Thrustmaster Reliability?

[newbert]

I'm considering upgrading from my Logitech G29 to a Thrustmaster TS-PC Racer 488 Challenge Edition. ( Note: I will continue to use my Fanatec pedals with it.) But I'm a bit wary of Thrustmaster's reliability based upon reviews and Youtube comments I've read.

Am I right in thinking twice before ordering anything Thrustmaster? Or are these concerns overblown? Any reasons not to go with this upgrade?

THanks!

 

[Daniel R.]

No issues from my side.
Equipment :

T300rs (wheel only, no pedals)
TH8A
Ferrari F1 addon wheel

 

[Fat-Alfie]

I started out with a Logitech DFGT, on which something snapped internally after about 2 years.

I was then given a very used Thrustmaster T500 which had been used by a motion sim rig company in their test bed for about 5 years. The back of the casing had been cut away to fit in their rig, but other than that it worked just fine. It came with a set of T3PA-Pro pedals too, which have been faultless since I have owned them. One of the micro switches started working intermittently on the wheel, which I replaced for £0.25. The wheel finally gave up when a plastic part inside the wheel (which had been repaired previously) cracked again. I considered a Fanatec wheelbase but after reading so many reports of poor quality control and bad after-market support I decided to stick with Thrustmaster and bought a new TS-PC Racer 488 wheel, and I love it! Just as powerful as the T500 was, but much, much quicker.

I also own their TH8A shifter, which has worked perfectly for many years, and wouldn't hesitate to buy Thrustmaster again based on reliability.

 

[Pedro Azevedo88]

I have a T300RS and the only thing that needed to be changed was the fan (common problem for these wheels).
Beyond that just normal maintenance to the pedals (cleaning). Gearbox still rocking without issues.

 

[Bonehead]

I have a TS-PC Racer with hundreds of hours on it and never a glitch at all.

 

[Terry Rock]

I have not seen many reports of the TS-PC racer itself, failing.
A few guys have had issues with power supplies but not the wheel itself.
That's a far-cry from the T300 when they were initially released.
There were numerous 'horror stories' about that one failing with no warning.
My own T500RS has been faultless for 5+ years.
I purchased it used after selling the previous Logitech G25.
Last year on Black Friday, B&H had a super deal on the TS.
I seriously considered getting one at that time, because of the brushless motors.
If they have something like that again this year, I may consider it.
My other option is to build a dedicated 8020 rig this year with a direct drive.

 

[BrightCandle]

The thing to understand about reliability is that a) Happy customers tend to be quiet (such as myself) b) That any product shipped in very large volume is going to have a lot of reliability complaints online, not because a high percentage fail but because a high absolute number have failed and c) Thrustmaster probably wouldn't make much money if they were dealing with substantial returns. Like most products, Thrustmaster probably has the failure rate down into the 1-3% within warranty period like most consumer products. There is no reliability issue with Thrustmaster, and if there was we the customers don't have sufficient knowledge to know about it.

The same thing happens with motherboards, everyone sees lots of complaints about Asus failures and assume Asus has the worst motherboards, but since they are 2x bigger than their nearest competitor and over half the market volume it is extremely difficult to work out just how bad the failure rate actually is because you don't know the failure percentage. There is a critical missing piece of information in both examples.

 

[manc0ntr0]

Another TS-PC owner here since more than a year, near two I must say.
No one single problem

 

[thepharcyde]

Both my G27 /G29 failed to keep centre after about a years use.
Both my previous T300 and current TS-PC, both of which were purchased second hand have been flawless.

 

[Noahbet]

bought a used T300 on Amazon WHD a year ago, works fine so far. no Problems at all.
Using it with a SpeedMaxRacing F1 Hamilton + LCD Screen and RPM Leds. Just printed an Adapter and it works so good!!

 

[birle1]

T500rs here bought couple years ago, do not remember when, and now problems. I am very happy with it. I have bought a second hand sparco wheel too.

 

[newbert]

Great to hear these positive experiences with Thrustmaster. I ordered the TS-PC Racer Challenge Edition and expect it to arrive tomorrow.

