T500RS or wait for Fanatec CSW??

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CLIFFO_83

CLIFFO_83

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Australia
Australia
I'm wanting to buy a new wheel for my rig but cant make a decision on wether to buy a T500RS now or wait for Fanatec to pull their finger out and add Australia to their webstore and buy a CSW base and GT rim.

I only race on PC and have been rolling with a G27 for 3 years now and a G25 previous to that, so an upgrade is going to happen either which way.

Just wanted some input from current T500 and/or CSW owners......
 
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I own a T500 and like you I only tend to race on pc ( Thanks for ruining GT5 iRacing ),I bought the first run of T500s and have been lucky enough to have had little to no issues whatsoever with it,I upgraded with a TH8RS and absolutely love the setup but that CSW is rather tempting,if the cost doesn't matter I say get the CSW with maybe a set of Cannon pedals if cost ( or distribution ) is an issue get a T500 with the TH8RS trust me it's not a bad second place ;-) One thing I will say is whatever wheel you go with a cockpit is a must or at the very least a very sturdy table to mount to ;-)
 
TommyboyHD
I own a T500 and like you I only tend to race on pc ( Thanks for ruining GT5 iRacing ),I bought the first run of T500s and have been lucky enough to have had little to no issues whatsoever with it,I upgraded with a TH8RS and absolutely love the setup but that CSW is rather tempting,if the cost doesn't matter I say get the CSW with maybe a set of Cannon pedals if cost ( or distribution ) is an issue get a T500 with the TH8RS trust me it's not a bad second place ;-) One thing I will say is whatever wheel you go with a cockpit is a must or at the very least a very sturdy table to mount to ;-)
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Thanks for the reply, I'm leaning towards the t500rs because I'm sick and tired of waiting for the CSW and fanatec to distribute to my country...:grumpy:

Btw.....I have a cockpit so there's no issue there.:)
 
I had the same question, I currently am only running Rf2 on pc (due to a rebuild to 64Bit) but have GT5. I have been running a used G25 for a couple of years now, with a TH8rs shifter and DIY CST pedals, with my setup what would you say would be the way to go, note I am a very casual racer (that's why I have not gone the iRacing route).

I think it is more of a want to change of wheel than anything.
 
I love my csw. Have had 0 issues with it. Their are 4 big dissatisfieres with the t500 to me. Buttons the wheel. Static paddle shifters. And the size. The size of the wheel is just insane. ( the body of it that is) the pedals to me are are not worth it. And I hate paying more for something I wouldn't plan to use. If you have the money for csp and csw I'd go that route. But if not. The t500 is next in line.
 
honestly, having used a T500 RS twice at promotional events and using a CSR Elite and a GT2 most of the time, the GT2 is actually a better wheel than the T500 RS, and the CSR Elite is better than the GT2. thus, I'd say get a CSW, as it's even better than the CSR Elite.
 
Ive tryed two fanatecs..still my t500rs feels more realistic in everything.
 
porsche 9146
honestly, having used a T500 RS twice at promotional events and using a CSR Elite and a GT2 most of the time, the GT2 is actually a better wheel than the T500 RS, and the CSR Elite is better than the GT2. thus, I'd say get a CSW, as it's even better than the CSR Elite.
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You shouldn't judge any equipment if you're using it in unfamiliar environment. For example, the T500RS you were using may not be set up (in the game) to your taste. That's not to say it's impossible for someone to prefer a GT2 over a T500RS as I'm sure there are people out there that who prefer the G25/G27 over the CSW or the T500RS.
 
I had an CSR Elite, put about 6 hours on it and threw it back in it's box for a year then sold it. All along I have been using my T500 for iRacing. I prefer the feeling of the T500, the Elite has this big foamy toy rim on it that just doesn't cut it. The guts of the Elite are good, just the crappy rim they put on it made it terrible.

The T500 is the best wheel for iRacing, the Fanatec's are good as well, to a degree.
 
left888
I had an CSR Elite, put about 6 hours on it and threw it back in it's box for a year then sold it. All along I have been using my T500 for iRacing. I prefer the feeling of the T500, the Elite has this big foamy toy rim on it that just doesn't cut it. The guts of the Elite are good, just the crappy rim they put on it made it terrible.

The T500 is the best wheel for iRacing, the Fanatec's are good as well, to a degree.
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The CSW looks amazing and I love the idea of hot swapping rims with the quick release feature and all the buttons on the GT rim would be beneficial, I've been wanting this wheel from the day it was announced but when Fanatec totally muffed the launch of new website and the CSW etc........Well that just wrecked any chance of us Aussies being able to purchase from the them, because we cant order from old website but were added to the list of countries for distribution on the new website and honestly they would have lost so many sales and customers because of this.

I have not heard a bad thing about the T500, all I hear and read is how powerful and smooth it is, The only thing I dont like about it is the static shifters and GT logo, ps3 buttons etc......And if I do buy it I'll be using an after market wheel for road racing and rally using the derek speare t500rs wheel adapter.

http://www.derekspearedesigns.com/Wheel-Adapters.html

I'm so close to buying a T500 but still kinda want the CSW.

