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.

 

[xVatch1x]

Have you had issues getting Fanatec to respond to you? How long did it take? I will say the other owners on their forums are very good and have some great input. FYI...I have contacted them 4-5 times now (Billing question, warranty question, and support), and only received one response that told me I sent the question to the wrong group.

I do not go to the forums. I go to my account on their website, and open a support ticket through there. Usually 2 days to get a response, and then every two days after that as well. It's a slow process. Painful, sometimes. I definitely do not recommend trying to get to them through the forums.

 

[xVatch1x]

So I am reading this with more than a little alarm. I was going to get one of the DD1 bases, but am seriously reconsidering. While their stuff is good, I am not particularly happy that you get stuck with their so-called ecosystem, but you would accept that if you knew that their support and customer focus was great. With this apprent disregard of the very people that pay their salaries, they have poured cold water on that.

Unless I can see that they pay attention to customers, despite already having some of their stuff, my money will go elsewhere. And for me, the warranty starts with receipt of goods, not exchange of cash, which looks seriously like it won't happen now

Les

Ultimately, they have done everything right by me, but it takes a log time. I have plenty of experience, unfortunately. I have had warranty repairs on almost every piece of gear i bought from them. CSL Elite Base, Universal hub, McLaren Rim, and V3 brakes. All had warranty issues.

 

[TShrimp]

I do not go to the forums. I go to my account on their website, and open a support ticket through there. Usually 2 days to get a response, and then every two days after that as well. It's a slow process. Painful, sometimes. I definitely do not recommend trying to get to them through the forums.

I definitely opened a ticket. No response yet, but they have not gotten back with me in the past, so not holding my breath this time. Went through forums just to get ideas for fixing.

 

[TShrimp]

Ultimately, they have done everything right by me, but it takes a log time. I have plenty of experience, unfortunately. I have had warranty repairs on almost every piece of gear i bought from them. CSL Elite Base, Universal hub, McLaren Rim, and V3 brakes. All had warranty issues.

That isn't comforting. A lot of issues with their quality. Same along with no responses from them. Very frustrating.

Edit:

Looking at their profile on Trustpilot, I am not alone . 2.6 average with 70% of the reviews being "bad". But only 10 reviews.

Fanatec is rated "Bad" with 1.7 / 5 on Trustpilot

Do you agree with Fanatec's TrustScore? Voice your opinion today and hear what 950 customers have already said.

www.trustpilot.com

 

[Axle von Oversteer]

How has there support been so far? That is a must after my dealings with Fanatec. I don't want another possible expensive paperweight.

Edit: Went to order the Heusinkveld, but all in Euros. No issue accept Euro to Dollar conversion is bouncing up and down like a yoyo right now. They would cost me ~$50 more this afternoon then if I would have ordered this morning.

Yeah, exchange rates are bouncing around.. but pull the trigger and 'get it done' and you'll be happy and the rate changes will be a faded memory. I just bought VRS's DirectForce Pro wheel base (20nm Mige) and their replies were very quick and very helpful. They test their new products for about a year or two... they don't want a screw up. I'm a big fan of VRS.

 

[TShrimp]

Yeah, exchange rates are bouncing around.. but pull the trigger and 'get it done' and you'll be happy and the rate changes will be a faded memory. I just bought VRS's DirectForce Pro wheel base (20nm Mige) and their replies were very quick and very helpful. They test their new products for about a year or two... they don't want a screw up. I'm a big fan of VRS.

I found this information on their pedals, and they look impressive. I couldn't find any information on the price, or release date. I am without right now, and it is driving me nuts. I am wanting to wait on Fanatec as I don't want to spend the money, but since I have owned the pedals (and even before then) , I have never received a real response from them. Not sure how long to wait before pulling the trigger on something else.

 

[Axle von Oversteer]

I found this information on their pedals, and they look impressive. I couldn't find any information on the price, or release date. I am without right now, and it is driving me nuts. I am wanting to wait on Fanatec as I don't want to spend the money, but since I have owned the pedals (and even before then) , I have never received a real response from them. Not sure how long to wait before pulling the trigger on something else.

I talked directly with them and they say "2 months" for the pedals and that was a couple weeks ago, then the e-stop, then their steering wheel (early ish next year). Being a recent customer who spent good coin for the VRS DFPro, they know I'm a likely future customer and therefore are maintaining a relationship with me (ie, answering my questions). I suspect they are a tight smaller shop and don;t have the resource to reach out like larger companies... It's not you.

Patience grasshopper.