I hope my experience will be as positive as yours and that it truly is a nice upgrade from my G29.

Thanks, Guys!

 

[thepharcyde]

@newbert it's a great wheel

 

[Raf Nix]

@newbert, please tell us what your impressions are?

Me myself tried both, a T300rs some years ago and even this summer a T300gt and crosschecked them with a G29. So I am really curious.

 

[tigermilk]

Have had a TS-PC for over 2 years now. The power supply went belly up in a few months. The Thrustmaster support was a real PITA, wanting photos/videos to show what was/wasn't working, so I just purchased a thrid-party power supply (I think I got the model # from this forum) from an online retailer. That PS has worked like a charm since I purchased. A+ for the wheel, D- for the TM support. Also have the T3PA-Pro pedals and gated shifter. No issues with either.

 

[newbert]

@newbert, please tell us what your impressions are?

Me myself tried both, a T300rs some years ago and even this summer a T300gt and crosschecked them with a G29. So I am really curious.

OK, Raf - Here are my very early first impressions (after only about 45 minutes in rF2....).

Pros:
Build Quality: Much heavier and more solid than my G29.
Looks: Great!
Feel: The alcantara around the wheel feels very comfy. The wheel itself is quite a bit larger than the G29. So, I've had to raise my monitor a bit and will take a bit of getting used to where to place my hands optimally, since the FFB is quite strong relative to the G29.
Installation: Easy-Peasy. I had no problems <knock wood>
Performance: As I said above the FFB is quite strong relative to the G29. I had to dial it down to 75% in rF2 and will probably even go lower once I start really tweaking it. That said, I can fell when the back end comes loose and am able to correct it much better than with the G29. No more of that "notchy" G29 feel.

Con (Minor):
While in the pits, before putting it in gear (in rF2 anyway), the wheel oscillates left-right-left quite a bit! I had known about this possibility from a Youtube video) But once you get going, you don't feel it. It's an acceptable quirk for me, but nonetheless it's there.

As I say, I'm just getting stated with it, but so far I like it!

Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.

 

[Daniel R.]

OK, Raf - Here are my very early first impressions (after only about 45 minutes in rF2....).

Pros:
Build Quality: Much heavier and more solid than my G29.
Looks: Great!
Feel: The alcantara around the wheel feels very comfy. The wheel itself is quite a bit larger than the G29. So, I've had to raise my monitor a bit and will take a bit of getting used to where to place my hands optimally, since the FFB is quite strong relative to the G29.
Installation: Easy-Peasy. I had no problems <knock wood>
Performance: As I said above the FFB is quite strong relative to the G29. I had to dial it down to 75% in rF2 and will probably even go lower once I start really tweaking it. That said, I can fell when the back end comes loose and am able to correct it much better than with the G29. No more of that "notchy" G29 feel.

Con (Minor):
While in the pits, before putting it in gear (in rF2 anyway), the wheel oscillates left-right-left quite a bit! I had known about this possibility from a Youtube video) But once you get going, you don't feel it. It's an acceptable quirk for me, but nonetheless it's there.

As I say, I'm just getting stated with it, but so far I like it!

Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.

Happy you like it!!!

I think the oscillating problem is not caused by wheel itself but by poor FFB in some mods or FFB from a game in general.

 

[dud]

I have the T300rs, and used it with the plastic pedals associated with it.

The pedals died young, specifically the clutch pedal had a spring out of alignment due to plastic not holding it correctly.

I replaced the wheel with an Accuforce 2 because of concerns when the T300 went very hot and started smelling of hot rubber when driving prolonged. However, it never malfunctioned, I just wanted to preserve it as a second working wheelbase for guests in my house. I could also have added cooling I suppose. So, reliability is still 100% on the wheel. It never slipped.

 

[dud]

Oh, but I have a big problem now with my T300rs. I moved and the power cable is in some unknown box. And I can't seem to be able to buy this flat 3-prong power cable anywhere. Special cable == bad idea.

 

[manc0ntr0]

I had a T300 for a year, second hand, and now a TS-PC since two years more or less. No one problem, neither of them.

Best advice I can tell you is that you wait until the fan stops before turning the power off.