New kit - buy just once with no future upgrades

[trichens]

OK... I have a decent budget to get a new set of pedals and wheelbase and would like some advice.

It's not a limitless budget but I'm looking at Heusinkveld Ultimate+ three pedal set and Fanatec Podium Racing Wheel F1
So using that as a rough idea of a budget is this the best I can get for the money or should I be looking at other kit?
I'm in the UK so will have to consider the EU import charges too.

This is going to be a "once in a lifetime" type of purchase so it's important that if I'm going to be spending mu "spare" cash that I get it right.
At the moment I'm using a DIY rig and MAY consider something else in the future so I need to budget for that and upgrading monitors too but that's for next year.

 

[R8pilot]

No one can decide for you. But you might think a little more about the "why" of your selections. It seems like the "why" is "I just want the best and don't want to think about it again." That's fine and understandable, but sometimes "the best" as in "it costs the most" isn't what's actually best for your post-purchase goals.

For example, the Sprint pedals are already outstanding, and have effectively replaced the Pro's for all but certain select customers with particular needs. So can you articulate why they are better for you?

I'm a proponent of buying quality. Like I'm trying to choose a metal lathe and mill right now. Those big awesome CNC machines (e.g. Tormach) are so drool-worthy, and I can afford one if I really wanted one. They are objectively better in every way than the hobbyist-type stuff, but would they really be best for me? Not really.

 

[trichens]

Thanks R8pilot
That's the type of advice I'm looking for.
With no experience of the higher level stuff then I don't want to be spending over the odds for extra "features" that I don't need, but I do want to buy quality kit.
So let's say I swap out the Ultimate + for the Sprint pedals; I'll save a chunk of money, but don't lose out on quality.
Wheelbase?
Fanatec DD2 or DD1 or CSL DD?
The CSL DD is around a half the price of a DD2.
How does Fanatec compare to Simucube or Accuforce or SimMagic?
The Fanatec route allows for use of their range of wheels whereas with the others will I be looking at more work to get something compatible and operational?

 

[stigs2cousin]

Hy Trevor,

I can´t comment on Fanatec as i did my best to avoid the whole "Eco System"
That´s partly because I don´t like to be locked into an Eco system ( get lost, Apple) and I like to tinker, eg build my wheels myself.

So in the past 19 month I worked myself up from an T300 with diy loadcell pedals and the PS4 in front of my TV to Simucube Sc2 pro and Heusinkveld sprint on PC with triple monitors.

So if you want to buy and drive Fanatec offers a nice package with a lot of easily fitted wheels.
But do your due diligence and research quality, longevity and customer service.
Some friends of mine had less than stellar experiences.

In my opinion you will get a lot of mileage out the heusinkvelds, regardless wether ultimates or sprints.
Lots of reviews and comparisons online.

I personally find Simucube to be better quality ( proud owner here who is prejudiced against F.)
There are loads of wheels and buttonboxes on the market, some even with SC wireless solutions.
The "simracing boutique" ones maybe a little more expensive, but funktional wheels should be in the F. pricerange.

Whether your DIY rig holds up is to be determined.

My DIY rig ( from second hand 40mm profiles) got triangulated and features like shifter/keyboard holders and monitor mounts added. It copes well with the 20nm I´ve limited my wheelbase to.
(raw power is not that important, the realy fast Esport guys seem to use very light FFB)

Check also the stiffness of your seat and seat mount on your rig.

The sprints can be used with high pedal forces which allows ( for me) a better modulation of the brake.
Imagine the "full brake force" needing 10kg, the difference between 90% and 100% is 1kg.
HSVs can be used with 50+kg, so the 10% modulation spreads out over 5kg. Of course thats only practical if you can use these forces without tyring in a longer race.

For the SC2 there will be no upgrade, only more and nicer wheels.
The HSV Sprints are everything i need, but i started dreaming about hydraulic pedals (again)

Final thoughts:

You are willing to shell out a sizeable chunk of "wallet cargo" (C. Chris Haye) so do your research, if possible try to testtdrive the gadgets you want to buy.

MFG Carsten

Edith says:
most wheels use an USB connection to transfer the data into your game, but there are plug+play wireless solutions for SC on the market.

 

[blekenbleu]

How does Fanatec compare to Simucube or Accuforce or SimMagic

A near consensus is that the best Simucube is better than Fanatec DD1/2,
which in turn are better-liked than the AccuForce.
There are two SimMagics, but few reviews of the (better and stronger) Alpha.
AccuForce and SimMagic M10 use stepper motors which are less smooth than others.
SimMagic software gets complaints; AccuForce cloud tuning is state of the art.
Many folks who buy more powerful wheel bases end up dialing torque back to values possible with weaker ones, but that is user and application specific:

• larger rims want more torque to be responsive, if one wants to sim classic cars.
• steering forces to be simulated (e.g. power steering or not).

It may help to look at wheel bases from the perspective of rims:

• Fanatec rims are plug and pray. Pins can be broken, and quick releases are less than great. There is a relatively large selection of rims.
• Rims for Simucube are generally expensive and mostly custom. Some are wireless.
• AccuForce offers a very limited rim selection, but one can go custom. None are wireless, and its relatively violent power-on calibration can be hard on USB cables.
• SimMagic has only a couple of rim options, but arguably the most elegant wireless solution.

If you are serious about the Ultimate+ over the Sprint, then the Simcube has comparable dynamic range.

 

[metalnwood]

wrong thread...

 

[Clover11]

One thing you may want to consider when going with HE pedals is you won't be able to use them on a console if you were thinking of that with the Fanatec base. That was something I considered when I was building my current system. I wanted nicer pedals then the Fanatec V3s and feel like the pedals are really important to me. Since I was going to go with different pedals, the Fanatec advantage of console support disappears and I decided on a SC2 Pro. I had a Fanatec CSL elite and LC pedals and while they were a big step up from my old Logetch gear, they left me wanting more. Fanatec kind of wore on my too. I had issues with my CSL wheel base, my CSL LC pedals, and my v1.5 shifter. Two out of those three I figured out how to fix myself because their process was so terrible it was easier to get help from other random people online. It played a factor in my decision as well. I did not want to be shipping a Podium wheel base back and forth and deal with Fanatec support ever again. Having said that, I have never actually even tried any Fanatec DD offerings so I don't really know. I have been very happy with my SC2 Pro though.

You will also want something sturdy to attach your DD base and pedals to. I have come to love 80/20 and there just seem to be more and more options come every day. If I had mounted my current setup on my old flimsy rig, I wonder how much I would actually benefit over my old Fanatec setup. The stiff rig allows you to feel those little ques and be precise with your pedals. You don't have to go with aluminum extrusion, but you do want something stiff.