I replaced my Fanatec handbrake with a $100 (AUD) handbrake from aliexpress, it is just straight up better in every way, no calibration issues, doesn't have massive play, easy to mount, can adjust it in a bunch of ways, doesn't need a $40 usb adaptor.
Exactly! As much as I love my Fanatec wheel and pedals, I just wasn't seeing good things about getting their handbrake too so thought there has to be a better solution. Turns out, there is 😁 and a fraction of the price too. Like you said, straight up better in every way. Win win.
Which one did you get out of curiosity? I've also found a ~$100AUD handbrake and it looks nicer than this one, but no one really seems to have tried it
@@cvgaming2020 It's called "Simulated Racing Handbrake Usb Sim 64bit Load Cell For Rally Adjustable GamesBrakesFor Logitech G29/G27/G25 T300 T500 RS PC" Currently the non black ones are $103 AUD.
I was tempted to make this video as soon as the handbrake arrived but thought it would be better idea to get that race out of the way first 😉 definitely worth the wait though, really impressed with it so far and looking forward to giving it a proper test soon! I'd definitely recommend this if you're still undecided, the build quality is superb and it doesn't feel like a cheap product at all.
I have this handle as well. I read some of the bolts back out. So before I even installed it to my rig I went and put blue locktite on all of them, since then I have had zero issues and over 200+ hours in Rally racing games. I did have mounting issues like in the video, however I only used two bolts in a diagonal fasion, so the brake is slightly towards me and not straight up and back.
Good to know 👍 I've been doing that also. Thankfully most games these days let you apply a dead zone from within the software itself too. Still using this handbrake often and super happy with how it's performing.
really great and mildly entertaining at same time review😅. I seen these around and wondered about them , i think lost handbrakes are a bit over priced for what should be a pretty basic piece of kit .
I tried the shifter on the right once to see if it would be more immersive and it felt absolutely terrible to me 😂 having learned to drive with it on the left in real life and driven thousands of hours across reality and the sim, I just couldn't get used to taking my right hand off the wheel and would mash the gears as well, it felt very unnatural. I guess over time my brain has compensated for the disconnect in VR between what I see and what I feel.
@@DDFRacer hehe. Understandable. My brain adapts easily. I use inverted thumbsticks y axis but my son doesn't. When he passes his controller to me I was forced to get used to it.
Can confirm still going strong and hasn't missed a beat 👍 for some reason which I'm yet to figure out though, occasionally I need to unplug and reconnect the USB for the handbrake to be detected in game. No biggie since it's right next to me, but I noticed a couple of times I'd be parked on the start line of the rally and the countdown wasn't starting despite having the handbrake fully in.
How long have you had yours mate? Really impressed so far but it's only been with a few stages here or there, looking forward to giving it a proper test on Friday in the RBR Rookie Cup 😎
@@DDFRacer mate I have mine for ages, like 2 years or so and I'm totally satisfied! No problems what so ever. I also use it as a starting clutch for road racing, because I don't have the proper clutch pedal installed on my wheel stand 🙂 so in some older cars, like 70s F1 cars, it's a clutch for the start and a cheap h-pattern switched to a sequential shifter to multiply the experience 🙂👌 in rally it's a proper handbrake, no discussion 😊 may it serve you well and long time buddy! Enjoy 👍🏻
Taking those sim racing equipment risks so you don't have to 😎 ha! In all seriousness though, it does make a big difference having a dedicated control for the handbrake in those rare moments you need it. I've muddled through for years either using a button on my HOTAS throttle or the stick itself, or more recently the shifter in sequential mode, but getting into Richard Burns Rally recently has definitely highlighted the importance of doing it properly. It's definitely a quality of life thing but when I found this for only $50AUD it made so much sense.
I had that one for ~2 years. My thoughts is that once lubed, screws tightened, and adjust the preload it works. Now durability, the foamy thing will quickly break. And the main issue is that the Arduino USB connect just broke off after a slight bump (tiny surface soldered USB connector) and no way fix (at least not for me...). Now, I'm sporting a Moza Handbrake (~USD 100) and this one is much more sturdy. The one you reviewed is about USD40 here in the US, so definitely more $$ to go for the Moza
Appreciate the heads up on how yours fared over time! Some grip tape or makeshift foam can fix the handle pretty easily but I'll definitely keep an eye on the USB connector though 👍
I would assume that games designed with a controller in mind would be a bit forgiving with a button handbrake. I don't usually see handbrake on an axis by default on most racing games, short of binding the handbrake to the right analog stick (Does anyone do this?). I assume RBR is one such "game" where an analog handbrake is ideal. Assetto Corsa probably also benefits from it. I was intrigued to hear it uses a hall sensor, the controller market has been going through a bit of a revolution despite console manufacturers resisting this change to save pennies. Hall effect sensors have been more accessible recently, and are a major selling point over the potentiometer based controllers IMO. I've been looking for a video like this for a while. I usually just flick the car into tight turns so it's nice to see that even a cheap handbrake is a worthwhile addition.