If you need pedals just get a used G27 off Craigslist and use the pedals only, When I get the pedals (assuming I do), I'll sell my awful G27 set.

 

[stigs2cousin]

Oh man,
nobody in your vicinity you can borrow a pedalset from?
A shitty pedalset is better than no pedalset.

On another note:

did you know about this?

Clubsport V3 not registering input until half throttle.

I have had my Clubsport V3 pedals for ~3 months. All has been working well until today. My throttle will not register until I press it half way down.

forum.fanatec.com

Good luck and success,

MFG Carsten

 

[TShrimp]

If you need pedals just get a used G27 off Craigslist and use the pedals only, When I get the pedals (assuming I do), I'll sell my awful G27 set.

Oh man,
nobody in your vicinity you can borrow a pedalset from?
A shitty pedalset is better than no pedalset.

On another note:

did you know about this?

Clubsport V3 not registering input until half throttle.

I have had my Clubsport V3 pedals for ~3 months. All has been working well until today. My throttle will not register until I press it half way down.

forum.fanatec.com

Good luck and success,

MFG Carsten

I have some T3PA pedals I can use, but that is like going back to a 20" TV .

Edit: I can swap the clutch sensor and the throttle sensor using paddles only, and forgo racing with my H-Shifter until I get these repaired or replaced with something else. AMS2 has their update coming out by end of day tomorrow, and really wanting to race the new GT3 and GT4 cars.

 

[Denis Betty]

This is a horrible attempt at making a video. I'll never try that again, but if you could bear to watch it, it would illustrate a point.
Since making this vid I bought HE pros. The clutch spring broke... twice.
Customer service was fantastic. The first time, they sent me a new spring by return of post and when the second one broke they sent me a new pedal and didn't ask for the old one back. I still have it. I would not buy anything from Fanatec again ever.

 

[TShrimp]

This is a horrible attempt at making a video. I'll never try that again, but if you could bear to watch it, it would illustrate a point.
Since making this vid I bought HE pros. The clutch spring broke... twice.
Customer service was fantastic. The first time, they sent me a new spring by return of post and when the second one broke they sent me a new pedal and didn't ask for the old one back. I still have it. I would not buy anything from Fanatec again ever.

I enjoyed your video. I think I may just get the HE and sell my CS v3 when I get them fixed. I keep wavering because I don't want to spend the money, and not knowing exactly how much they will cost is a bummer as well. Exchange rate bouncing (although more stable today) along with Paypal charges that I hear about, but don't seem to be able to find on their site.

Edit: Any reason to buy directly from HE? I can get them cheaper at https://digital-motorsports.com/ due to difference in shipping cost. Would it there be any issues getting HE support if I go through a distributor instead of direct?

 

[Warren Dawes]

Interesting video Denis. I had exactly the same issues with my Fanatec V1's, intermittent loss of full signal with the throttle, but usually fixed (temporarily) by simply reconnecting them. Also had the small signal from the Brake, also variable when reconnecting. Spent about two years putting up with the variability, until just going back to my old "reliable" G25's. I had replaced every hall sensor and load cell, cleaned everything regularly, tightened the little grub screw on the magnet, re-alligned the magnet, you name it, I tried it. The only thing I didn't try was replacing the PLC board.
Recently decided to get new pedals and was about to get the Fanatec V3's hoping things had improved from the old V1's, but I was edgy about the throttle issues. So, I ended up spending the extra for a set of Simworx pedals which have been great so far.
Like you I was thinking of selling the Fanatec V1's but in the end they went in the rubbish bin.

 

[Denis Betty]

Interesting video Denis. I had exactly the same issues with my Fanatec V1's, intermittent loss of full signal with the throttle, but usually fixed (temporarily) by simply reconnecting them. Also had the small signal from the Brake, also variable when reconnecting. Spent about two years putting up with the variability, until just going back to my old "reliable" G25's. I had replaced every hall sensor and load cell, cleaned everything regularly, tightened the little grub screw on the magnet, re-alligned the magnet, you name it, I tried it. The only thing I didn't try was replacing the PLC board.
Recently decided to get new pedals and was about to get the Fanatec V3's hoping things had improved from the old V1's, but I was edgy about the throttle issues. So, I ended up spending the extra for a set of Simworx pedals which have been great so far.
Like you I was thinking of selling the Fanatec V1's but in the end they went in the rubbish bin.

All sounds very familiar. Been there, done that. The HEs are wonderful and the sting of paying the money soon faded. The difference in customer service and peace of mind was worth 10 times the difference in cost IMHO.

