Best pedals with a $600 USD budget

[TShrimp]

Hi all. I am in the market for some new pedals. I found a lot of posts about low end (~200) and high end pedals (>$1000), but I was wondering what the best pedals would be if my budget was ~$600. I have searched the web, and can't really seem to find much if anything in at price. I am in the US, and it seems our choices are more limited here than in Europe, but it could just be I am just not looking in the right place. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: I forgot to add that I have not been able to find much in the US for used pedals. It may just be a sign of the times with Covid-19.

 

[SergiuBT]

Hi. I was in the same dilemma like u and opted for v3 whit performance kit and damper on throttle. After 6 months i don't regret it. U need to be careful when u install the performance kit not to brake the motor cable. The throttle was to light for me and for this i buyed the damper.

 

[TShrimp]

There are tradeoffs with both designs. Potentiometers will eventually have troubles as they are a wear item, but you should get many years of use before that happens. The CSL Elite LC does have, IMHO, a stronger & more adaptable physical design and the equivalent of the V3's extra cost performance kit is already included.

16-bit (65536 steps) vs 12-bit (4096 steps) is irrelevant. Once you have more than 10-bit resolution (1024 steps), there's no benefit. Somewhere on the web, Niels describes why that is. As I recall, part of the reason is that the components used in conjunction with a 16-bit a/d encoder lack the necessary precision (12-bit=0.02% and 16-bit=0.0015% vs. a strain gauge precision of 0.15%).

I think I found the video presentation from Niels you were referring to, so thought I would include it for anyone who is interested.

 

[Goes To 11]

Please don't get the damper for the V3s. It is a flawed design.

 

[TShrimp]

Please don't get the damper for the V3s. It is a flawed design.

I ordered the pedals (backordered). The damper was in stock, but decided to get the brake performance kit instead. But those are also out of stock .

 

[manc0ntr0]

Hi. I was in the same dilemma like u and opted for v3 whit performance kit and damper on throttle. After 6 months i don't regret it. U need to be careful when u install the performance kit not to brake the motor cable. The throttle was to light for me and for this i buyed the damper.

When I had them, I use this to push the cilinder. It helped a lot.

 

[SergiuBT]

When I had them, I use this to push the cilinder. It helped a lot.

Now come whit a L shape plastic guidance piece in the box. It's more easy to put the load cells but still u need to be careful if that piece of plastic slides from there not to cut the cable.

 

[TShrimp]

I noticed Fanatec states " * All prices incl. value added tax ". However, I am in the US, and non EU countries should not be paying VAT.

 

[manc0ntr0]

Now come whit a L shape plastic guidance piece in the box. It's more easy to put the load cells but still u need to be careful if that piece of plastic slides from there not to cut the cable.

With 'my method' you only need one hand to push the cylinder and align the holes to fix it on its right place. You can rotate the pedal without touching anything, or without need to be careful. I tried all the combos so, I take it out/in several times

 

[Michael Curry]

the Fanatec V3s are really good with the optional kit. Great support. Unless you're an alien you will be fine. You can sell them later, get most of your money back for a higher-end set

 

[TShrimp]

I did end up ordering the CS V3 from Fanatec. If I had it to do over again I would not, and I don't even have the product yet. Here is why...

1. I ordered the V3 while on backorder and was waiting for them to come in. However, the warranty starts the day you order, and not when they actually get them in stock. Therefore the warranty started while the product wasn't even available. Not cool Fanatec.

2. The second thing is customer service response time. I understand that covid-19 has put a strain on companies, but still waiting on a response to a questions I sent to them. Next Level Racing responded in hours.

There are a few more picky items, but some of it is on me as I could have canceled the order when I saw it. The shipping cost is very expensive. $12 for the brake performance kit alone. So $42 extra from something that should already be included in the kit. So all the reviews with "It is a must have for $30" is really a must have for over $40.

With no true 1 year warranty and the practice of starting it before they even have the product is unethical IMO. And for me customer service is the number one thing I want from a company, and so far don't feel I have gotten it. I would email them as order has been processed but not shipped, but at this point not sure I would even get a response.

I should have just spend the extra and purchased a different brand, or no pedals at all. I am in the market for a DD wheel base, but I doubt I will be getting it from Fanatec.