Maybe there's a forum member out there that has owned both the T500RS and CSW that can give me a comparison on pros and cons???????

I only race rFactor 1,2 and dirt series mostly.....
 
I've decided to hang out for Fanatec to launch new website so I can purchase the CSW but until then I'm spending my money on a Triple screen eyefinity setup for my rig.

Thanks for the info and help though guys..:)
 
Excellent choice, I'd always choose Fanatec. Their products are still superior IMHO.
 
left888
I had an CSR Elite, put about 6 hours on it and threw it back in it's box for a year then sold it. All along I have been using my T500 for iRacing. I prefer the feeling of the T500, the Elite has this big foamy toy rim on it that just doesn't cut it. The guts of the Elite are good, just the crappy rim they put on it made it terrible.

The T500 is the best wheel for iRacing, the Fanatec's are good as well, to a degree.
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the elite hasn't even been out for a year...
 
porsche 9146
the elite hasn't even been out for a year...
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Ya, you're one sharp person porsche, I got to give you that. Can I have a do over? I purchased mine in December, I had to check after your post. Yes December, so that's like 9 months or so. What on earth was I thinking :guilty:


CLIFFO_83
I've decided to hang out for Fanatec to launch new website so I can purchase the CSW but until then I'm spending my money on a Triple screen eyefinity setup for my rig.

Thanks for the info and help though guys..:)
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You'll love triples, to me that was the best upgrade I ever made. Check my sig for info on my triples. :)
 
thanks Cliff, almost 2 years of work went into it and I'm just getting started. :)
 
I can no longer wait for Fanatec to acknowledge us Aussie's about when the new website will
be operational and so we can order!!!

So, I bit the bullet and ordered a T500RS and a sparco P310 wheel and sparco quick release.

Also Charlie from simracnwheels is making me a custom V8 Supercar wheel plate with a Sim screen and SLI-PRO.

This way I can buy the T500 locally and get a cutomized wheel designed just the way I want it.
 
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The key point you made here is "for Fanatec to acknowledge us Aussies"

And that's the truth.. Facebook, forums you name it, it's like we don't exist..!

I've got a Fanatec GT2 and Clubsport pedals sitting boxed up for 'nearly' a year now - been running the T500 and F1 add on - very happy.

Was considering the CSW to go with my old pedals for a second rig and sell the GT2 wheel, but seriously ZERO response..!

Enjoy the T500..!

p.s. The T500 with F1 was always temporary until the CSE (then saw the CSW and thought I'd wait for that).. and now, well - not interested.
 
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What kind of response do you expect? We cannot give you a precise date and I cannot say anything other than "we are working on it".

Would you prefer that we tell you a precise date but cannot keep it? We have done this in the past and have been heavily critisized. Now we are not making promises anymore and get critisized as well.

We know that Australia is a great market and see the potential. Australians are famous for beeing extremely relaxed. So please enjoy whatever wheel you want to buy in the meantime and we welcome you as soon as we are ready.

Thomas
 
Fanatec...
What kind of response do you expect? We cannot give you a precise date and I cannot say anything other than "we are working on it".

Would you prefer that we tell you a precise date but cannot keep it? We have done this in the past and have been heavily critisized. Now we are not making promises anymore and get critisized as well.

We know that Australia is a great market and see the potential. Australians are famous for beeing extremely relaxed. So please enjoy whatever wheel you want to buy in the meantime and we welcome you as soon as we are ready.

Thomas
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Now you reply after 100's of emails and facebook posts.....too late you have lost me as a customer........
 
Would you prefer that we tell you a precise date but cannot keep it? We have done this in the past and have been heavily critisized. Now we are not making promises anymore and get critisized as well.
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As with any design and development endeavor, there a lot of variables in play. Your better off not making promises in my humble opinion. Many of us love your products (e.g., the ClubSport line) and sometimes we find it hard to wait patiently. :)

Would like to also add that customer service is so important these days (generally not much of it anymore) and this is one area where Fanatec has really shined. I had a problem with the brake on my CSP v1 pedals and Fanatec kept in constant communication with me via email and keep sending load cells and circuit boards until the issue was sorted out. That kind of customer service seems rare in this day and age.
 
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Fanatec...
What kind of response do you expect? We cannot give you a precise date and I cannot say anything other than "we are working on it".

Would you prefer that we tell you a precise date but cannot keep it? We have done this in the past and have been heavily critisized. Now we are not making promises anymore and get critisized as well.

We know that Australia is a great market and see the potential. Australians are famous for beeing extremely relaxed. So please enjoy whatever wheel you want to buy in the meantime and we welcome you as soon as we are ready.

Thomas
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You've only been critisized for not telling us anything. But thank you for saying it's being worked on - becasue that's all we needed to know and this is the first place I've read it.

Now this is a general comment by myself and not targeted at ANY vendor:
Aussies ARE generally relaxed and it's the reason we've been ripped off for so many years by the local distributors and retailers, but the "she'll be right" days are long gone since the online global economy becasue we can access goods at US prices with premium shipping and duties and still be considerably cheaper than the local ones with their excessive uplifts.

So "Fanatec...", when you mention an online store for us down under we get a little excited... and then hear nothing.
 

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