Speaking of which.

Any reason to buy directly from HE? I can get them cheaper at https://digital-motorsports.com/ due to difference in shipping cost. Would it there be any issues getting HE support if I go through a distributor instead of direct?

A staff member from HE keeps an eye on the forums here at RD. He might be the best person to answer this. I'll PM the guy, I'm sure that he can give a definitive answer.

 

[TShrimp]

All sounds very familiar. Been there, done that. The HEs are wonderful and the sting of paying the money soon faded. The difference in customer service and peace of mind was worth 10 times the difference in cost IMHO.

Speaking of which.

A staff member from HE keeps an eye on the forums here at RD. He might be the best person to answer this. I'll PM the guy, I'm sure that he can give a definitive answer.

Actually they answered my email this morning (Saturday). That is impressive. However, they didn't really answer the question. I had asked if https://digital-motorsports.com was an authorized distributor as they were much cheaper than who they recommended in the US. They didn't say yes or no to being an authorized distributor in the reply. Also, it looks like https://digital-motorsports.com has a US office that they did not seem to be aware of as they thought the price/shipping would make both companies the same, but I had priced both with USD, and shipping price difference was huge. That may have been my mistake, and how I described my situation to them.

I do have a question that you or someone may be able to answer. I am looking at the HE sprints as you know. I would also need the pedal plate for my setup. However, I adjust my brake pedal side to side a lot. Ex. heal/toe I move my brake a little closer to the throttle, but if racing in ACC I will move my brake a little to the left (toward clutch). It looks like I would actually have to remove the plate (which reviews say is hard to add/remove) to actually adjust the pedals. Is this correct? Have they made any changes where maybe the reviews are wrong or outdated?

Because of this I was looking at the Meca Cup 1s as they appear to be easy to move the pedals by just backing off the screw slightly, moving, and retightening. I am guessing due to the nuts they use? However, I like good customer service which HE has already demonstrated, and All4sim doesn't have a reputation one way or another in this area.

 

[Raysy]

I like the HE Sprints a lot. I upgraded from Fanatec ClubSport V3's a couple of months ago, and have not looked back.

To answer your question however, moving the pedals on the HE pedal plate is possible, but would be a real pain in the arse to do it just to switch games. I'm pretty confident that it would not be an option you could live with.

That said, the pedals are adaptable so you don't necessarily need to go with the HE pedal plate

 

[Denis Betty]

@enzo

I would actually have to remove the plate (which reviews say is hard to add/remove) to actually adjust the pedals.

I don't have the pedal plate, sorry. Have you seen the Mobile Driving/Flying Cockpit thread on RD? The guy uses all kinds of clever solutions for stuff. He talks about lever bolts which can mean that there's no need to use tools to swap stuff out. I don't think he uses the pedal plate, but as I say, he has plenty of clever ideas. He is US based, so he may be able to tell you where he bought stuff.

Mobile Driving/Flying Cockpit with Motion and Tactile ( Build )

It was suggested that I created a dedicated thread for this build so it wouldn't be buried in another thread and because it might be of use to others. I had a few goals with this build. Mobility. I needed to be able to roll it into the corner of my room when not in use or into a storage room...

www.racedepartment.com

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Sprint pedals plate has slots for some side to side adjustments, or you can mount directly to profile to get unlimited range.

Sprint Baseplate Anthracite • Heusinkveld Advanced Simracing Products

Optional mounting plate. When operating the Sim Pedals Sprint near their maximum force capability, they need a very sturdy mount to your rig.

heusinkveld.com

 

[TShrimp]

Sprint pedals plate has slots for some side to side adjustments, or you can mount directly to profile to get unlimited range.

Sprint Baseplate Anthracite • Heusinkveld Advanced Simracing Products

Optional mounting plate. When operating the Sim Pedals Sprint near their maximum force capability, they need a very sturdy mount to your rig.

heusinkveld.com

I would need the baseplate, but from reviews it looks like I have to remove the plate from the rig to move them side to side. Since I do that rather often that would be a hassle. The Meca Cup1 pedals do not require this, but I am guessing they have untested support.

 

[Raysy]

I'm not sure why you'd need a plate with the HE Sprints but not the Meca Cup 1 pedals, but you've obviously done your homework.

Checking again on the HE Sprints and the plate, you are right, there is no practical way to loosen and retighten the pedals to move them without first removing the plate from your rig. That act isn't too bad to do, but I'd never do it myself for sure.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Or just find middle ground position that works for left and right foot with heel toe braking.