Which wheel for a first-timer?

[strangelove]

Hello fellow truckers,

Rediscovered virtual trucking last November and fell in love with it immediately. Some 400+ hrs in and I'm starting to feel pain in my fingers. Steering wheel seems like a proper remedy to it and this is where I got stuck. So many wheels to choose from, so many discussions, videos etc. I've never used a steering wheel before and really don't know which one will be a good one for ETS2/ATS. Not a racing sim fan at all so not sure what I really need here for trucking only.

After the whole research I've narrow it down to Thrustmaster T150/TMX Pro and Logitech G29 but willing to stretch my budget for Thrustmaster T300 if that might be the best solution. All I need is a decent wheel for ETS2/ATS. Although I don't plan to use a shifter right away I guess 3 pedals are a good investment for the future.

I know you guys have plenty experience when it comes to it and I'm more than grateful for any advice you can share.

Thanks a lot and happy trucking

[Underscore_101_]

There seem to be camps for one or the other, i can't advise you because i've only had the Thrustmaster TMX, but it's been very reliable and still feels like new after 4 or more years and 2000 hours or so of ets2.
I've read many posts about steering wheels, and one thing that seems a red thread (not sure if that is an expression in English) through it all is that the Thrustmaster compared to any Logitech, but specially the newer ones is a better build product.

edit: On a side not, when i play i play like for 90 minutes on average, and have to replace the wheel every time, and the clamps and stuff to attach it to my desk also feel like it's the first time.

I think you're right in thinking ahead and get the whole shebang, 3 pedals and a shifter, wish i had done that when i bought mine, now I'm waiting for it to break, but I'm not expecting that anytime soon

[strangelove]

edit: On a side not, when i play i play like for 90 minutes on average, and have to replace the wheel every time, and the clamps and stuff to attach it to my desk also feel like it's the first time.

What do you mean by this?

[Underscore_101_]

Hmmzz, what I meant was that, in my case,... I don't have a dedicated space on my desk to play games that require a wheel, so I have to move the wheel if I want to use the pc for other stuff, or visa versa.
So I've clamped the wheel on and off for as many times I've played, very rough calculation... 120.000 minutes / 90 minutes of play time = 1333 times of clamping + 1333 times unclamping the wheel to the desk

[strangelove]

Great to know that since we share the same problem. Was a bit worried it might get loose with time.

Thanks

[EricF]

The Thrustmaster line is modular -- most TM wheels have a little telephone jack-looking connector that lets their pedal sets connect and interchange. Or you can get their adapter that makes their pedal sets into standalone USB pedals. Same with their TH8a shifter, although it includes a USB plug adapter. You can mix and match most TM accessories, which is nice. Since TM items generally can be run as standalone USB devices, they're a great option for any setup. Most entry-level TM wheel/pedal sets use a 2-pedal starter kit, so you'll probably wind up buying their shifter and a 3-pedal set later on. They do tend to cost a little more.

Logitech at least includes a 3-pedal setup with their wheels, and they cost a little less than Thrustmaster. The G29/G923 PC/Playstation wheels probably have the most assignable buttons -- more than the Thrustmaster wheels. (The Xbox/PC Logitech wheels omit a few) Logitech sells their shifter separately now. It only works with Logitech wheels, and it's' not as well-made as the standalone Thrustmaster TH8a.

There are plenty of non-motorized/non force-feedback wheels on the market, but unless you're on a really tight budget, they're not really worth recommending.

On the used market, you can sometimes pick up older Logitech wheels with three pedals and shifter included, or the old Driving Force GT which has a great button arrangement and a sequential shifter built-in, but only two pedals. I kind of wish Logitech kept making the DFGT though -- it's pretty much the perfect starter wheel.

Either way you can find a decent starter setup from Logitech or Thrustmaster. And TM has parts that can be added one way or another to either line.

I'm partial to the Logitech button layout because I started with a DFGT. Now I've got a G29 on order, and a TH8a shifter to go with it instead of the Logitech shifter. The DFGT is going to my wife who wants to pick up ETS2/ATS now.