What to buy? Fanatec CSW or T500RS

[Ilias Axarlis]

I'm thinking to buy CSW base with the gt2 rim and the v2 pedals, I'm actualy between this and the T500 RS, but I have found reports for bad reliability on fanatec products but there are all 1 year ago. Is there any new feedback on this? Have they fixed the problems or they are still there?

 

[Warren Dawes]

Hard to believe things can be made so cheaply, I wonder how much my 2.5yr old G27 motor costs{no probs as yet}.......but the fact is, both TM and Fanatec wheels must have better motors than G27, which my understanding was a 10w motor vs 65w in T500 and CSW, vs the 160w in the ultra hexy servo wheels.

I'm not sure how much you can read into these comparisons and relativity to component costs.
My experience:
Had my G25 for 7 years heavy use and never had a single problem.
Had a Fanatec GT3 Ver 2, it failed after about 4 months.
My current G27 is 1 year now, also never had a problem.

Guess maybe luck has something to do with it.

 

[Tony Gentile]

GO THE T500rs

 

[UFwho]

Hallelujah!


Mod-edit: offensive language removed and account sent to simberia

At arms reach you would have gotten a backhander for that one. As for the post about the motors: Incorrect. (please see David's post. Nothing else to add).

Looks like your backhand backfired.... ))

 

[mrbasher]

I dont think it's luck. I didn't state this explicitly in my last post but while the g27 and g25 wheels may use a similarly priced motor, they do not seem to fail at nearly the same rate the Fanatec wheel motors do. There are many variables involved and a person would really need to do some proper long term analysis to determine what is going on. However, the fact is, you just dont hear nearly as many people complaining about bad motors in the g series wheels.

It does happen... There are diy guides written for fixing/replacing g series wheel motors.

Most likely, Logitech has designed the supporting components around the motors to ensure the best longevity they can from the inexpensive motors and Fanatec did not. I can't see another way of looking at it.

 

[Tim Meuris]

and do you think, now the csw is out for a few years, fanatec has undertaken any steps in prolonging this longevity in some ways or does a csw that rolls out today still is built the exact same way as the first?

 

[mrbasher]

Not sure except what I read and hear. Multiple people that have been given new wheels or motors over at gtplanet have had them fail in around 6 months or less of receiving them. One person is on wheel 13...

Take what you will from it, I'm just stating what I've seen. The motors had or still have issues... If its been changed or fixed I have not seen or heard about it.

 

[RaceNut]

Would it be possible to have a motor designed with better performance & durability characteristics (ball bearings for example) and then be manufactured in China at some quantity for a reasonable price? Who could engineer/design such a motor? The appropriate Buhler motors are much more expensive and the need to machine parts adds to that.

 

[Tim Meuris]

I also heared that they don't fit into the cswbase without some needed cutting

 

[Noel Spence]

Not sure except what I read and hear. Multiple people that have been given new wheels or motors over at gtplanet have had them fail in around 6 months or less of receiving them. One person is on wheel 13...

Take what you will from it, I'm just stating what I've seen. The motors had or still have issues... If its been changed or fixed I have not seen or heard about it.

Bloody hell 13 wheels that guy must be some very savage driver to burn out 13 wheels, but at least they replaced them, I was an industrial electrician working on three phase motors and if the motor did not come up to standards for the job we would get a bigger hp motor that would do the job ,maybe fanatiec should head down that path, I would be willing to pay a few extra bucks for a stronger motor

 

[Tim Meuris]

going mad here
a few pages before I was so convinced of going for the fanatec CSWline
but these products really seems to be too prone to failure for my liking
it' s sad that when people are prepared to pay this amount of money for a wheel and pedals and shifter
that they are put off by fanatec's infamy for being too unreliable and rather go for a (heavily) modded t500 rs
if they nailed their reliability like their marketing (hats off for logitech in that regard)
it would've been a nobrainer for me
and although I heared lots of stories about good customer support
I'm not feeling like loading up a video and waiting for an answer or a diy-solution...

 

[Noel Spence]

Good luck to you Tim with your choice, you are very correct with the statement about Logitech they were really reliable for me, as for the club sport whe'll, mine is still going strong after the six months mark if you do get one just be wary about turning up the force feedback to high, anyway that is how it is for me and the general construction of the wheel is rocksolid

 

[Tim Meuris]

thnx Noel,
it's just that I would have bought everything from it,
so if the wheel would ve been okay, what about the pedals, what about the CSS (for example read the last posts in the fanatec thread about it in this section, it's plagued by failure)
on paper it is thé thing I'm looking for which no other (payable) manufacturer tops
unfortunately in reality it's a different story...

