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First, I'm sure pictures are in order. Feedback to follow.
So, I got it all setup, as you can see, and I do quite like it. My initial impressions are that it is very clearly worth the price. That said, I must say that the reviews I have read in the past seem somewhat over enthusiastic in their descriptions of this product. It's not perfect, but other reviews sure made it sound so.... The seat looks more comfortable than it is. I find the back is actually quite stiff and even if you reduce the lumbar as much as you can, I still don't feel like I can get my back in it perfectly. This is something which may resolve over time as it gets worn in, so I will see how it turns out. It's still better than a computer chair, so it's not a problem, but I do hope it gets a bit softer on the back. You might notice that I am not using the pedal stand and opted to put the pedals on the carpet instead. I just was not able to feel comfortable enough using the pedals on the stand. I find that even with this thing put back as far as I can, I feel too close to the pedals when using the stand. The only way to make them feel right was to slide the pedals very far up the stand, which caused them to be unstable when braking hard (pushing over the top of the base). I am only 5'10", so this surprised me because I had read someone who claimed he was 6'3" or something and that it was perfect for him (maybe he was putting the pedals on the carpet as well?). The shifter mount is nice to have, though I find that it's a bit low and to the right for my liking. You can swing it in toward the legs a little bit and lock it with a fastening knob, but because of the length of the bar it locks in with, it cannot really be raised higher than I have it. It's okay where it is, I suppose, but I think I might start experimenting with using paddle shifters a bit more just to cut down on reaching. The only complaint I have from assembly is the monitor base piece. It's that flat piece of metal the monitor is stuck to (I used thick double-sided tape to keep the monitor held down and it's stuck on there for good now, I fear). The piece of metal has two rods welted to the underside which connect into the open tubes facing up above the pedals. The monitor stand was not perfectly build and, as such, it required some flex to get the bars straight enough to slot into the base. As such, I don't think that they will ever come out. Unfortunately, because they can't be moved any more, my monitor is sitting on a (very) slight right-drooping slant. It's very very slight and not noticeable once you're playing, but it annoys me when I look at it from the other parts of the place. I see it. I doubt I will bother trying to screw with it further and will just try to forget about it. I did put WD40 into the tubs to try to loosen them to re-adjust it, but it was not budging and I was sick of tinkering and wanted to drive. I'm only illustrating the few negative points I could find because I think it should be implied that, aside from small details, this thing is awesome and I'd buy it again in a minute. Nothing similar comes close to the price. |
good review. it's nice to hear from someone who actually is using it as it should :)
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Excellent, detailed, review! These are precisely the kind of useful, insightful, unbiased reviews I look for from enthusiasts like ourselves.
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Is there no room next to the wheel to put the shifter? Apart from the two half decent real world cars available for rFactor I cannot think of a single car which has the stick that low. If these ever become available in the UK I will probably get one. | ||
Sorry to hear about your issue with the monitor plate. Luckily mine didn't have that issue. In regard to the pedal base plate..mine came with a rubberized grooved surface which the G25 pedals gripped very well. I am 6' tall and weigh around 215 pounds and the pressure I stomp on the pedals with doesn't move them at all. I was suprised to hear about your issue. You are correct on the seat ..but I can say after some useage the seat has become more comfortable to me. The Buttkicker installed though helps me forget about the stiffer feel of the seat pad though. I added an extra tightening screw to the shifter mount and raised it a bit..works perfectly. Again..for $185.00 there is no better sim cockpit out there.
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Looks great! About the shifter being too low. From looking at the pictures, it looks like a piece of tubing slipped over the the existing tube that goes into the base tube (with locking knob) would allow an extension tube to be added. This could all be locked together with bolts drilled and tapped into the larger tube or just take it too the local weld shop for a more permanent fix. I'm a compulsive tinkerer and just love making improvements on stuff like this. Don't tell me how you guys don't know squat from a hammer or screw driver! lol Get going and make that great Obutto cockpit even better. While your at it, maybe add a gusset between the vertical tube and the long forward facing tube the shifter mount is attached to to make it a little more sturdy. WAIT... Is the vertical tube the shifter plate is attached to removable? If not, looks like a better place to extend the hight from. Just cut (OH NO, WHO IS THIS GUY TELLING ME TO CUT MY BRAND NEW COCKPIT UP! LOL) the vertical tube in half and add an extension tube there. All this talk about tinkering has me wanting to make some changes to my WIP cockpit. Good luck with your new cockpit Justin. Dan | ||
holla withh it | ||
nice to see the Samsung 24'' syncmaster club .. justin, the syncmaster can swivel and tilt and stuff, you can make it perfectly horizontal to your floot - desk - eyes, whatever pretty easy no ? | ||
It only seems to rotate the other way....maybe I Have to muck with locks. Anyways, today I decided I didn't want to rely on the double sided tape to hold it down so I bought some rubber cords today to fasten it and i scraped the tape off from between. While I had the monitor off, I worked on the monitor stand connections pretty hard and got the right side moving a short amount, so I was able to level out the monitor by lifting the right support a tad. It would be nice if it wasn't all goofy shaped, but now that it's flat, it will do. |
