T500RS still worth buying in 2016

[Sean]

Hi all,

I have found a T500RS advertised for AUD 750.00
Is is still worth getting even though its been out from about 2011 (as far as I can see).
Guess a replacement is on the cards pretty soon?
I have a G29, but compatibility issues with most games is driving me nuts.

 

[Metalogic]

ouch! I can't drive with those, but if space is a problem then I guess it's better than a keyboard!

Why do you think I want a wheel?

The available space I have (a small office) I share with my wife during the week (who works from home), so can't leave a wheel permanently setup, but it might just be manageable if I have things setup on a WheelStand Pro that I can setup in front of the desk when racing, then put away when not in use, though I'm not 100% sure how well a WheelStand Pro would work when setup in front of a desk e.g. in terms of being able to get close enough to the screen etc. Does anyone here do this and find it works for them?

Also, yes, a gamepad is still much better than trying to use the keyboard/mouse, but it's not easy - the Xbox 360 controller thumbsticks are not very sensitive, so steering is quite jerky, but at least you get slip and kerbs vibrations, which help to get some sort of feel for what the car is doing when cornering. The steering using an Xbox One controller is more precise and less jerky, but R3E doesn't support any rumble vibrations on this, due to bad Microsoft firmware/drivers on PC, so it's actually harder to race with.

 

[Sean]

Why do you think I want a wheel?

The available space I have (a small office) I share with my wife during the week (who works from home), so can't leave a wheel permanently setup, but it might just be manageable if I have things setup on a WheelStand Pro that I can setup in front of the desk when racing, then put away when not in use, though I'm not 100% sure how well a WheelStand Pro would work when setup in front of a desk e.g. in terms of being able to get close enough to the screen etc. Does anyone here do this and find it works for them?

Also, yes, a gamepad is still much better than trying to use the keyboard/mouse, but it's not easy - the Xbox 360 controller thumbsticks are not very sensitive, so steering is quite jerky, but at least you get slip and kerbs vibrations, which help to get some sort of feel for what the car is doing when cornering. The steering using an Xbox One controller is more precise and less jerky, but R3E doesn't support any rumble vibrations on this, due to bad Microsoft firmware/drivers on PC, so it's actually harder to race with.

I see! lol
Wheel stand pro looks like it may work (may be a bit far from the screen, but you could move the screen closer?). Or you could consider something like the Next Level Racing Wheel Stand (http://www.nextlevelracing.com/products/next-level-racing-wheel-stand/) as a start and then later when you have more space you can add the racing seat section to complete your rig.
The NLR wheel stand is very solid (and heavy) but it does fold away, though its not nearly as small as what the wheel stand pro looks to be. The downside is that I don't think the wheel stand pro will as stable as the NLR version. Give and take I guess.
I have the GTultimate V2 race sim cockpit (basically the stand and seat) and its rather awesome

 

[Chili P]

I had space constraints and I went for one of these http://www.gtomegaracing.com/wheel-stands
it is similar to the one in the previous post, can be folded away if needed but is less than half the cost, it is very sturdy and can have a seat added at a later date if more space becomes available.(it did)
Additionally the feet can be removed and replaced by simply screwing in some castors to save on collapsing the wheel stand, simply push it to another location.

I also used one of these http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&sku=482-10010 which with a bit of careful mounting I had attached initially to the wheel stand wheel base plate and simply moved the monitor to whichever position it was needed. I subsequently mounted the monitor stand to my desk and simply swing it out into position to match the wheel stand/driving position.
You could always get the monitor arm first for the wife @ around £80 new,(got mine on an auction site for £35) (tell her its for ergonomics and her comfort )
and then add a wheel stand.

 

[Metalogic]

Thanks for the tips @Sean Rogers and @Chili P - both those stands look good, but I think the Wheel Stand Pro (whilst likely to be less stable) is going to be more practical in my environment - it's narrower, so the half with the pedals on will fit under my desk, which I don't think the other stands will (there are full-length drawers underneath that limit the horizontal space under the desk), and also it looks like it will be much smaller when folded away (it will have to live in a corner of the small office when not in use).

A movable monitor mount is not a bad idea, though the shape of my desk makes it quite difficult to bolt things onto, as it only has a very short "lip" on which to attach clamps (one of the other reasons I'm considering a wheel stand), though that Dell mount looks quite clever and might work. Or, as suggested, I could just move the monitor forward for racing.

In fact that's the other thing I need to get - an external monitor! Currently just using the 15.6" 1080p screen on my gaming laptop (has Nvidia 970M GPU) which obviously is far from ideal. I've been considering getting the 24" BenQ XL2430T (not G-Sync, which my computer doesn't support, but up to 144Hz refresh, which is supported) monitor, which appears to be on offer on Amazon UK at the moment. It seems to get very good reviews. Don't think I'd have room for a larger monitor.