 

[Lars Bargmann]

It's so sad, really, cause Fanatec could OWN the prosumer-level of the simracing niche.
I know I would definitely go for a CSW, IF I weren't so afraid that it would fail, and I would have to go through weeks or even months of frustration trying to get it fixed.
I admit, I don't have a CSW so I'm not elligable to say something about it, but really... There are just WAY too many reports on broken wheels, heat issues and whatnot. I am simply too scared to be without a wheel for months, to buy it.
I have tried a functioning CSW at a friends house (for like 30 minutes or so) and the feel is awesome!

I do, however, own a T500 and I LOVE IT.
The feel of the T500 is miles above the G27 I came from, and to be honest VERY close to the feel of the CSW IMO (although it feels slightly more damped?)
Add to that, that you can use custom rims, and generally mod the crap out of it, and the decision for me was very easy.
As a testament to how good the T500 is for me, my iRating went from 1700 (where it had been hovering around 1700-2000 for 2 years with the G27) to 3500 in 2 months after getting the T500...

 

[Tobbe Bergman]

When I have read how breakable fanatec wheel is and how many "monday-version" wheels there are, buy only T500RS.

Think again

http://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/t500rs-gas-pedal-problem-be-careful.240867/

 

[Peter]

I don't have that problem. When I first unpacked it 2 years ago I checked the screws and they never turned loose.

 

[Tobbe Bergman]

Prior to my purchase I waded through all the forums and read a ton of posts about the CSW line of products and in the end I bought the ClubSport Series Premium Value Pack + the CSP V2 + CSL Seat.

In this price range Fanatec has absolutely no competition in my opinion.
Just look at the design and features of the Clubsport line, it looks totally awesome and it feels the same too.

It's easy to get overwhelmed of all the negative posts on forums but you have got to remember that it has a kind of snowballing effect when people who had problems tend to post all over the Internet of their bad feelings of the product they have bought.

You've got to remember that Fanatec is a tiny company.

4 years ago I had a noisy fan in my old GT3 RS V2 Wheel and they promptly sent me a new one.

Fanatec Support is top notch in my opinion.

I have friends who owns G25, G27 and Thrustmasters wheels and they all look in envy at my Fanatec rig. Some of them even say that their own wheels feels like toys compared to my Fanatec products.

Now all I want is the CSS SQ and the Clubsport Handbrake to make my Sim Rig complete

 

[Ilias Axarlis]

I agree with u tobbe. I have the v2s and I love them, how long u have your gear?

 

[Tobbe Bergman]

I agree with u tobbe. I have the v2s and I love them, how long u have your gear?

I bought my first Fanatec wheel and pedals in 2010 ( GT3 RS V2 + CSP V1 ) and the Clubsport rig ( Base unit + BMW + Formula rims + CSP V2 + CSL Seat ) in July last year.

It's such a joy every time I sit down and race with it in Assetto Corsa and RBR.

I have tried all the other wheels that most people have (G25, G27 Thrustmasters etc etc) but they just feels like cheap plastic toys compared to my Fanatec rig which in fact feels just like my own real car.

According to my Steam page I have been using my new rig more than 400 hours by now
And that's excluding all the hours I spent with it in RBR

 

[Ilias Axarlis]

I believe most ppl are like you, they just sit down and enjoy their fanatec gear. I'm saving for csw too to pair it with my v2s.

 

[Tobbe Bergman]

thnx Noel,
it's just that I would have bought everything from it,
so if the wheel would ve been okay, what about the pedals, what about the CSS (for example read the last posts in the fanatec thread about it in this section, it's plagued by failure)
on paper it is thé thing I'm looking for which no other (payable) manufacturer tops
unfortunately in reality it's a different story...

I feel like I have to say something here because people seems to soak up the negative comments on Fanatec products that keeps floating around the net.

You should take in consideration that most Fanatec users never post on forums!

Why ?

Because they are busy using their Fanatec equipment !

If Fanatec's fail rate where as high as some people want to portray, Fanatec would simply not exist anymore.

FYI -Fanatec is developing a range of new products as we speak !