I previously assumed the same too but the more I look into it, the more I realise that most games have a mappable axis for the handbrake. Assetto Corsa has it for the mass amount of drift content available, RBR and DiRT Rally 2.0 for obvious rally reasons, BeamNG being super detailed makes sense, rFactor2 is a bit of a surprise but it has it, AMS2 has the recent offroad content and also 3rd brake on the McLaren and even iRacing has it which actually kind of makes a lot of sense because of the dirt racing side of things. Big up for the hall sensor too. Shane on my Discord recently upgraded his Fanatec from a potentiometer to a hall sensor and he showed a back to back comparison of the input trace. The hall sensor was unbelievably smoother 👀
It's got quite a large range of adjustment to it, so you can really wind it in and have it super sensitive if you like 👍 personally I'm running it about halfway so it's got much less travel than default, but still enough to feed it in progressively.
You don't have to pull back on it hard at 100% all the time mate, it's all about that progressive feeling and just getting the rear to step out the perfect amount.
Ah cheers Jamey 😍 you're far too kind! I'm probably not active enough to show up on most people's feeds compared to other sim racing content creators, there's a lot of noise out there and it's hard to stand out sometimes. Either that or the algorithm doesn't want to push my content to people based on my video titles, thumbnail, descriptions etc. I'm just happy doing my thing though 👍 if people manage to stumble on my content then it's always a nice bonus.
Which is practically next to nothing compared to some of the other handbrakes on the sim racing market 😁 feels like a steal. Just curious, how much travel do you have in yours? Did you dial it down a bit or do you use the full range of motion?
It certainly does, very impressed so far, especially for the price! I guess the only way to find out how it compares to one of the big brands like Fanatec or Moza and see what's missing in this current handbrake is to try one of them for comparison 🤔
Sorry for the late reply, I've been away! Did you find a solution to this? Sometimes my handbrake doesn't register and I'll need to disconnect and reconnect it 🤔 other than that, it might be worth opening device manager and deleting the handbrake, then plugging it back in again to let windows redetect the device and hopefully fix the issue.
@@DDFRacer it's cool. Worth a shot. Bought it in country so got my money back due to strong consumer protection laws. Probbably going to try out a monza one.
I have been using a handbrake from aliexpress which looks exactly like this, i never got it to work on any usb 3.0 port, it only works in 2.0 usbs, it gets recognized as an Arduino Leonardo, anyone knows a fix?
I haven't tried this handbrake on a USB3.0 port yet so can't confirm but after some quick Googling I can see it might be a limitation of the Arduino board/controller inside the handbrake being limited to USB2.0 perhaps. If you have a 2.0 port available then I would continue using it as there's no advantage to using a 3.0 port for this device. However, if you only have 3.0 ports available then it might be worth connecting a hub which has a 2.0 port on it to see if this is a workaround?
Thank you for taking knife safety seriously. With a lot of us based in Europe, if you cut yourself and Mrs DDF is out, we might not get to you before you bleed out 😢
I replaced my Fanatec handbrake with a $100 (AUD) handbrake from aliexpress, it is just straight up better in every way, no calibration issues, doesn't have massive play, easy to mount, can adjust it in a bunch of ways, doesn't need a $40 usb adaptor.
Exactly! As much as I love my Fanatec wheel and pedals, I just wasn't seeing good things about getting their handbrake too so thought there has to be a better solution. Turns out, there is 😁 and a fraction of the price too. Like you said, straight up better in every way. Win win.
Which one did you get out of curiosity? I've also found a ~$100AUD handbrake and it looks nicer than this one, but no one really seems to have tried it
@@cvgaming2020 It's called "Simulated Racing Handbrake Usb Sim 64bit Load Cell For Rally Adjustable GamesBrakesFor Logitech G29/G27/G25 T300 T500 RS PC"
Currently the non black ones are $103 AUD.
@@cvgaming2020 Simulated Racing Handbrake Usb Sim 64bit Load Cell For Rally Adjustable
Should come up if you type that in.
Was waiting for the review, when you talked about it on the livestream! Glad you enjoy the handbrake, I am considering it as well.
I was tempted to make this video as soon as the handbrake arrived but thought it would be better idea to get that race out of the way first 😉 definitely worth the wait though, really impressed with it so far and looking forward to giving it a proper test soon! I'd definitely recommend this if you're still undecided, the build quality is superb and it doesn't feel like a cheap product at all.
