Soldato
This mini review has come about because I was looking to buy a steering wheel as a gift and wanted to spend under £100.
Recommendations across the net swayed between the two steering wheels in the topic, I opted to purchase both wheels and find out for myself which was better and here's the result!
Tested in F1 2011 and iRacing.
Driving Force GT aka DFGT
First impressions are good, the wheel is solid with no play and feels weighty when handling from the box.
In use the wheel itself has a similar feel to the G25/27 with strong force feedback, unfortunately in the same way the G25/27 feel light so does the DFGT. It's as if you have a heavily power assisted car that you can steer with your little finger, some people like this, I'm a racer and I'd prefer more weight.
The money clearly went in to the wheel because the pedals are very poor, they're light to the touch and there's slack in the pedals that make them feel even worse. Sure you can make do and after a while you get used to them, but they detract from the experience.
The other poor point to this wheel is the awful shifter 'button's. No paddles. The buttons are clearly a cost-cutting exercise, they're small and awkward to press, they really let the design of the package down and I'm not sure I could live with them.
Pro's:
- solid feel to the finish of the wheel
- no play in the wheel bearing
- ample buttons
- small footprint
- Logitech's tried and testing clamping
- 900' steering lock
- communicative and strong force feedback
Con's:
- pedals are very light to the touch, no feel
- brake has too much slack, about half an inch of travel
- paddle shifters are poor, cost cutting exercise design
- a minor complaint for some is the soft steering, no weight
Thrustmaster F430
I thought the DFGT felt solid out the box but the F430 is a step beyond, it's bigger and heavier giving the impression of solid build. As soon as you turn the wheel you feel the weight/resistance of the gearing inside, initially this is quite an odd contract if you're used to Logitech kit but once driving it comes in to it's own.
The steering wheel although similar to the DFGT felt more comfortable in my hand and was much better weighted with a less aggressive more subtle force feedback effect. The actual weight of the steering feel transformed the on screen, it felt closer to reality than the DFGT which was like driving an over assisted town car.
In reality the DFGT isn't bad per se, it's just not as good as the F430 - that said if you've not tried the heavier feel F430 you'd more than likely be happy with the DFGT!
Another two things I really like about the F430 is the fact you get metal pedals and paddle shifters, but a cost effective wheel these are great additions and they make the whole package feel solid. The shifters are great, big and tactile.
Clamp is good, metal inserts so the plastic doesn't crack, not sure if I prefer it to the DFGT, it's different but they both work well!
The pedals however have too small a footplate which means unless you're in a relatively upright position they can lift under braking because the brake pedal is stiff. Stiff is good, it's better than the DFGT, it isn't so good when the pedal set is too small and light to balance that!
When it comes to build the unit and pedals feel solid, the weighted feel, the wheel, the pedals, the shifters and the bearing. However there is one discrepancy in this otherwise solid performance, the peripheral buttons that are dotted around the wheel, they're clearly rather cheap and not very tactile - a mute point for some and not a deal breaker.
Finally the lack of 900' rotation might be an issue for some but in most games ~300' is plenty, particularly F1. Games that will be hindered are those that require drifting and hence more lock, I can't be arsed with drifting so I don't need that lock!
Pro's:
- overall quality of the unit
- solid steering feel and performance
- weighted feel to steering and pedals
- metal shifters that are large and sturdy
- aesthetically pleasing
- metal insert clamp
- no play/slack in pedals or wheel
Cons:
- lack of rotation compared to DFGT
- footplate quite small, prone to lifting under braking
- you have to left foot brake because of the above
- cheap feel to the periphery buttons
It's probably obvious from the above comments but for me the Thrustmaster F430 wins by quite a margin, not only is it nicer to drive, has a better overall quality and looks more aesthetically pleasing, I also found it for less money than the DFGT.
That said if the F430 wasn't available you'd have to say that under £100 for the DFGT still represents good value for a relatively rounded and very useable product.
