POLL: Thrustmaster T300RS/GTE Reliability Poll

  • Thread starter VBR
  • 504 comments
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Have you had any problems with your T300RS/GTE?

  • Total voters
    313
fatkrakr
This very poll makes that statement inaccurate. More people without issues have responded to this poll than people with issues. Just sayin.
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:lol: That's true I guess.

Only TM will know the true answer to the % of wheels that have failed under warranty and I doubt that they are going to tell us that information anytime soon.
 
fatkrakr
This very poll makes that statement inaccurate. More people without issues have responded to this poll than people with issues. Just sayin.
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But again, that could be just a tiny percentage of happy users, whereas the percentage with issues could be a larger fraction of unhappy users. We just don't know :)
 
You, Skazz had problem with T300 yourself, i remember to see you saying that this is your second T300.

Let's take the first PS3, wich had several problems with the infamous Yellow Light of Death, after 2 years of use my game got this problem, months later a friend's PS3 got the same issue, 2 weeeks later,another friend and then another one.

There's a friend of mine who still got his "Fat" PS3 rocking as hell, but it doesn't change the fact that me, my friends and a LOT of other people had realiability problems with their games.

I guess, and it is just a guess here. That the percentage of problems with T300 is near of the old Xbox 360, and that is a lot!
 
The very existence of this thread highlights the reliability problem. You don't see a thread made for DFGT, G25, G27, G29, not even other Thrustmaster products like T500 or T150. Only the T300. No matter what the poll says, that is a big red flag in itself.

I just want to know what is the root cause of all the problems? Like the fat PS3 for example, we know it's because Sony used non-lead solders and it caused the contacts to crack after repeated heat cycling. Does the same design issue exist in the T300? If so, then why the 🤬 doesn't Thrustmaster go back to the drawing board and fix it? I've said this before, but surely it's cheaper in the long run to redesign than to keep dealing with warranties and replacements? Not to mention the boost in public image.

Fortunately for me, GTS has been delayed and I'm at least 1 year away from being forced to buy a wheel. Guess my G25 isn't going to retirement anytime soon :P
 
I'd say that for about 9 months after launch the T300 reliability was clearly not good. But the number of people reporting issues clearly dropped off. It didn't drop to zero, but the number of reports dropped down significantly.

The majority of the issues seem to be about the interaction between the brushless motor (presumably the control electronics) and the power supply, as far as I can see. This "weak spot" is something which the T150/500 simply don't have since they both use brushed motors.

[note that motor control electronics of brushless motors are more complex than brushed motors, but on the other hand Fanatec made the same move to brushless with CSWv2 and hasn't had any equivalent issues]
 
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VBR
You can get your G25 working with PS4 by getting a Cronusmax & usb hub. It's way cheaper than buying a new wheel, & seems to be working well at first glance too.

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/thre...rt-wheel-on-ps4-assetto-corsa-f1-2016.349858/


:)
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Yeah that has crossed my attention. I still think FFB support won't be 100% perfect though. Even if they say it is, there's still a niggling feeling at the back of my head that the FFB I'm feeling isn't the full deal :P

I'll just wait another year to decide if GTS is really worth another wheel. No biggie.
 
I was at a PC expo yesterday and saw the T300RS on special, NZ$200 off the usual retail price, so I bought one.
It lasted 1 hour and started making a loud buzzing noise! I took it back today and they exchanged it for me.
So far the replacement is behaving.
 
@Animera Was it a brand new wheel, or could it have possibly been a "reconditioned" unit? One hour must be a new record.

Good luck with the replacement, hopefully it lasts much longer and you enjoy using it. 👍 They're good wheels, when they're working.
 
It was brand new.
I had a league race with the replacement and it was amazing! The FFB is something else.
I also bought a set of T3PA pedals, but I prefer the G29 pedals. The T3PA's have very little resistance.
I'm looking at the connector that allows the G29 pedals to be used with the T300, then I'll be really happy.
 
Animera
It was brand new.
I had a league race with the replacement and it was amazing! The FFB is something else.
I also bought a set of T3PA pedals, but I prefer the G29 pedals. The T3PA's have very little resistance.
I'm looking at the connector that allows the G29 pedals to be used with the T300, then I'll be really happy.
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Did you try fitting the conical brake on the T3PAs?
 
