"Best" way to start out?

[ClarkyZeppelin]

Heya!


So I was remembering back when my dad used to take me to race days he did with his friends. Everybody rolling in a sports/supercar convoy to the track and have fun the entire day. Got to drive some awesome cars and overall was an amazing experience. Started playing racing games again a while ago and fell in love again so why not get a setup running in the household. Even the wife is on board and very excited!!! Watched a lot of videos on youtube about it but mostly ended up watching Barry from Sim Racing Garage (even as I type I'm listening to the HK Sprint Pedals review and I'm drooling over them) talk about all sorts of different gear - super great and helpful videos! Did a bit of reading on google and put together this:

Wheel - Thrustmaster T300RS
Handbrake - Thrustmaster TSS Sparco Mod+
Shifter - Thrustmaster TH8A
Pedals - Thrustmaster T3PA Pro
Seating - Playseat Evolution with the two mods.
Price for the entire setup - 1215 euros. All new, didn't find anyone selling stuff in my area.

Then I thought I should check out what people who know something about something talk on the forums and damn this place was a good find. The community seems great! Time to sign up make a post!


After doing that now I am wondering if maybe I should invest a little more and/or buy second hand? Stuff like the cheaper end Fanatec wheelbase + wheel, really loving the HK Sprint Pedals so maybe a set of them used plus their handbrake etc.

I have no clue about rigs or seats so any info on that is very welcome!

So am I on the right track or is plan B a better idea?



Please and thank you!

 

[Ruttman98]

Welcome to the sim racing community.

Since you have opted for the Thrustmaster ecosystem, i would urge you to check out their new T-LCM pedals. I have the T3PA Pro pedals that I bought when I needed a new wheel for Xbox One and never liked them after beginning with Fanatec CSP V2 load cell pedals back in 2012.

Research the threads here on RD for members' impressions.

 

[TedBrosby-]

T300 is a good starter wheel. But if you get the RS GT version, it includes the T3PA pedals. The Pro are not better than regular T3PA. The only TM pedals that are actually better are the TLCM. I wouldn’t spend the extra on Pro.

They’re fine for starting out and learning if you enjoy the hobby or not. I do recommend the Ferrari F1 wheel add-on. It’s like €100 and a really good value.

I own Fanatec. ClubSport 2.5 with Formula V2 wheel and V3 pedals. For a casual/beginner it’s quite expensive. But compared to some of the crazy stuff you see here, it’s quite beginner level.

The issue with Fanatec is that it’s not high enough quality to be “end game” (last of anything you’ll ever buy) but it’s too expensive to be a good starting set. You haven’t even decided which sims you’ll drive and those can add up! iRacing 2 years, Skip Barber, a GT3/F4, 10 tracks to keep up with seasons will set you back about €250! Trust me you’ll want Assetto Corsa + DLC for just enjoying driving. I consider AC, one competitive non subscription (choose: ACC rFactor 2, AMS2, iRacing $$$$$$$) and one offline/career mode sim (PC2, F1 20XX) to be the trifecta of sim pleasure. If you have the extra money, invest that into content because content will stay with you regardless of what wheel you upgrade to

 

[Squared Circle]

I went the following route: Got a new G29 set trying to find out if this hobby is going to stay with me. It did for 18 months so I decided to get serious stuff: SC2 (Sport) and Sprints. Also the pricing for all that (incl. self-designed aluminium rig which I can't praise enough for the versatility e.g. when upgrading for tactile etc.) is serious. If I had gone for CSW and V3 pedals I would always have wondered if DD would have been another step up. And ultimately I would have bought this stuff anyway. So I have just saved money

Edit: That's of course my personal approach as I know myself well enough. This only works as an "advice" if you are the same kind of character.

 

[Ormy]

Regardless of the hobby in question, buying gear used can save money if you're up for some DIY repairs. Used gear has wear and tear, possibly other random faults, and probably no warranty. But if you're handy with the toolbox and buy user-serviceable stuff where possible you can save a ton of money. I mostly buy used across my main hobbies.

I recently got back into sim racing after a few years hiatus and here's what I did.
Fanatec CSW 2.5 - £500 used.
BMW clubsport rim - £250 used.
Cheap steel frame (like this) - £50 new.

And for pedals I used the pedals from my old G27 with DIY adapter. The wheelbase was not working properly when it arrived but it just needed some adjustment. I'm very happy with this setup for the short term. Medium-term plan (approx 12 months) is an extruded aluminium frame, tactile transducer (probably Buttkicker LFE) and better pedals. Long-term plan (24+ months) is a Direct-Drive wheelbase.

 

[maelstrom]

Thrustmaster T3PA Pro

I upgraded my T3PAs to T-LCMs and wouldn’t go back.

Playseat Evolution with the two mods.

Not sure what the mods are, but I’m not a big fan of single-pedestal wheel stands as they tend to be more difficult to use with 3-pedal installations - the stand sits in front of the brake pedal. Plus, they tend to be less rigid than other rigs.