logitech G29 to Thrustmaster T300 - "upgrade"

RichDell · Feb 27, 2019

afternoon folks!
ive been pondering, im currently running a G29 with the NIXIM brake mod, im not totally happy with the feel of the g29 wheel, i think its got to the point that ive out grown it, if that makes sense!?
now, in an ideal world, id love to splash out on a fanatec setup or even direct drive, but the reality is im a disabled family guy on a very tight budget.
so, would changing to a thrustmaster t300 setup be much, if any, of an upgrade or would i just be swapping like for like almost? is there a big difference between the g29 gear driven system and the thrustmaster belt driven alternative?
its a shame theres nowhere you can go to try out these products to compare them against each other.
cheers
Dell

thepharcyde · Feb 27, 2019

Twas a massive upgrade given the cog to belt system, smoother, quicker and for me at least more reliable than my experience than both the G27 and G29 I've owned.

I bought my T300 second hand that was still going strong when I bought a second hand TS-PC that replaced it that's equally an amazing wheel

RichDell · Feb 28, 2019

thanks, thats just the reply i was hoping for.
im torn between the t300 or saving for the fanatec csl elite ps4, but fanatec dont seem to have the best customer service record.
im thinking a 2nd hand t300 might just do the trick at a fraction of the cost of the csl elite.

thepharcyde · Feb 28, 2019

I was fortunate that T300 I bought came with T3PA pedals else you may with to get an adaptor to use your G29 pedals.

AJ McDaddy · Feb 28, 2019

RichDell said:
thanks, thats just the reply i was hoping for.
im torn between the t300 or saving for the fanatec csl elite ps4, but fanatec dont seem to have the best customer service record.
im thinking a 2nd hand t300 might just do the trick at a fraction of the cost of the csl elite.

TM customer service (in my opinion based on multiple experiences with them) is shocking. I chronicled my experience with them on another forum some time ago. I wouldn't base you hardware choice on customer service alone. I've had no issues with Fanatec so far (fingers crossed) although others have.

RichDell · Feb 28, 2019

yeah seems to be a case of much of a muchness. dunno what it is with wheel manufacturers and bad customer services, they all seem as bad as each other!

RichDell · Feb 28, 2019

im so torn, i dunno what to go for haha!
think thrustmaster and fanatec need to send me setups to test out which best suits me! lol

RasmusP · Feb 28, 2019

I went from g27 to csw 2.5. Sure that's a more massive leap but I tested a ts-pc before that but the coil whine annoyed me so I put 150€ more into new parts and went with the Xbox bundle, v2.5+Alcantara round rim+dual pedals.

Also drove the t300 at a local store in F1 2018.

- t300 won't give you much more punch/force
- it will be a lot smoother and vibrations will vibrate instead of sounding like your wheel is shredding itself into pieces
- the belt has a higher basic resistance. Punches will feel more sluggish
- precision will be higher due to the basic resistance, no deadzone and therefore a consistent and smooth turning/cornering

Overall it's not a upgrade in terms of what you actually feel from the car but it will feel a lot higher in quality, you'll gain corner entry precision and it will be a lot more silent.
Also you won't have to constantly run maximum forces to compensate the deadzone at the center and you also won't have a notch in the center due to the need of minimum forces gain.

I would go for it!
Due to reliability... I might buy a used one and keep your current wheel as backup. And then either use the logitech pedals or whatever comes with the t300.

Ts-pc and csl elite would be a step ahead in terms of what you actually feel from the car but will come a lot higher price.

Hope that helps a little

RichDell · Feb 28, 2019

hi RasmusP thanks thats a great help and very informative, definitely thinking 2nd hand is the way to go, for now.
my pedals feel good now theyve been modded but the wheel is obviously causing problems as im not getting the feel when i need it and when i do, its often too late to react to it, if that makes sense?
there seems to be a lack of consistency from lap to lap.
i was almost sold on the csl elite ps4 setup till i started reading about customer service issues, which kinda put me off a little, so i started looking at thrustmaster again and the t300.
removing customer service reliability from the equation, im wondering now if 2nd hand t300 would be a worthy stepping point on the way to the csl elite ps4 bundle hmmmm!
this all makes my brain hurt haha!!!

AJ McDaddy · Feb 28, 2019

If you're able to wait a while there will likely quite a few CSW 2.5's being sold 2nd hand when Fanatec release the Podium DD series.

RasmusP · Feb 28, 2019

The 2.5 is a step ahead of the ts-pc and if that gamble really happens it would be a great opportunity to pick a used one.

About T300 vs CSL elite: for the same price the CSL is a lot better (the one with the clean front plate, not the old xbox version). It's stronger, more reactive etc.
However the T300 isn't bad at all. And if you can grab one cheaply it will be a great swap out for your Logitech!

It's difficult to decide, totally get it!
Think about it like that:
- customer service is bad no matter what you buy. Horror stories all over the place! However afaik Fanatec is able to repair old bases for money. Their stuff is built to be repairable! No idea about how Thrustmaster handles wheels outside of warranty.
- T300 is a swap out on a similar ffb fidelity level. It's better at the important points (anything but the "directness of little rattles and bumps"). So maybe it's a bit "boring" compared to the Logitech but definitely a better experience in my opinion!
- CSL Elite would change the same things like the T300 but would be also a real upgrade from it.

Question is: paying more for the "upgrade" or maybe pay a lot less for a "evenly leveled swap out". Difficult decision and you'll be happy with both wheel I think

Warren Dawes · Mar 1, 2019

RichDell said:
i was almost sold on the csl elite ps4 setup till i started reading about customer service issues, which kinda put me off a little, so i started looking at thrustmaster again

I was exactly the same a few months ago, and ended up going for the Thrustmaster TS-PC. Worst decision I could have made. After having three faulty units delivered, non existent customer service from Thrustmaster, and after 4 months of hassling, I ended up with a Fanatec 2.5. Best decision I could make in the end.