Thrustmaster Ferrari F430 Force Feedback Racing Wheel

by Thrustmaster VG

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 14.9 x 11.6 x 13 inches ; 13.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 14 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B001EAORVS
• Item model number: 2960710
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 14, 2004

Product Description

Thrustmaster Ferrari F430 Force Feedback Racing Wheel is an exact replica of the steering wheel of the new F430 with Mannetino dial for even more precise control of your settings

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the most bang for your buck ..., June 30, 2010

By 

The Old Sarge - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

I sponsor the Old Sarge Racing Team in Project Torque, with more than sixty members, and monthly award two of these wheels to my most improved drivers. So far I've bought a total of eight of them, most coming from Amazon when they're in stock and a couple more from Beach Audio, The recording Store and The Price Pros, all reliable Amazon affiliates. I'll buy one more tomorrow and another the first of next week. All have arrived promptly and all of them are still working hard. My personal wheel has more than 35,000 in-game miles over a period of some six months and still looks and feels new. The other seven drivers who've received them have also piled up mile after mile with no failures and no problems.

A couple of reviews I've seen mention the limited turning radius and claim that this is a shortcoming compared to the Logitech G-25s and G-27s. Actually, that's the biggest virtue of the wheel. In ninety degree or greater turns, you have to cross your hands over at least once and sometimes twice with the logitechs, whereas with the F430 a little more than a half turn left or right will get you full lock, left or right, a tremendous advantage when trying to recover from mistakes. In addition, the wheel is slightly larger than the logitechs, which also contributes to the shorter turns, lock to lock.

The pedal set is fairly heavy, and there's a comfortable ledge in front of the pedals which makes it very easy to hold the pedals in place with your left foot while driving as hard as you like with your right foot. The action on both brake and accelerator are progressive, just like the real thing.

The paddle shifters are progressive, up and down, and shifts are positive and clean, up or down. The force feedback is very quiet and widely adjustable, from practically none to enough to rip the wheel out of your hands if you like it that way (though for the life of me I can't figure out why anyone would like it that way). Even with the heaviest feedback, the wheel housing does not generate much heat and with the settings I use hardly any heat at all.

After six months use, the only visible wear on the wheel is on the microphone button, where I've worn the silver finish off with my thumb, though the button continues to perform like new. The rubber wheel covering is still like new.

The software is easy to install and the instruction booklet is clear enough to get it right the first try. You may have to tinker a bit with the settings to find your personal sweet spot, but once you've found it you'll make no more adjustments. It's like Ron Popeil's rotisserie, "set it and forget it." Mine has not been unplugged since the day it was installed. Conveniently, every time you reboot your computer, the wheel will re-calibrate itself to your established settings.

Another great feature is the anchoring system. My desk is approximately two inches thick and the gripping mechanism still holds firm, with no additional pressure since I first installed it. Drifting, violent switchbacks and other aggressive maneuvers have not moved it at all. It' still firm as a weightlifter's handshake.

The only advantage I see with the logitechs is the absence of a physical clutch in the F430, though for racing purposes, the progressive paddles are actually better since they can be run in manual mode, meaning that you can control your gear range without removing your hands from the wheel. And as a practical comparison with the G-25/27, you're actually paying more than twice as much for the privilege of pushing the clutch and taking your hands off the wheel to change gears ;-)

I highly recommend this product, and if you're prepared to pay more for the G-25/27, I suggest that instead you buy an extra F430 for other family members or friends who may be into racing. Buck for buck, compared to the logitechs, the F430 is clearly the winner.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was amazed!!!, September 24, 2009

By 

Jonathan M. Tanner - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

First, let me say that I am new to racing games. I have played the Need For Speed Series, but that is really it. A friend of mine mentioned that the Thrustmaster Ferrari F430 Racing Wheel was compatible with Dirt 2 on the PS3. I contacted Thrustmaster and sure enough, it is! They said that Codemasters had worked with them to get their wheels tech programmed into the game. I was sold. I bought the F430 and Dirt 2. I WAS AMAZED at how comfortable this wheel is. Make no mistake, this wheel is as sturdy a wheel as I have ever used. I tried to play some games on teh Xbox 360 using the Microsoft wheel and when my palms sweat (which was often due to my n00b status), my hands would slip. On the Thrustmaster F430 wheel, the grip is a VERY high quality rubber that meant ZERO slipping when my hands got sweaty. I was also very impressed with the responsiveness of the force feedback. I got to the point where I could tell I was in control and driving the right line, simply by how the wheel was responding which made it feel so realistic! Im playing in automatic mode, but the metal f1 style shifters on the wheel are very sturdy. I currently have one of them programmed as my horn. You will not be dissapointed with this wheel. The only thing I didn't like was the lack of labeled buttons. i rated its appearance as 4 stars for that reason alone. Otherwise, this wheel is an almost identical replica of the wheel on the real F430!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You won't regret it!, June 19, 2009

By 

Bruce C. Barrera "Bruce Barrera" (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I bought this Ferrari wheel because of the price (the G25 was over $200 all around the web) and that was the best thing I did!

The wheel is rock solid, metal made with rubber cover around the wheel itself, the gear paddles are made of metal too as well as the pedals.

The wheel has a good grip, good quality and even it's 270 I can't complain! Works perfect for my F1 races online with rFactor.

And the Manettino was a nice surprise, I can configure a lot of different settings for it, it really helps while in the middle of a race and you need to change some setup or driving aid for your car.

That's the best you can get for the price, why pay more and have a similar product when you can own this superb piece of hardware?

That's the best for the bucks and after all, it's a Ferrari! Your friends will be impressed with the horse logo in the middle of it.

I recommend!