Is Logitech DFP worth the extra cash vs. Logitech MOMO
Hi all,
I am still new to LFS and currently use gamepad. I would like some opinions on whether the Logitech DFP is worth the extra mulla or should I just get Logitech MOMO Racing Force wheel. By the way this will be my first wheel. Also the price of DFP for me here in Canada is $175 and MOMO is $102. Is there a big difference in compatibility with PC between MOMO and DFP since DFP is for PS2?
No compatability problems, just plug your DFP in before you switch your PC on. I have a DFP, so I won't comment on the MOMO. DFP is great with LFS and PS2 stuff as well .
That sounds expensive for a DFP..tried shopping around?
The DFP is the better wheel IMO. 900 degree rotation, plenty of buttons on the wheel, etc. Apparently its FF is better than a Momo Racing, but I can't attest to this as I've not owned a Momo.
DFP has alot more buttons inc a shift button and D-pad giving over 30 in all, however for shifter paddles there are only tiny plastic buttons not as good as the momo.
That said they both have a sequential shifter also.
momo wheel is thicker foam type rubber but both feel good.
DFP has 900degrees rotation (or less adjustable in drivers) so more presision.
momo has 270 degrees rotation.
Pedals are virtually identical
The choice is yours, I personally would go with the cheaper option unless 900 degree really appeals to you.
The DFP features two kinds of steering locks:
* Hard lock at 900° or 200°.
* Soft lock for any angle different from 900° or 200°.
You can set the steering angle in the Logitech software in steps of 1 degree (download the Logitech software from WingMan Team as Logitech doesn't supply software with the wheel). If you set 900° or 200° the wheel will have a hard steering lock. This is, it cannot possibly turn any further beyond this point. At any other angle, there's a soft lock which is nothing but the force feedback giving full resistance to simulate a lock. You can clearly feel this lock, but you can easily turn through it because of the limited force developed by the DFP's motor. Note that when you steer through the lock, the wheel will not register the extra rotation, so it's not like you car can suddenly steer sharper than possible.
Your $110 translates to about £50, which is a few quid under the current selling price this side of the pond. So I would say its a good price, but they may not be getting them back in stock as surely Logitech have slowed or halted DFP production now.
Perhaps with Walmart always stocking previous generation computer stuff, after Christmas here in the US, the DFP will again be on clearance. Around me, Walmart had oodles of DFP's on clearance for $40 usd. I didn't want the noise of the DFP, since I race at night with the little ones in bed. So I just stuck with my Momo, which I'm perfectly happy with.
Yep, the Force Feedback is completely adjustable. I don't really know about the difference in noise between the DFP and the MOMO, but I thought they were pretty similar.
I'm only assuming the DFP is loud as I've always heard a loud "zip" sound in video's and also it can be heard from some folks across teamspeak/ventrillo. I guess it could just be the force feedback, I use very little on my Momo (60 windows/35 LFS). Or, it could be the fact that you have to rotate the DFP faster to get the same quick steering as the lower rotation Momo. I don't know . I just know that my Momo isn't loud at all spinning as fast as I can from lock to lock. Some of the vid's I've seen with folks showing off drifting with the DFP would wake my kids up at night.
I just assumed it was the gearing due to the 900* rotation versus the gearing of 270* rotation making all the noise.
The DFP is loud because of its gearbox - not the force feedback. As Nighthawk already mentioned, it will wake up people sleeping in the room next to you if you make a lot of rapid lock-to-lock movements. The larger steering angle doesn't help much either because you have to turn a lot more to get the same effect - thus more noise. If you steer smoothly without having to countersteer too much the wheel's noise production is acceptable, though.
If you can live with the with the noise, the DFP is a great wheel. I'd recommend it over the MOMO Force, but if you have the money you may take a look at the DFP & MOMO Force successor, the Logitech G25.
I assume that the MOMO is the black one? I never buy the black MOMO again. The DFP is far better quality and it's a lot cheaper here too: DFP ~ $117 and MOMO ~ $142. If the price difference is really that big and in the other direction, I can't give you any advice, except I can only tell you what I would do here.
Since we're talking momo/dfp talk here, what is it with the momo that you feel the DFP is far better quality? I love my Momo. The quality of the wheel is top notch for a <$100 wheel. It feels great, has a great feeling rubberized cover on the wheel. The paddles are far better than the DFP, the sequential shifter works flawlessly, it very very rarely gets pulled off the desk with it's clamping system, the buttons feel great, nice solid click to them, not spungy feeling like you have with some gamepad buttons, and the FF is great. So, what quality issue is there that makes the DFP better? Sure, the DFP has better features, such as more buttons and the 900* rotation, but that isn't a quality issue.
They share the same pedals, or pedal design, so you can't say anything about different quality there.
What about the more steering lock of the DFP over Momo? I know it means more precision, but do you really need that? I mean F1 drivers use only 200 degrees lock or so (during race, i know they have more lock, for steering into the garage for example). But I guess in the slower cars you could do with more lock. Do Momo users lose a lot because of the less sensitivity? Is it a problem? How much advantage is the DFP's wider lock - taking into account that you can't turn the wheel really fast as i heard, so countersteering is harder.
No you don't need it, but you don't even need a wheel to play Live For Speed. It's more about realism and of course the extra accuracy is welcome.
Open wheel racers have 270° lock-to-lock, GTR cars 540° and street cars 720°. So if you're a die hard F1 fan, you set the DFP to 270° (you don't have to use the full 900° the wheel offers - you can limit it at whatever value you wish). In this case you won't notice much difference from a regular 200-240° wheel. However, if you prefer street cars and set the wheel to 720° you'll experience a whole new thing.
It's not a problem. We all managed to race and set fast laps during the days there was no talk of 900° wheels. You don't set the wheel to a larger angle for the extra accuracy, you do it to match the car's situation to make it more realistic.
Countersteering is obviously a bit more difficult when using large steering angles. But so it is in real life with a street car (again the realism). A negative point is indeed that the DFP turns a bit heavy making countersteering harder than it should be. But once you are used to the wheel you won't have much problems with that... Look at all the drift movies of people using a DFP. Did they have problems with it? Apparantly not.
If you would like a wheel that also offers up to 900° steering but turns a lot faster, take a look at the Logitech G25. Note that this wheel costs quite a bit more than the DFP or MOMO.
[Edit] Personally, I would never go back to a 200° wheel like the MOMO Force - not even the red one. The G25 I now have is a major improvement in all fields, but even the DFP with its shortcomings gave me more realism than the MOMO. It may have been different if I was an F1 racer, but I rarely drive open wheel racers. Just give me street and GTR cars with a 720°/540° wheel and I'm happy.
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. I just know that my Momo isn't loud at all spinning as fast as I can from lock to lock. Some of the vid's I've seen with folks showing off drifting with the DFP would wake my kids up at night.