 

[gmhsv8]

Thanks for your input, especially that you have had both. I am leaning (even more now) towards the T300. No rush then, seen as the special is on the T500

Hello all T500RS users I have been putting 85 watt Buhler motors in these bases for 6 months now replaces the 65 watt original no problems at all no discernible FFB fade and the better feel in braking and rear slip is unbelievable 30 percent more power has to be tried to appreciate. I have had customers tell me they are better than the problematic Fanatec V2 base. If interested have a look at T500RS on EBay. Taken off at the moment to catch up on orders placed.

 

[Revhead_1000]

I bought a T500 exactly a year ago in Aus. Good wheel. Haven't had any issues with it except for a very slight issue with it being half a degree off centre, but its so minute it isn't an issue. When I was researching it I found that it seemed more reliable than the t300.

on a side note, if you go with the T300 and the pro pedals you get the conical brake mod with it that is really good for giving better pedal resistance. If you Buy the T500 you have to get the mod aftermarket which is stupidly expensive.

 

[c4rlo5]

I bought a T500 exactly a year ago in Aus. Good wheel. Haven't had any issues with it except for a very slight issue with it being half a degree off centre, but its so minute it isn't an issue.

Try this
http://ts.thrustmaster.com/download.../T500RS_AutoCalibration_Centering_Process.pdf

 

[Terry Rock]

After selling my G25 a bit over two years ago, I purchased a used T500...then added the F458 rim.
It was a night and day transition. They're not even in the same league.
To be fair, I do not use the T500's original pedals...those were sold since I have Clubsports.
The T300 is said to be a bit smoother in operation but I do not have any issues with 'notchiness' while driving...I'm concentrating on other things.
As to the TX... well that was just downright 'scary' in terms of the failure/return reports.
Just do a review search.
I'd say it's still a valid wheel as long as the price is right.

 

[Revhead_1000]

Try this
http://ts.thrustmaster.com/download.../T500RS_AutoCalibration_Centering_Process.pdf

Ah thanks. I always thought it might just be a slight defect, but will give this a try tomorrow.

 

[Skazz]

After selling my G25 a bit over two years ago, I purchased a used T500...then added the F458 rim.
It was a night and day transition. They're not even in the same league.
To be fair, I do not use the T500's original pedals...those were sold since I have Clubsports.
The T300 is said to be a bit smoother in operation but I do not have any issues with 'notchiness' while driving...I'm concentrating on other things.
As to the TX... well that was just downright 'scary' in terms of the failure/return reports.
Just do a review search.
I'd say it's still a valid wheel as long as the price is right.

Since I have both the T300 and T500 and have used them both for years, I thought I'd use this thread to just add some experience of the differences...
I use my T300 (with T3PA in preference over my clubsport v1s) on my PC rig, and the T500 (with TH8A) on the console rig. The differences are quite interesting, but in the end either wheel is a good choice for price/performance.

In reliability terms:

• The TX/T300 went through a bad time in 2014/2015. I get the impression that QC has improved but you still see regular issues popping up online. I bought mine from a local store and have the compulsory 2 year EU warranty, and would recommend that approach even now for prospective T300 owners. My launch T300 (Q3 2014) was replaced soon after I got it due to a defect, but the replacement is getting near to 2 years old now and is still going great, I've not noticed any deterioration since new. The major issues tend to be power supply related more than anything else.
  
• The T500 was originally released in 2011 and Thrustmaster tweaked out all of the weak spots by the time the "GT6 branded" version was released in late 2013. You hear very few issues with the T500 now, and it really does feel sturdy. A prospective T500 owner who gets a GT6 branded box version can be reasonably sure of it lasting a long time.

In use / performance:

• If I had to summarize, I'd say the T500 is more powerful but higher internal resistance, the T300 is lighter, smoother and more free spinning. The effective "dynamic range" of both wheels is not that different, really, it's just that the T500 goes from "loud" to "medium" whereas the T300 goes from "medium loud" to "soft" [in comparison the G25 goes from medium soft to soft].
• In more detail: Using iRacing wheelcheck I found that the T500 peak spin speed is at least 30% higher than the T300. This means it gets out of the way better when you are in heavy oversteer (e.g. drifting), but it also means it's harder (more dangerous for your fingers) to catch the wheel as it spins.
• The T500 can really feel brutal at times, whereas the T300, while 50% more powerful than a G25, remains easily catchable. So you feel more in control immediately with a T300, because it gets out of the way adequately most of the time, communicates small FFB nuances and yet isn't going to rip your fingers off. The T500 power means that you have to work harder to get past the internal resistance and when the car is doing dramatic things you have to work harder to keep the wheel under control. This is probably the more realistic experience, and it's certainly the more entertaining one, but you definitely have to put more effort in to keep the car under control, compared to the pretty effortless T300 experience.
• I don't feel that there is a difference in FFB cues felt with either wheel, it's just that the cues are more subtle on the T300.

Personally I use my T300 more, because I prefer my wheel to have as low an internal resistance as possible, even at the cost of power. Guys who like more damping on their wheel and want to feel the car fighting them will find the T500 the better choice.