Edit: This may be the first item I have ever ordered that was on backorder. If it is common to start the warranty on the day it was ordered (which can be common when in stock) even on items not in stock please let me know as this may all be on me.

 

[stigs2cousin]

I just checked the Fanatec AGB which ist the german " rules of trade??"

They state the legally required warranty starts with "Gefahrenübergang" which can be loosely translated
as "change of responsibility".

So per their rules the warranty starts when you take possession of the goods.

i think everything else would be illegal in Germany.

Please excuse my English, its not my native language.

MFG Carsten

 

[TShrimp]

I just checked the Fanatec AGB which ist the german " rules of trade??"

They state the legally required warranty starts with "Gefahrenübergang" which can be loosely translated
as "change of responsibility".

So per their rules the warranty starts when you take possession of the goods.

i think everything else would be illegal in Germany.

Please excuse my English, its not my native language.

MFG Carsten

Thanks for the info. I also found in their warranty information that in the US the warranty starts at time of shipping. I added that to the ticket I opened with them.

https://fanatec.com/us-en/terms-conditions

ENDOR AMERICA LLC, 8200 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 200, Beverly Hills, CA, 90211. U.S.A. guarantees that the purchased good were free of material and manufacturing flaws at the time of the transfer of the goods and that they have the guaranteed quality as described in the contract. Upon receipt, the customer must inspect the goods immediately for flaws, condition and/or quality. Any blatant flaws must be reported to us, in writing, within 10 days of their discovery the same is valid for any latent defects. Otherwise, the warranty for these defects is no longer applicable. The warranty is for 12 months after shipment.

Not sure why the warranty started early. Hopefully they will respond back to my latest requests at some point. Not holding my breath as my earlier requests have gone unanswered thus far.

 

[stigs2cousin]

Sounds like a glitch to me.

MFG Carsten

 

[TShrimp]

Sounds like a glitch to me.

MFG Carsten

It could be, but can't get them to respond to me. I was looking on their forums last night, and it looks like no one can get responses from them. Some even stating that their product has been in processing for 2 months, etc. Not sure what is going on over at Fanatec.

 

[Ruttman98]

Thanks for the info. I also found in their warranty information that in the US the warranty starts at time of shipping. I added that to the ticket I opened with them.

https://fanatec.com/us-en/terms-conditions

ENDOR AMERICA LLC, 8200 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 200, Beverly Hills, CA, 90211. U.S.A. guarantees that the purchased good were free of material and manufacturing flaws at the time of the transfer of the goods and that they have the guaranteed quality as described in the contract. Upon receipt, the customer must inspect the goods immediately for flaws, condition and/or quality. Any blatant flaws must be reported to us, in writing, within 10 days of their discovery the same is valid for any latent defects. Otherwise, the warranty for these defects is no longer applicable. The warranty is for 12 months after shipment.

Not sure why the warranty started early. Hopefully they will respond back to my latest requests at some point. Not holding my breath as my earlier requests have gone unanswered thus far.

Perhaps we need the attorney with the issue with SimLab to weigh in, but--using common sense and the normal meaning of language--I interpret "after shipment" as after delivery.

Shipment is a process which begins with the package leaving the warehouse and ends when it gets to your doorstep. Fanatec cannot change that definition to deprive you of a few days or a week of warranty.

 

[Raysy]

@TShrimp have you called them? I put an order in for the F1 2020 rim, some pedals and a wheel base on 16th May. I knew as I was ordering that there was a 6 week lead time. Sure enough the date for availability was set to 3rd July on the order. I have kept checking to see if it moved out, and strangely yesterday it moved in to ship on the 25th June. I called them this morning and during a helpful and concise call the guy on the phone noted that it was ready to ship, but hadn't. He then told me he'd put it in for delivery on Monday. I don't think a web for or email would have got the same response, it was quick, no queue on the phone and did the trick.

Hopefully it will work for you.

Oh, and my warranty also started on the day ordered. I will contact them once I receive the items and register them to ensure it's updated to the shipping date. I'm pretty confident that they'll be happy to do it.

Oh, and just for clarity, I've never ordered anything from Fanatec before, so have no allegiances to them, I just found a quick call was effective.

