Fanatec CSS 1.5 Shifter Review

[@ATLRIOT]

You're my Bob Ross of the Sim Racing World. You are so calming.

[@danmc_2783]

His voice is like top-shelf bourbon for my ears

[@paolunna]

I put Barry on while in bed and never get to the end...... lovingly falling asleep.... hmmmmm

[@nUKerATsKi]

You should be able to give a comment more than one thumbs up!!!!

[@Terkzorr]

+ He kinda looks like Robin Williams, so he's basically two amazing people that died too early in one.

[@ottovp]

he's the JAMES MAY of the Sim Racing World.

[@CoreyMcG1604]

8:40 At the Sim Racing Garage, parts organize themselves in order to maximize track time.

[@hahaxolotl]

lmfao

[@canertwo]

You could easily have a side business with audio books/reading. You have an awesome voice. Could listen to you all day.

[@mrcontroversy222]

Unintentional ASMR man. It’s amazing.

[@kefrh]

Thanks for this, Mine was getting really scratching getting out of 2nd, 4th and 6th and your video made it obvious all I had to do was take it apart and clean up the grease around the dimples under the (assuming) ball bearing under the pressure adjuster, and add some really good quality grease. Done! But I guess good to mention.. not always enough grease out of the factory on that part.

[@ThePvthfinder]

"I turned down the Sequential spring tension" "It felt too light on Sequential and didn't give me the feedback I was expecting" Well, what did you expect was going to happen when you adjusted the tension on a system that is designed to give you the best feeling from one adjustment. I love watching your videos and your information is second to none, delivered in such an influential manner I feel like my father is teaching me something. You really dropped the ball there, KZbin Dad.

[@gavingriffinracing5842]

I just skimmed through this and watched the intro, closer look, driving, and final thoughts sections, and you put a lot of work into this. This is a really impressive video and insanely informative. Thank you!

[@marcusbunce3406]

Finally bought this baby,, good news the fins are lovely and smooth with a nice radius

[@MustangFastback]

Why don't you have more subscribers? You certainly deserve them!

[@trip5003]

Because he takes a goddam hr to say the same thing over and over multiple times like I just did over and over

[@MustangFastback]

@@trip5003 Personally, I appreciate the detail-oriented engineering focus he has on everything he touches.

[@adamleblanc5294]

Sim racing is a niche and he is like a niche inside of a niche.

[@TheCarAudioGuy]

That’s one of the best golden voices I have ever heard!

[@SudoMimic3]

Coming from fpv drone racing. Can't help but notice the drones and fats harks hanging from the wall. I knew I liked your videos for a reason.

[@SimFanatic]

Thanks Barry! I'm about to pull the trigger on this shifter and your quality review was very helpful!

[@illiteratethug3305]

don't waste your money mate, all they do is break and go back for endless RMAs. Seriously look into it, the failure rate is about 90% on these, only part of my simracing rig I regret

[@aarron1234567]

Inside of the USB adaptor that you demonstrated that header is a Jtag Heather primarily used for programming the micro controller that exists on the board and debugging most manufacturers remove those headers before producing the product but they probably leave it on there as it’s not a super expensive product

[@leftwingman]

You're reviews are always the best. Thanks, Barry!

[@am1lly]

Really glad to have you back, Barry!

[@jpbass5913]

Appreciate what you do, I think you're a NC local? Proud to call you a neighbor if so -- great channel and always good reviews. You answer a lot of questions I wouldn't even think to ask which helps a lot considering this market is so niche and actually getting your hands on most of this equipment means ordering it first sight unseen. Keep it up.

[@cacarey01]

Mine has just arrived. Will be installing it tomorrow.

[@SimonChampagne]

Excellent in depth review as usual Barry! Keep them coming :)

[@amiga500user4]

Another great review! Thanks for that and greetings from Stuttgart in Germany!

[@LucaScalvi]

Best review on Youtbe. Compliments.

[@nickwass07]

Man this downshifting pedal work is top notch. I have some work to do. Great review by the way.

[@anthonymisell8845]

Thank God you talked about the PC adaptor as I am thinking of buying Clubsport shifter to use with my existing Thrustmaster TX wheel base on my PC

[@VinReho]

Damn... you aced this review! Was a joy to watch :)

[@simracinggarage3026]

Thanks!

[@NeoEletto24]

I love your videos,always on the spot! Cheers and happy new year,from Italy!

[@sporkeh90]

They do sand down those edges now by the way :) Mine has them anyway

[@krilin84]

Love your stuff! But when are you going to get into VR? I think the upcoming Pimax 8k headset with 200degrees fov is going to be the first truly valid contender for what you'd expect out of a VR experience. Would love to see you try that one out! Keep up the good work!

[@erickmoney2691]

All your videos are great. Huge help. THANK YOU!

[@stephenscott9837]

Always look forward to your reviews, the best

[@hollowdog9049]

Tec terms The bearings are "shrouded" not "sealed" Sealed will have a rubber/ plastic non serviceable seal / shrouded bearings can be flush cleaned and lubed. Tensioner adjustment is "detent" Sharp edges should be "deburred" Nice review!

