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Hi everyone, I thought I'd chime in with my thoughts on these two products - hopefully they will be of use to some people who are lookin for a wheel or a stand.
Fanatac PWC (with ClubSport Shifter Paddles)
First Impressions:
- the rubber covering doesn't feel as nice as I had hoped
- the steering wheel, as a whole, feels solid though
- tried to upload drivers (looking for 681 in particular) - it said it was updated but couldn't find where it said it had 681; aside from this, setting up was easy and has worked great with PS3/GT5.
Force Feedback
- Not always as strong as I had hoped it would be, but it seems pretty accurate. Better on some cars/tracks than others.
Pedals
- better than I expected; I kinda thought they would be like DFGT pedals with a clutch. The floppy accelerator pedal takes some getting used but I adapted quickly and while the brake pedal could use some more travel, its not that bad either. Overall, pretty good.
Shifter
- I like the CS paddle shifters a lot and I'd say that its worth the $20 to add them
- I like the 6 speed too and how it clicks in; sure, its a bit loud but I'd rather have some unwanted noise than a shifter without any resistance or feedback when engaging a gear.
Buttons
- some buttons feel more solid than others - some of the buttons feel rather flimsy;
- I wish they were backlit or something but as I continue playing I'm getting used to it.
Clamp
- the clamp is TERRIBLE; I used it for 3 days before the stand came in and was constantly adjusting it. For those who can't hard mount the wheel, one thing that did help was putting a plush down between the surface and the wheel. Made it much more solid. In any case, if you can, hard mount it.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with my purchase - the fact that it came in within 7 days of ordering (contrary to the problems some people were having) was pretty great too. Would I be happier with the GT3RS Clubsport package? Yeah probably but I'd also be $150 poorer - the wheel isn't perfect but for $160, its a perfect wheel for someone looking for a wheel in between the DFGT and the G27/GT3RS.
Xlerator Wheel Stand - X22
The X22 is the newer stand from Xlerator. Its heavier, more adjustable, and is predrilled to fit Fanatec products (the X21 is predrilled for Logitech products).
Customer service was OUTSTANDING with Xlerator. I spoke with Mike, the owner of Xlerator, via email multiple times and not only was he prompt with all responses but went above and beyond to answer my questions and alleviate any concerns I had. I could not be happier with the customer service I received.
The product itself is solid as well. It feels like its made of quality materials and everything fit together really really well. Assembly took me just over an hour, but a lot of that was looking for tools that I needed and someone who's more mechanically inclined than I am could probably do it much quicker.
It works great. I have a wide microsuade, single seat sofa type chair which is on the stiffer side; if you have a softer, plusher couch it may work differently. In any case, I personally have no problems with stability whatsoever. Also, being able to push it up as I get up (it stands on its own) is a nice feature of the design too. I also love not having a bar in between my legs. Short of spending money on a proper race cockpit or spending more than 300 dollars, I don't think I could be any happier.
Negatives:
- Apparently Fanatec is supposed to include tiny screws to bolt the pedals down, but I couldn't find them. As an alternative, I kept the rubber bottoms and used a little duct tape and its worked perfectly (no slipping at all). But now that I have some free time, I may try to hard mount them.
- Won't work on all seats; if your seat isn't at least 25 inches or more in width, you won't be able to use it unless you get creative.
To conclude, if you are like me and have a seat that will fit or like playing on the couch or just hate having a bar in between your legs, I highly recommend this product!
Fanatac PWC (with ClubSport Shifter Paddles)
First Impressions:
- the rubber covering doesn't feel as nice as I had hoped
- the steering wheel, as a whole, feels solid though
- tried to upload drivers (looking for 681 in particular) - it said it was updated but couldn't find where it said it had 681; aside from this, setting up was easy and has worked great with PS3/GT5.
Force Feedback
- Not always as strong as I had hoped it would be, but it seems pretty accurate. Better on some cars/tracks than others.
Pedals
- better than I expected; I kinda thought they would be like DFGT pedals with a clutch. The floppy accelerator pedal takes some getting used but I adapted quickly and while the brake pedal could use some more travel, its not that bad either. Overall, pretty good.
Shifter
- I like the CS paddle shifters a lot and I'd say that its worth the $20 to add them
- I like the 6 speed too and how it clicks in; sure, its a bit loud but I'd rather have some unwanted noise than a shifter without any resistance or feedback when engaging a gear.
Buttons
- some buttons feel more solid than others - some of the buttons feel rather flimsy;
- I wish they were backlit or something but as I continue playing I'm getting used to it.
Clamp
- the clamp is TERRIBLE; I used it for 3 days before the stand came in and was constantly adjusting it. For those who can't hard mount the wheel, one thing that did help was putting a plush down between the surface and the wheel. Made it much more solid. In any case, if you can, hard mount it.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with my purchase - the fact that it came in within 7 days of ordering (contrary to the problems some people were having) was pretty great too. Would I be happier with the GT3RS Clubsport package? Yeah probably but I'd also be $150 poorer - the wheel isn't perfect but for $160, its a perfect wheel for someone looking for a wheel in between the DFGT and the G27/GT3RS.
Xlerator Wheel Stand - X22
The X22 is the newer stand from Xlerator. Its heavier, more adjustable, and is predrilled to fit Fanatec products (the X21 is predrilled for Logitech products).
Customer service was OUTSTANDING with Xlerator. I spoke with Mike, the owner of Xlerator, via email multiple times and not only was he prompt with all responses but went above and beyond to answer my questions and alleviate any concerns I had. I could not be happier with the customer service I received.
The product itself is solid as well. It feels like its made of quality materials and everything fit together really really well. Assembly took me just over an hour, but a lot of that was looking for tools that I needed and someone who's more mechanically inclined than I am could probably do it much quicker.
It works great. I have a wide microsuade, single seat sofa type chair which is on the stiffer side; if you have a softer, plusher couch it may work differently. In any case, I personally have no problems with stability whatsoever. Also, being able to push it up as I get up (it stands on its own) is a nice feature of the design too. I also love not having a bar in between my legs. Short of spending money on a proper race cockpit or spending more than 300 dollars, I don't think I could be any happier.
Negatives:
- Apparently Fanatec is supposed to include tiny screws to bolt the pedals down, but I couldn't find them. As an alternative, I kept the rubber bottoms and used a little duct tape and its worked perfectly (no slipping at all). But now that I have some free time, I may try to hard mount them.
- Won't work on all seats; if your seat isn't at least 25 inches or more in width, you won't be able to use it unless you get creative.
To conclude, if you are like me and have a seat that will fit or like playing on the couch or just hate having a bar in between your legs, I highly recommend this product!
) to arrive, after reading your review, it would be worth the wait because you've made me really excited about getting it again 