VBR
You can get your G25 working with PS4 by getting a Cronusmax & usb hub. It's way cheaper than buying a new wheel, & seems to be working well at first glance too.

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/thre...rt-wheel-on-ps4-assetto-corsa-f1-2016.349858/


:)
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Forget Cronusmax, it's a gigantic rip off. Build a GIMX for a fraction of the cost of a Cronus and have a better product.

LeGeNd-1
Yeah that has crossed my attention. I still think FFB support won't be 100% perfect though. Even if they say it is, there's still a niggling feeling at the back of my head that the FFB I'm feeling isn't the full deal :P

I'll just wait another year to decide if GTS is really worth another wheel. No biggie.
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The FFB feel using the GIMX is identical to if the wheel was fully supported natively. I've tried using my Fanatec wheel in Pcars, in which it is supported, and then plugged in in through the GIMX to use it as a G29 in game, and the FFB feels identical. Also, there is no input lag I can perceive. If you can be bothered setting it up, or finding someone to do it for you, I would highly recommend it.
 
After my first T300 broke (it lasted about a year) i've read alot about the problems surrounding this wheel.

It seams like one major part of the trubble is heat from high ffb-settings.
After reading about all problems i have lowered my settings and i have noticed a big difference in how hot the wheel gets.

As a bonus i also feel i now have a much better feeling in all parts of what's happening with the car.

Not for taking responsability away from Thrustmaster regarding a doubtful product, just a tip to fellow racers. :cheers:
 
Unfortunately I had to vote yes to the poll.Actually I should have the possibility to vote twice because that's the amount of problems I had.
within 1 month I had to return the T300rs and T300gte as well.
No complaints about the service,but really a shame having all this troubles for that amount of money.
All so a pitty because (in my short experience) the wheels are very pleasant to drive compared to logitech which I use for 8 years now.
 
Had my T300 wheel since the start of the year and used it for about 6 evening sessions in that time. Last night it couldn't calibrate and just kept spinning to the right and hitting the stop without spinning back all the way to the left. I unplugged it and turned it all the way to the left then plugged it back in and it then calibrated properly when it restarted.

When I went into Project Cars (the only game I use it for) the FFB on the Caterham felt light and there was a slight floating sensation at the centre point. So I quit and set the FFB on the wheel to 100% from my usual 67% which improved things a lot. I then tried out the Bentley 8 and the FFB was mega heavy so I turned it back down to 67% and all was fine again for the rest of the session including a 10 lap BMW TC race at the Nordschleife. Went back to the Caterham and realised that it was actually the car that was the problem and the FFB for it is very light. :lol:

I'm not voting 'yes' yet as I think that would be a little unfair. But if it plays up again I'll need to work out a way of updating the firmware as I don't have any PCs in the house... and then I'll give my vote.
 
axletramp
Had my T300 wheel since the start of the year and used it for about 6 evening sessions in that time. Last night it couldn't calibrate and just kept spinning to the right and hitting the stop without spinning back all the way to the left. I unplugged it and turned it all the way to the left then plugged it back in and it then calibrated properly when it restarted.

When I went into Project Cars (the only game I use it for) the FFB on the Caterham felt light and there was a slight floating sensation at the centre point. So I quit and set the FFB on the wheel to 100% from my usual 67% which improved things a lot. I then tried out the Bentley 8 and the FFB was mega heavy so I turned it back down to 67% and all was fine again for the rest of the session including a 10 lap BMW TC race at the Nordschleife. Went back to the Caterham and realised that it was actually the car that was the problem and the FFB for it is very light. :lol:

I'm not voting 'yes' yet as I think that would be a little unfair. But if it plays up again I'll need to work out a way of updating the firmware as I don't have any PCs in the house... and then I'll give my vote.
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The latest firmware on the T300 is much better IMO - I would try my best to get it updated. It has improvements on multiple aspects that you may not really notice but it has a feature to always have the fan on full to manage the internal temp better by pressing Mode+option.

Project CARS FFB system is a wicked beast that I gave up on but I did get many hours of enjoyment from. I constantly ran into issues with it thinking it was my T300, but Assetto Corsa and Dirt Rally have proved that it was pCARS that was the problem for me not my T300.
 
Spitfire77
The latest firmware on the T300 is much better IMO - I would try my best to get it updated. It has improvements on multiple aspects that you may not really notice but it has a feature to always have the fan on full to manage the internal temp better by pressing Mode+option.