 

[ajclarke]

Now come whit a L shape plastic guidance piece in the box. It's more easy to put the load cells but still u need to be careful if that piece of plastic slides from there not to cut the cable.

Installing the BPK was the worst experience of my life. I managed not to break the cable to the rumble majobby, but I did in the process manage to scratch the back of the pedal plate up. Which has annoyed me.

Hopefully that won't impact the resell value when I move on to Sprints (currently using a Playseat challenge, so the sprints are once I've moved and can afford a proper solid rig).

I do seriously think that the BPK should be pre-installed at a medium level and included by Fanatec in the base purchase. It makes them so much better, but I did feel a bit put off by the experience of fitting them.

 

[TShrimp]

Installing the BPK was the worst experience of my life. I managed not to break the cable to the rumble majobby, but I did in the process manage to scratch the back of the pedal plate up. Which has annoyed me.

Hopefully that won't impact the resell value when I move on to Sprints (currently using a Playseat challenge, so the sprints are once I've moved and can afford a proper solid rig).

I do seriously think that the BPK should be pre-installed at a medium level and included by Fanatec in the base purchase. It makes them so much better, but I did feel a bit put off by the experience of fitting them.

Although I have not had a good experience with Fanatec with my purchase of the V3 (still waiting on 2 responses for questions I sent ~2 months ago), I can say I am enjoying the pedals so far. I did get the BPK, and I too had a heck of a time changing them out. However, I later went to their website, and their latest instructions do make things easier. There was a plastic tool that was in my box that the included instructions didn't mention. I had not clue what it was for. It is basically used to protect the cable, and to line things up so the pin slides in easier. Although still not a 5 minute job, it does make things a lot easier to change things out. Since customer service is my #1 thing these days I will probably go with someone else for my DD wheel. But again, I am really enjoying my V3 pedals. Don't get me wrong. My times still stink, but at least it feels better while I come in last .

https://fanatec.com/media/pdf/98/74/d9/CSP-V3_Manual_24-1.pdf

 

[TedBrosby-]

Thanks for the info. I also found in their warranty information that in the US the warranty starts at time of shipping. I added that to the ticket I opened with them.

https://fanatec.com/us-en/terms-conditions

ENDOR AMERICA LLC, 8200 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 200, Beverly Hills, CA, 90211. U.S.A. guarantees that the purchased good were free of material and manufacturing flaws at the time of the transfer of the goods and that they have the guaranteed quality as described in the contract. Upon receipt, the customer must inspect the goods immediately for flaws, condition and/or quality. Any blatant flaws must be reported to us, in writing, within 10 days of their discovery the same is valid for any latent defects. Otherwise, the warranty for these defects is no longer applicable. The warranty is for 12 months after shipment.

Not sure why the warranty started early. Hopefully they will respond back to my latest requests at some point. Not holding my breath as my earlier requests have gone unanswered thus far.

This is just false.
They do have issues, regarding their order status, their website/ordering system and general responses. And also their drivers have been inconsistent at best, outright unusable at worst, for about 3 months now.

But for warranty, their return policy, like their warranty, starts the day you receive your goods. I know because I had to return a wheel base to them. It shipped on May 8th, arrived May 11th, and warranty and return period start date? May 11th.
This is also why I always tell people not to get mad when something comes in stock but Fanatec waits for the entire order to ship before shipping anything. They ship everything together to make sure you can try everything at the same time and not have a return period end during testing for one product or another.
It's not a bug, it's a feature.

But if you wanna complain about their drivers, I'm up for that lol.

 

[TShrimp]

This is just false.
They do have issues, regarding their order status, their website/ordering system and general responses. And also their drivers have been inconsistent at best, outright unusable at worst, for about 3 months now.

But for warranty, their return policy, like their warranty, starts the day you receive your goods. I know because I had to return a wheel base to them. It shipped on May 8th, arrived May 11th, and warranty and return period start date? May 11th.
This is also why I always tell people not to get mad when something comes in stock but Fanatec waits for the entire order to ship before shipping anything. They ship everything together to make sure you can try everything at the same time and not have a return period end during testing for one product or another.
It's not a bug, it's a feature.

But if you wanna complain about their drivers, I'm up for that lol.

I am glad you know more about my order with Fanatec than I do. . Note the warranty shows to expire one year after the purchase date even though they (The pedals) were backordered.