I have this handle as well. I read some of the bolts back out. So before I even installed it to my rig I went and put blue locktite on all of them, since then I have had zero issues and over 200+ hours in Rally racing games. I did have mounting issues like in the video, however I only used two bolts in a diagonal fasion, so the brake is slightly towards me and not straight up and back.
thank you im using this as a totorial for mine to dial in the handbrake
No problem 😎 happy to help, hope it goes well for you!
You can wind in the centre bolt to remove the start deadzone. End deadzone cant be eliminated
Good to know 👍 I've been doing that also. Thankfully most games these days let you apply a dead zone from within the software itself too. Still using this handbrake often and super happy with how it's performing.
really great and mildly entertaining at same time review😅. I seen these around and wondered about them , i think lost handbrakes are a bit over priced for what should be a pretty basic piece of kit .
Cheers Kuku 😁 glad you enjoyed it mate and hope you're keeping well!
I'm in Australia too. I mounted shifters and handbrake on the right because it breaks immersion too much in vr when mounted on the left.
I tried the shifter on the right once to see if it would be more immersive and it felt absolutely terrible to me 😂 having learned to drive with it on the left in real life and driven thousands of hours across reality and the sim, I just couldn't get used to taking my right hand off the wheel and would mash the gears as well, it felt very unnatural. I guess over time my brain has compensated for the disconnect in VR between what I see and what I feel.
@@DDFRacer hehe. Understandable. My brain adapts easily. I use inverted thumbsticks y axis but my son doesn't. When he passes his controller to me I was forced to get used to it.
I've just purchased this and this is the most honest video! Is it still performing well?
Can confirm still going strong and hasn't missed a beat 👍 for some reason which I'm yet to figure out though, occasionally I need to unplug and reconnect the USB for the handbrake to be detected in game. No biggie since it's right next to me, but I noticed a couple of times I'd be parked on the start line of the rally and the countdown wasn't starting despite having the handbrake fully in.
I have the same one mate! 👌 It's really awesome and great build quality! You'll love it 😊
How long have you had yours mate? Really impressed so far but it's only been with a few stages here or there, looking forward to giving it a proper test on Friday in the RBR Rookie Cup 😎
@@DDFRacer mate I have mine for ages, like 2 years or so and I'm totally satisfied! No problems what so ever. I also use it as a starting clutch for road racing, because I don't have the proper clutch pedal installed on my wheel stand 🙂 so in some older cars, like 70s F1 cars, it's a clutch for the start and a cheap h-pattern switched to a sequential shifter to multiply the experience 🙂👌 in rally it's a proper handbrake, no discussion 😊 may it serve you well and long time buddy! Enjoy 👍🏻
Great review Dan!
Taking those sim racing equipment risks so you don't have to 😎 ha! In all seriousness though, it does make a big difference having a dedicated control for the handbrake in those rare moments you need it. I've muddled through for years either using a button on my HOTAS throttle or the stick itself, or more recently the shifter in sequential mode, but getting into Richard Burns Rally recently has definitely highlighted the importance of doing it properly. It's definitely a quality of life thing but when I found this for only $50AUD it made so much sense.
I had that one for ~2 years. My thoughts is that once lubed, screws tightened, and adjust the preload it works. Now durability, the foamy thing will quickly break. And the main issue is that the Arduino USB connect just broke off after a slight bump (tiny surface soldered USB connector) and no way fix (at least not for me...). Now, I'm sporting a Moza Handbrake (~USD 100) and this one is much more sturdy. The one you reviewed is about USD40 here in the US, so definitely more $$ to go for the Moza
Appreciate the heads up on how yours fared over time! Some grip tape or makeshift foam can fix the handle pretty easily but I'll definitely keep an eye on the USB connector though 👍
I would assume that games designed with a controller in mind would be a bit forgiving with a button handbrake. I don't usually see handbrake on an axis by default on most racing games, short of binding the handbrake to the right analog stick (Does anyone do this?). I assume RBR is one such "game" where an analog handbrake is ideal. Assetto Corsa probably also benefits from it.
I was intrigued to hear it uses a hall sensor, the controller market has been going through a bit of a revolution despite console manufacturers resisting this change to save pennies. Hall effect sensors have been more accessible recently, and are a major selling point over the potentiometer based controllers IMO.
I've been looking for a video like this for a while. I usually just flick the car into tight turns so it's nice to see that even a cheap handbrake is a worthwhile addition.
I previously assumed the same too but the more I look into it, the more I realise that most games have a mappable axis for the handbrake. Assetto Corsa has it for the mass amount of drift content available, RBR and DiRT Rally 2.0 for obvious rally reasons, BeamNG being super detailed makes sense, rFactor2 is a bit of a surprise but it has it, AMS2 has the recent offroad content and also 3rd brake on the McLaren and even iRacing has it which actually kind of makes a lot of sense because of the dirt racing side of things.
