Budget wheels

The other options out there are junk.  There is little point to a non-force feedback wheel such as the Mad Catz or Thrustmaster's new offering (which is expensive anyway).  You can try and secure a M$ wireless wheel used, but judging from a quick scan of ebay, and having followed prices on that wheel for some time now (I previously owned one), you will have trouble getting a good price.  The most recent ebay auction has the wheel priced at $147 with two hours to go in the auction.  You are better off saving for a new Fanatec CSR wheel and CSR pedal set, which will run you $249, plus approximately $20 shipping, for a total of $269 or less.  You get a two year warranty.  If it breaks, they send you a new one.

A used MS wheel on ebay would be your best bet if you can find one at a decent price. Like Craig said in his post, the non ffb wheels are really sort of pointless.

By the way, I know your pain.  $270 for a wheel and pedal set?  At first, I thought it was highway robbery.  Heck, I was hesitant to spend the $100 to buy my brand new M$ wheel and pedal set in 2009.  But, I remember seeing those wheels gathering dust on store shelves at Target and Best Buy, even after the price was reduced.  Us wheel users are a small percentage of the total Forza and GT5 user base.  Its difficult for companies to make any money selling the wheel and pedal sets for $100.  I now have spent thousands on wheels and pedals over the last three years plus and I can tell you that I have gotten more than my money's worth.  Sim racing is my #1 hobby and the gear cost is very modest compared to other guy hobbies such as hunting, fishing, skiing and cars.

I believe getting a better wheel like the fanatec wheel with pedals will definitely  make your sim racing experience that much more enjoyable. Trying searching for the older fanatec wheels on ebay or on other sim racing forums like (inside sim racing).Good luck.

I found this at my local craigslist.

Wireless Xbox 360 Steering Wheel - $50 (West Boca)

Used only two times. Works for all Racing games.

My wheel history:

In 1995 I bought my first wheel, a MS Sidewinder FFB wheel, for use on the PC. This wheel was (one of) the first FFB wheels out there, if I remember corectly it was about $ 100. This wheel was in use until:

In 2003 I bought a Logitech Driving Force Pro for use on the PS2 ($150-200), the DFP is as far as I know the first 900 degree wheel. The quallity of the DFP? I finished GT3 once, GT4 twice, NFS undergound 1 and 2 twice with it. Somewhere during that period the pedals of the DFP did die on me but I managed to rewire the pedals of my sidewinder to work with my DFP, even now the wheel still works!

In 2009 I bought a MS wheel ($100) for the XBOX and FM3, there was no other option at that time. The wheel was infintly better that a controller but compared to my previous wheels it felt like a toy. The build quality and FFB strength was much less and I realy missed the fine control that a 900 deg. wheel gives you. Literaly 51 weeks later it died on me, MS replaced it no questions asked. A few months later the second one started to "double downshift" on me, enter Fanatec.

So early 2010 I bit the bullit and bought a Fanatec PWTS with the CSP pedals ($500). This is the best wheel I've ever owned! Was it trouble free? No, the table clamp broke so I hardmouted the wheel on a steel plate and made my own clamp. I had to resolder the throtle pickup and replace the (plastic in my case) bushings on my pedals. Keep in mind that of this $500 pricetag $250 is for the pedals alone (well worth it imo).

Moral of the story? If you are pasionate about sim racing buy a quality wheel! In my opinion there is no such thing as: "I can't get used to a wheel." Yes it takes time and frustration to get used to a wheel and most importantly you need a good place to mount it, but once you are used to it you'll never look back.

I hope this info is of use to you, cheers Z.

If I may, as Zeratul mentions, you have to consider where you will mount a wheel. A stable platform is very important. If if you just rig something up yourself you should still think it through and prepare. Take a look at the rigs we have posted here in the "Show us your rig" thread. Quite a wide variety. It may be of help. Hope this all helps.

My wheel history:

In 2005 or 2006 bought a $50 Mad Catz non-FFB wheel for my original Xbox.  It was junk and I did not stick with it, even thought it was nice to have a wheel for Forza 1.

In 2009, I saw a M$ wheel and pedal set sitting on the store shelf at Target and it was marked down to $99.  I bought it, but it was on a whim.  I had seen the wheel and pedal set for some time, but thought that $149.99, the original price, was too high.  When it went down to $99, the temptation was too much.  I succumbed and am so glad I did.  I love this wheel.  It sat comfortably on my lap and had FORCE FEEDBACK.  Wow, amazing stuff.  I thoroughly enjoyed using it for Forza 2 and Forza 3 after it was released.  Its a shame that so many M$ wheels sat on store shelves and gathered dust.  If they had sold better, I suspect that M$ would have continued to manufacture them.  

In November 2010, Gran Turismo 5 for PS was released, and so I bought a Logitech Driving Force GT on sale for $99 at Best Buy.  The problem was I needed a wheel stand, since this wheel could not sit on my lap.  I did some research and came across a wheel stand from a Polish company, wheelstandpro.  The reviews were excellent.  I dropped the $200 or so for the wheelstandpro and waited eagerly for it to come.  I still remember the day it came.  It was a Saturday and I assembled it right away.  The Driving Force GT fit perfectly on it and the immersion factor with GT5 was multiplied by 100.  Although I did not get much use out of my Driving Force GT, I nonetheless loved it.  The force feedback and 900 sensitivity were high end, yet the wheel was very affordable.  I got the attachment to the wheelstandpro to use the M$ wheel, but it was a hassle.  Enter Fanatec and a wheel that I could use on Xbox and PS3.

