same price? I don't know. Where I live G27 has gotten much more expensive lately, so you have to take that into account. Check prices, and check reviews of the fanatec wheels (inside sim-racing has reviews of them on youtube) and then compare them to the G27. The price is what decides this, keep that in mind.


EDIT 2:
G27 is actually quite cheaper in the US compared to here (which is where I guess you are). It costs 317 USD here.

To sum it up short, G27 is a very popular wheel. It's problems are known, and so are the solutions. It will last a long time, especially if you are handy enough to open the base and fix the loose sensor problem if/when it accurs. It's highly moddable and there's a lot to upgrade. It's not a bad wheel. The knocking effect is there, but you get used to it. You also feel the gears inside, it's not as smooth as Thrustmasters belt system, but then again, it's just a negative point you have to put againt he positive. I would live with that con, but that's me.

Personally, my next wheel is the Fanatec Clubsport wheelbase V2 which costs about 1500 USD as a complete package. I see no point in spending money on something in between, because then I can just use my G27 until I have saved up for the Fanatec. Besides, I can allways upgrade my G27. So imo G27 is a good choice.

 

You wont be able to get anything comparable from fanatec for the price of a G27 in most regions at least.

Im going to work in $ because that will probably be useful to the majority of people. But i hear you about its pricing, the G27 would be $380 in the UK. Having said that the fanatec equipment would be more expensive since you would have to add 20% to the price for VAT which takes it to $384 then you would have to add shipping which can be upwards of $100 from looking at what people have said they had to pay. So the G27 still works out cheaper in the UK due to all the hidden costs because you get free delivery on the G27 from Amazon.

G27: $240 (amazon) : http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-941-000045-G27-Racing-Wheel/dp/B001NT9TK4

• Steering wheel
• Pedals
• Gear shifter

Fanatec: $320 (fanatec) This is the cheapest combination

• Porsche 911 GT3 RS V2 Wheel: $180 : http://www.fanatec.com/us-en/racing-wheels/porsche-911-gt3-rs-v2-wheel-us.html
• CSR Pedals: $80 : http://www.fanatec.com/us-en/pedals/csr-pedals-us.html
• 
  CSR Shifter Set : $60 : http://www.fanatec.com/us-en/shifters/csr-shifter-set-us.html

So while you will get a better experience it comes down to price. If you can afford the fanatec setup then it will be a nice setup. If not then the G27 will be perfectly sufficient.

In general what i tend to see is that the fanatec equipment is better than the Logitech equipment, but apparently the Logitech equipment holds its own fairly well when directly compared. So in the end you get what you pay for, with a little bit of the diminishing returns when you go above the G27 price range. Which is pretty standard in most product categories.
As for reliability i can only speak from my own experience with the G25. Everything on mine still works and mine has the more complex gear shifter because its the G25. I think the wheel is possibly a bit louder and more aggressive than when we first got it but im not sure, its probably due to the games that i am playing these days and the how i have the wheels software setup. I haven't needed to replace any parts on it at all.
In response to the people who have mentioned issues with the rotary encoder issue. Its a well documented issue at this point which i luckily haven't had, but you can actually buy a metal replacement part online if that part does fail which will prevent it from failing again.

Just in case anyone with a G25/G27 is interested in switching to a fanatec setup. The Logitech G25/G27 pedals are compatible with most fanatec equipment, so you could just buy the wheel and gear shifter of your choice and stick with the pedals if you are on a a budget. Which is a fairly attractive upgrade path especially if your Logitech wheel is getting to be about 6 or 7 years old now.