Big up for the hall sensor too. Shane on my Discord recently upgraded his Fanatec from a potentiometer to a hall sensor and he showed a back to back comparison of the input trace. The hall sensor was unbelievably smoother 👀
Great video! I just got this handbreak, I didn’t know that If I wind the screw it would eliminate the input deadzone! Will try that later
It's got quite a large range of adjustment to it, so you can really wind it in and have it super sensitive if you like 👍 personally I'm running it about halfway so it's got much less travel than default, but still enough to feed it in progressively.
Me all through this video with the innuendo. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
You don't have to pull back on it hard at 100% all the time mate, it's all about that progressive feeling and just getting the rear to step out the perfect amount.
Would have been Usefully in the SCB Birthday race 😂
You're not wrong there 😅 there's an instant 20 second gain straight off the bat!
very cool... most underrated simrace streamer, ever.. I dont get it why people dont know bout ddf.
Take care mates!
Ah cheers Jamey 😍 you're far too kind! I'm probably not active enough to show up on most people's feeds compared to other sim racing content creators, there's a lot of noise out there and it's hard to stand out sometimes. Either that or the algorithm doesn't want to push my content to people based on my video titles, thumbnail, descriptions etc. I'm just happy doing my thing though 👍 if people manage to stumble on my content then it's always a nice bonus.
I've had one for ages does the job well for what it costs.
Which is practically next to nothing compared to some of the other handbrakes on the sim racing market 😁 feels like a steal. Just curious, how much travel do you have in yours? Did you dial it down a bit or do you use the full range of motion?
@DDFRacer changed it around to a conventional rip it up style, but I did reduce the travel
It does the job
It certainly does, very impressed so far, especially for the price! I guess the only way to find out how it compares to one of the big brands like Fanatec or Moza and see what's missing in this current handbrake is to try one of them for comparison 🤔
Now take the BMW M1 to PS Valstagna for a good time! 😊
The list of car/stage combos to try grows longer every day 😅 might need to do a special stream for all the extras at this rate...
@@DDFRacer Ha! Take any car really. It is a great stage and plenty of tight hairpins 😉
Is it only for fanatech or maybe for Logitech
This is a completely independent device that can be used with any other wheel/pedal set 👍
Even g923 on ps4? I’m looking for a handbrake for me
@@Ncrimson1did you ever find out this answer?
@@GoldenKnight702 No I didn’t
@@Ncrimson1 if you ever find a PlayStation hand break that’s not $300 let me know! Happy Labor Day!!
I have this exact handbrake and it suddenly just stopped registering inputs and windows started saying the USB device malfunctioned.
Sorry for the late reply, I've been away! Did you find a solution to this? Sometimes my handbrake doesn't register and I'll need to disconnect and reconnect it 🤔 other than that, it might be worth opening device manager and deleting the handbrake, then plugging it back in again to let windows redetect the device and hopefully fix the issue.
mine got a lot of jitter. Probbably bad QC or there might be fake ones floating arround.
Is it brand new or have you been using it for a while? Could be a little dust in the sensor perhaps, try some compressed air or maybe?
@@DDFRacer brand new. Seems like a qc issue.
@@PampersNorway Ah bugger, sorry to hear that mate!
@@DDFRacer it's cool. Worth a shot. Bought it in country so got my money back due to strong consumer protection laws. Probbably going to try out a monza one.
I have been using a handbrake from aliexpress which looks exactly like this, i never got it to work on any usb 3.0 port, it only works in 2.0 usbs, it gets recognized as an Arduino Leonardo, anyone knows a fix?
I haven't tried this handbrake on a USB3.0 port yet so can't confirm but after some quick Googling I can see it might be a limitation of the Arduino board/controller inside the handbrake being limited to USB2.0 perhaps. If you have a 2.0 port available then I would continue using it as there's no advantage to using a 3.0 port for this device. However, if you only have 3.0 ports available then it might be worth connecting a hub which has a 2.0 port on it to see if this is a workaround?
@@DDFRacer Thanks homie, yeah luckily my motherboard has a couple of 2.0's i was just wondering if theres a fix for it
Im getting this for me moza
Awesome stuff 👍 congrats on your new upgrade
@@DDFRacer thanks mate
Will it work on ps5?
As per the item description on eBay: "6. JUST only for PC. Not applicable for PS4 for Xbox."
Igualito al mio 😂
Handbrake buddies unite! 🤝
bro's hairline is next level
What can I say, I'm a next level racing ambassador 🤷♂️
Thank you for taking knife safety seriously. With a lot of us based in Europe, if you cut yourself and Mrs DDF is out, we might not get to you before you bleed out 😢
I appreciate your concern but if Mrs DDF has left me unsupervised with a knife then something has already seriously gone wrong 🤣