Driving Force Pro- Worth it?

  • Thread starter hawkeye122
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hawkeye122

hawkeye122

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California
gdwest1
So, I was at my local salvation army thrift store today and i saw a Driving Force Pro wheel in the locked case. I asked the Clerk for the price, expecting it to be like $80.

"Oh, well the Pedals are 10 and the wheel is 15."

"So 25 what... Dollars? "

"Yes sir"

"For the wheel and pedals?"

"Yep"

I busted down the street to the bank to get some cash right then and there. I've never had a wheel before, mostly because of the cost, so im asking- IS $25 a good price for that wheel? I mean, i took it home, plugged it in, fired up GT5, and it all worked perfectly. The brackets arent broken, the force feedback seems to work, everything. I know its no G27 or DFGT, but still, is it decent?

Also, is there a Magic Number for the correct-ish sensitivity? Any ideas on how to mount it?

I just thought it was a good price, so im wondering if it actually was. And i know nothing about the whole wheel thing, so id like some tips.
 
With my 5 year old GTForce Pro (Japan's version of DFPro) unit :

1. Its a tad noisy when the Force-Feedback motors kick-in, a "bzzzz bzzzz bzzz" sounds when you turn the wheel during a race, in a quiet room in the middle of the night.

Force feedback is adjustable on the wheel with 3-funny-button presses AND also from inside GT game settings. And modern cars all have power-steering, so steering force IRL is not that strong. I stick with a 3 in GT wheel settings.

2. For 25 bucks, and if its in working condition, its should be entry level good buy.
 
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Excellent buy! I have it. Nice tool, but has noise and no dead zone. I like it, although I prefer G25-27 or Fanatec for their material & feedback quality.
 
If the unit is intact and works then you got a good price!
wtg!
👍

I find the DFP wheel is fair at best on GT5. It works much better with PC racing sims (better configurability, better FFB).
 
thats a really good deal! i wouldnt sell my dfp for that low. the wheel is also fully supported in GT5..you can also adjust the degree of rotation from 900 to 200 (press select/R3/right paddle shifter simultaneously). for settings i had mine at Simulation - Power assist: off - ffb: 5 .. yes its a bit noisy because it has straight cut gears but its a good starter wheel
 
I used the Driving Force for years before I picked up my G27, and it worked great. The Logitech wheels are very reliable, and probably the best entry point for anyone on a budget. And, for $25, you can't go wrong. Let us know what you think, once you've had a couple days to get used to it. :)
 
So I've had this wheel for a little more than a month now, so I suppose ill give an update

The thing still works, and does its job brilliantly.

I find it a little hard to drift, it seems like the wheel doesnt swing back fast enough?

Also, the shaking when driving an X2010 at 400KPH+ Is insane. It pulls like a ****, and I love that.

It's currently found its home at my computer desk, because my PS3 plugs into my monitor. The clamps need occasional tightening, but its still very nice.

You can feel the grip leave you if you're on a snow track. That rocks.

I've put a little piece of Red Electrical Tape on the top-center of the wheel. Sub-consciously this helps a great deal.

Now, I used a G27 at my friend's house the other day, sure, it had an H-shifter, but who cares? His costs 5 times more than mine did, and I can actually adjust the settings!

This was a great buy, and I don't plan to upgrade till this breaks. It's fantastic.
 
Also, I've found that on NFS: Shift, F1 2010, F1:CE, and Dirt 2, it still works like a beast. Its wayyyy easier to control when it locks to 200 degrees
 
I've just picked up a second hand DFP with a gameracer seat setup, i'm having a great time with the wheel, I've even managed to convert a non-gamer friend of mine to buy a ps3 and gt5 with a wheel 👍

I'm still eyeing up G25's and G27's on ebay though :)
 
I got mine from craigslist for $10, and it's incredible. For $25, great, as well. I think this is a great starter wheel for anyone looking to race very simple. It's always worth it, no matter the price, except anything over $50.
 
Thats a great tip about how to adjust the sensitivity. I've had a DFP for a few years that I used to use for PC sims and have recently dusted it off to use for GT5.

After getting used to playing with the DS3, the only problem I have with the wheel is that I find it difficult to correct from oversteer and suddenly find myself hitting the barrier nose-on, but I guess I just need more practice. :)
 
If it works properly that is a steal. I bought mine for $90 from Walmart the week GT5P came out and it has been worth every penny. Sure there are better wheels out there, but they are going to cost you a lot more. If you've never used a wheel before than your enjoyment of racing games is going to go way up.

Next thing you need to do is get a wheelstand pro if you don't have something good to rig it up to. That is well worth the money, especially since you could get your wheel and stand for about $160 total!
 
I bought the DFP way back when it first came out in anticipation of GT4. Great wheel! I would still be using it, but I wanted something that worked with my xbox, so I picked up a GT2. I gave it away to someone I knew would enjoy it.
 
Another Update:
The thing still works like it did the day I picked it up.

I have however run into a problem on mounting it... The clamps are too narrow for any of the other Drink-holding surfaces at my house or my friends. Thus, It only gets used at the computer desk.

Im thinking about going down to the salvage yard and finding seat, any ideas? How to mount it, etc.?
 
hawkeye122
Another Update:
The thing still works like it did the day I picked it up.

I have however run into a problem on mounting it... The clamps are too narrow for any of the other Drink-holding surfaces at my house or my friends. Thus, It only gets used at the computer desk.

Im thinking about going down to the salvage yard and finding seat, any ideas? How to mount it, etc.?
Click to expand...

Oh, I bet you did not get the small info sheet/manual with your wheel? The clamp tips (the plastic ends on the L-shaped clamp that touch the bottom of your desk) can be removed if you have a thick desk. I think this will give you an additional 2-3cm?
 
Final Update: Yes. More than a year after buying it at a thrift store, and it still goes strong. Still have no awesome racing set-up, but it clamps to my desk, and I use it for all sorts of racing games. Lovely buy! Nothing broken!
 
I bought my DFP brand new when GT4 came out. (Must be 8 years now)
I still use it and never had a problem with the wheel itself.
The pedals on the other hand...will wear the locating slot for the potentiometer eventually.
I use G27 pedals as a stand alone, as I race rFactor now.

Great find and wishing the longevity that I've enjoyed with this wheel.
 

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