Project CARS FFB system is a wicked beast that I gave up on but I did get many hours of enjoyment from. I constantly ran into issues with it thinking it was my T300, but Assetto Corsa and Dirt Rally have proved that it was pCARS that was the problem for me not my T300.
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Yep, I'll grab a PC from work and do it that way as I only have Macs at home. I'm also finding that brilliant as it is, there are beta-like issues with pCARS that I wasn't expecting.
 
Spitfire77
The latest firmware on the T300 is much better IMO - I would try my best to get it updated. It has improvements on multiple aspects that you may not really notice but it has a feature to always have the fan on full to manage the internal temp better by pressing Mode+option.

Project CARS FFB system is a wicked beast that I gave up on but I did get many hours of enjoyment from. I constantly ran into issues with it thinking it was my T300, but Assetto Corsa and Dirt Rally have proved that it was pCARS that was the problem for me not my T300.
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4.25 that is isn't it? I was surprised mine came with it already installed in October.
 
Orayani
4.25 that is isn't it? I was surprised mine came with it already installed in October.
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Yeah FW 25 has been out for a long time. Since late 2015 I think. I would figure almost all wheels bought in the second 1/2 of 2016 and later would have it but you never know.
 
I am very happy with T300. Owned since August of 2016. Never a problem never any strange noise. The fan motor is a little loud. But nothing to cause me to dislike the wheel. FFB is excellent at least to my feel. And you can feel the adjustments you make. I run PCars (PC & PS4), Assetto Corsa (PC & PS4) and Race Room RE.

The wheel calibration does slam the wheel when spinning to the right. The sound and force is very harsh. And that makes me think that perhaps the people who have had problems with this wheel did so because the wheel damaged itself.
There is way too much force being applied when calibrating.

I feel strongly that Thrustmaster should update/flash this firmware to stop this behavior during calibration.
But that is my only complaint from 12 August, 2016 to today 25 January, 2017. I love this wheel.
 
Yeah, I think the T300 is a very good wheel. Its been the only Thrustmaster I have owned.

Its so quiet. So smooth. So smooth through the hands. Just a shame the calibration has the bang end of the turns like that as it does on the Logitech wheels.

Real shame the calibration cannot go slow then centre itself.
 
OK, I've had my T300 for a couple of months now and it looks like I'm going to be sending it back. The calibration issue became worse as has the floaty sensation when driving and lack of FFB. I've not been able to check and/or update the firmware due to not having access to a PC, so can't check if that's the issue. It all came to a head last night when I recalibrate it in Project Cars and then lost all the steering completely although all the other buttons worked fine. I restarted the PS4 and wheel and now all it does is spin violently from bump stop to bump stop and none of the usual work-arounds have any effect.

I'm waiting for a response from Thrustmaster but, going by online research, the chances are they'll want to replace it. Luckily I bought mine through Amazon so I can return it for free, get a full refund and probably get a G29 instead. Really should have done that first time as I loved my old DFGT and trust Logitech as a brand plus you can update the firmware via a Mac.

I've only used it for a total of 14 hours in those 2 months, half of which with issues. You live and learn I guess.

EDIT: It's been 3 days now and still no response from Thrustmaster. However, Amazon are sending a replacement today even though my order is over the 30 day return limit, plus I can mail back the defective wheel for free. They also responded to my email within the hour - now that's how you do good customer service Thrustmaster! Fingers crossed the new one isn't faulty. There's no way I'm going near a Thrustmaster product again if it has any hint of an issue.

BTW: I tested the wheel on my PS3 to check whether it was a PS4 or game issue, but the result was just the same. Hopefully it is a hardware issue and a replacement will fix it.
 
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I've had the T300RS for a year now, and out of the blue, tonight it started to malfunction. I plugged it on the PC and it stucked at the calibration problem, hitting hard for the right. I Googled it, and downloaded the T300 Calibration Tool exe, removed the wheel, it self-calibrated, but now the FFB is very weak. I've reset all the settings to default, then I put it on 100% again, but I doesn't feel right.

Then I turn it on the Playstation 4 and same thing: FFB is very light from the start, and it is unstable. Playing F1 2016 it goes strong in some corners, and very light in some others... it's just crazy.

It's on Firmware 25.

Any suggestions? Mine is already out of warranty. Is it possible to downgrade to firmware 24?

Thanks!

Alex
 

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