I hope people find this mini review helpful.
Recommendations across the net swayed between the two steering wheels in the topic, I opted to purchase both wheels and find out for myself which was better and here's the result!
Tested in F1 2011 and iRacing.
Driving Force GT aka DFGT
First impressions are good, the wheel is solid with no play and feels weighty when handling from the box.
In use the wheel itself has a similar feel to the G25/27 with strong force feedback, unfortunately in the same way the G25/27 feel light so does the DFGT. It's as if you have a heavily power assisted car that you can steer with your little finger, some people like this, I'm a racer and I'd prefer more weight.
The money clearly went in to the wheel because the pedals are very poor, they're light to the touch and there's slack in the pedals that make them feel even worse. Sure you can make do and after a while you get used to them, but they detract from the experience.
The other poor point to this wheel is the awful shifter 'button's. No paddles. The buttons are clearly a cost-cutting exercise, they're small and awkward to press, they really let the design of the package down and I'm not sure I could live with them.
Pro's:
- solid feel to the finish of the wheel
- no play in the wheel bearing
- ample buttons
- small footprint
- Logitech's tried and testing clamping
- 900' steering lock
- communicative and strong force feedback
Con's:
- pedals are very light to the touch, no feel
- brake has too much slack, about half an inch of travel
- paddle shifters are poor, cost cutting exercise design
- a minor complaint for some is the soft steering, no weight
Thrustmaster F430
I thought the DFGT felt solid out the box but the F430 is a step beyond, it's bigger and heavier giving the impression of solid build. As soon as you turn the wheel you feel the weight/resistance of the gearing inside, initially this is quite an odd contract if you're used to Logitech kit but once driving it comes in to it's own.
The steering wheel although similar to the DFGT felt more comfortable in my hand and was much better weighted with a less aggressive more subtle force feedback effect. The actual weight of the steering feel transformed the on screen, it felt closer to reality than the DFGT which was like driving an over assisted town car.
In reality the DFGT isn't bad per se, it's just not as good as the F430 - that said if you've not tried the heavier feel F430 you'd more than likely be happy with the DFGT!
Another two things I really like about the F430 is the fact you get metal pedals and paddle shifters, but a cost effective wheel these are great additions and they make the whole package feel solid. The shifters are great, big and tactile.
Clamp is good, metal inserts so the plastic doesn't crack, not sure if I prefer it to the DFGT, it's different but they both work well!
The pedals however have too small a footplate which means unless you're in a relatively upright position they can lift under braking because the brake pedal is stiff. Stiff is good, it's better than the DFGT, it isn't so good when the pedal set is too small and light to balance that!
When it comes to build the unit and pedals feel solid, the weighted feel, the wheel, the pedals, the shifters and the bearing. However there is one discrepancy in this otherwise solid performance, the peripheral buttons that are dotted around the wheel, they're clearly rather cheap and not very tactile - a mute point for some and not a deal breaker.
Finally the lack of 900' rotation might be an issue for some but in most games ~300' is plenty, particularly F1. Games that will be hindered are those that require drifting and hence more lock, I can't be arsed with drifting so I don't need that lock!
Pro's:
- overall quality of the unit
- solid steering feel and performance
- weighted feel to steering and pedals
- metal shifters that are large and sturdy
- aesthetically pleasing
- metal insert clamp
- no play/slack in pedals or wheel
Cons:
- lack of rotation compared to DFGT
- footplate quite small, prone to lifting under braking
- you have to left foot brake because of the above
- cheap feel to the periphery buttons
It's probably obvious from the above comments but for me the Thrustmaster F430 wins by quite a margin, not only is it nicer to drive, has a better overall quality and looks more aesthetically pleasing, I also found it for less money than the DFGT.
That said if the F430 wasn't available you'd have to say that under £100 for the DFGT still represents good value for a relatively rounded and very useable product.
I hope people find this mini review helpful.
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