In December 2010, after doing more research, I bought the Fanatec GT2 wheel.  I adjusted it to sit on my wheelstandpro, and I used the M$ pedals with it at first.  The GT2 is an incredible wheel and I remember being amazed at the powerful force feedback.  I added the Clubsport pedals in January 2011 and I was in sim racing heaven.  I modded a plywood plate on which I mounted the Clubsports to the bottom of my wheelstandpro.  Those pedals still sit there today!!!  The GT2 and Clubsports served me well for Forza 3 and GT5.  But, then Fanatec released the CSR wheel alongside Forza 4.

In October 2011, I got the Forza CSR wheel.  I loved that wheel, it was a great step up from the GT2.  It has better paddle shifters, smoother force feedback, cooler operation and it looks like Forza.  But, I had to adjust my hands from 10 and 2 o'clock to 9 and 3 o'clock.  The CSR worked great with Forza 4.  I got a Rennsport wheel stand and second set of Clubsports for it, and kept the GT2 as a "back up" wheel.  (yes, the M$ wheel and the Driving Force GT went into the attic)  I even started to dabble in PC racing with the CSR.  But then Fanatec announced it was taking pre-orders for the high end CSR Elite.  

In December 2011,  I took delivery of a brand new CSR Elite.  What a wheel.  The force feedback is amazingly powerful, but smooth.  You can better feel what the car is doing.  Of course, you pay for it - $560, including air shipment directly from China.  I mounted the CSR Elite to the Rennsport wheel stand and later sold the M$ and GT2 wheels to 2Old4Forza clan mates.  The Elite opened up a new world of sim racing to me - PC sim racing, including rFactor and iRacing.  Those programs really make the best use of the Elite.  But, the Elite has not been reliable.  I have gone through three Elites now, all of which have had burnt up motors.  My fourth arrives on Friday.  That leads me to the T500RS.

In June of this year, after my second Elite went down, I picked up a Thrustmaster T500RS wheel and pedal set on sale at Fry's Electronics for $385.  It was a deal I could not pass up.  It was actually a tigerdirect.com price that Fry's reluctantly matched.  The T500RS has been the best wheel I have ever owned.  Its now my primary wheel and I run it with my Clubsport pedals on the Rennsport wheel stand, with the THR8S sequential shifter.  I love this set up and the wheel runs like a champ.  The rim is solid metal covered my rubber which makes it perfect for NASCAR racing in iRacing.  

So, as it stands today, I run two wheel set ups.  The first is my T500RS set up, which I use primarily for PC sim racing.  The second is my Elite, which is bolted to my wheelstandpro with my original set of Clubsports.  I use it primarily for Forza 4 and GT5.

My point is that sim racing is a passion for many of us, and the wheel makes all of the difference.  Whether you spend a $100 or a $1000, you will get more out of the hobby if you work with a decent wheel and pedal set.  The immersion cannot be beat.  Yes, the controller users in Forza are faster, but they cannot get the same level of immersion.  I know that wheels seem expensive, they surely are, but they are worth it.

I am looking ofr a wheel at the moment but my budget is low so in money terms about £50 pound . So i have been looking at the M$ wheels but also the madcatz wireless wheel. I understand what people are saying about feedback etc but in terms of use i dont want to spend out on someting that may not get used. Wold the madcatz one be ok as a tester and then save up in the long run for a more expensive wheel.

I have a couple of M$ and madcatz wheels on my watch list at present.

If i like using a wheel then i will be saving up for Fanatec no doubt. I am a nats whisker from securing a M$ wheel on ebay but knowing my luck it will be pushed over my budget at the very last second.

have just seen this tho on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251213500634?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=... i wont be bidding on it but just thought someone might be interested.

The only viable "budget wheel" out there for the Xbox 360 is the M$ wheel.  If you can get it for less than $100 US (sorry, I don't know British currency) than that is a good deal.  The rest of the non-FFB alternatives should be avoided like the plague.

If you manage to secure a M$ wheel and you decide that you like it, then think seriously about the Fanatec CSR wheel.  Fanatec has some nice packages that include the pedals and/or shifter set.  You also can get a Rennsport wheel stand with it for a good deal.  The CSR is based on a proven, reliable platform.  I wish I had kept mine.  I now use the CSR Elite which is definitely a step up from the CSR, but my experience has been soured somewhat by the Elite's lack of reliability.  I am on my fourth Elite in just over a year.  Several of the other Elite owners have had no problems.

Paul - also understand this....

Your lap times will plummet when you first get a wheel. You'll be thinking WTF is going on. It is possible to be as quick or even quicker as time goes by (you'd get quicker staying with the controller too) but it takes time to adjust.

It can be very frustrating.

Yea i know but with a controller i do not have a fliud motion find it difficult to control my acceleration and braking. My hands are not as good as they used to be and get really tired quickly using a controller. To many injuries to my hands playing football and rugby.

The frustration is short lived. After about 3 to 4 weeks you will be up to your controller pace. I say that with one big caveat, it mostly hinges on how much you play the game. If your putting in long sessions then the transition may be quicker. You have to accept it as a trade off. Personally, I enjoy the game much much more now that I have switched to the wheel. And believe me, this game is amazing with a controller. I played it that way for the last two years. There is no other racing game that can be as satisfying to play with a controller than Forza. You will also find that some of your tried and trusted tunes/cars will no longer work for you.  But there are plenty of ways to fix that. Good luck. 

There are two major downsides for me in moving from the controller to the wheel.  First, there is cost.  Wheels are more expensive than controllers, particularly when you start adding in the other accessories, such as pedals, cockpits and shifters.  Second, at least for me, I no longer can drive a car in Forza using a controller.  Makes me wonder how I did it for so long in the earlier Gran Turismo, Forza and Colin McRae/Dirt games.

But, that being said, switching to the wheel is a no brainer!!!!

Church just wouldn't have the patience to get back up to speed, that boy can be very competitive.