[@ericMT]

Fanatec just raised the price to $250. Plus $20 for the USB adapter, plus shipping and tax and it's about $300. Still one of the best shifters at that price point though.

[@noshdaminsk]

great review Barry - I love my CSS 1.5 - it is a great stick!

[@harleycrx]

You need to put some ads in your videos! It can really increase your revenue, and I’m sure we can all agree that you deserve it!

[@joeletty2]

SRG your impact is amazing I was looking at my fanatec shifter I bought about a year ago and it has rounded fins there

[@Jet7Xcountry]

I have this shifter and I love it. I think something you should have mentioned is how quiet it is. It's not too loud even when ripping on it. Great review:)

[@Neadlemeyer]

As always - superb review

[@baccattack]

The spring for the sequential shift will likely be the first thing to break, at least it was on mine. You may need to grease occasionally as well to keep the shifts smooth.

[@Leynad778]

Mine broke as well after a few hours of sequential abuse. I bought an additional sequential shifter after.

[@markwintle1174]

mine has broken 4 times, I give up and learned without the spring, feels shit though

[@noshdaminsk]

Mine has never broken in 2 years

[@NickG40]

I've had mine since 2014, and it feels the same as it did back then.

[@igorkutcher61]

Mine broke yesterday after 6mnths of usage. Now in the process of communication with the support. Don't know how many spare springs to ask. Or maybe just get heusinkveld shifter.

[@irun2sanaxox]

Genuine raw reviews. I love it

[@bertram-raven]

I just bought one, so expect a new model in about a month! As to the sharp fins, I found it was the plastic slider itself which had a sharp edge, not the fins. YMMV.

[@yipzone]

Good to know what's inside. Thanks!

[@timakimat]

Some Porsches have a seven speed manual.

[@Capricorn_IV]

Awesome review. Very informative. Only thing that could make this video better is if it was filmed in 4k

[@mikael670]

Great video as always !!!

[@Max.44]

27:22 I went to check on mine. They are super smooth no sharp edges anywhere on both sides.

[@chrisreynolds6152]

Great video. Does your shifter have some slop/play when its in neutral and you slightly wiggle it around? I feel like mine is about 1/8" play and makes the shifter feel a bit sloppy. When in any gear, there is no play though.

[@markkovalcson7243]

I wish that the centering spring could also be tightened to give a little more on spring force to center. I suspect it would be pretty hard to custom source a stiffer spring to put there.

[@atitudessustentáveis14097]

Very good review as always the best reviews are here so much detail...Thank you...Ill keeping watching...Please test the OSW with simucube ioni pro hc and mige motor

[@sebastienbremont6196]

Great review! Congrats mate!

[@AttilaTheHun333333]

Would be interesting to know what the differences are between the original version and this v1.5 Beautiful review, thank You very much Barry!

[@ch3m1c]

You should make a statement and "how to fix missing gears" video for that beast :) Loving the feel of mine.. but I hate when it put's in wrong gear once and a while.

[@Dutch3DMaster]

Check the inside and see if putting some insulating material behind the backplane of the PCB that might contact the metal housing helps.

[@jasoncobby6904]

Hi Barry... Great review! Thanks for the insight, I've been considering one of these shifters to pair with my CSW V1 wheel base. I currently don't have a H pattern shifter and use a Frex Seq shifter but like the idea of being able to have one shifter mounted to my rig that will work for both H & seq modes.

[@websurfer5150]

Wow moreinside the box than I expected. That makes it easier to justify the cost.

[@MasterSporten]

The sharp edges you mention do not exist on my sq1.5 so i think its your sample that's flawed. The bearings are not sealed they are "just" shielded. Other then that nice to see how it looks inside.

[@erafune4723]

Someone buy this legend a tungsten shifter knob already!

[@GTiR23]

Some decent engineering gone into that

[@jacquesverones7354]

Very good review! Thanks!

[@danmc_2783]

I see those Wave Italy pedals there Barry Rowland! Can I hope for another new vid coming soon? How do they compare to your HPPs? The Wave Italy pedals are gorgeous with their simple and elegant design but very pricey (especially when they lack the hydraulic systems in the HPPs and some others at similar prices) and I also love the hardcore over-engineered 'industrial' look of the HPPs and their design and approach as well. Can't wait to hear your thoughts. Another great vid again, keep up the good work

[@simracinggarage3026]

Should have the Impetus pedal review up in a week or two.

[@danmc_2783]

awesome, can't wait, thanks Barry :)

[@illiteratethug3305]

how the hell are you not doing lucrative Hollywood voiceovers? You make Morgan Freeman sound bad

[@azaralamouri5140]

I have never stolen anything in my life but if I will, I will steal a fancy driving sim setup from the sim racing garage.

[@tylervardy3917]

Sorry man... But you just stole my heart! 😂

[@tomekseeker8379]

sir , ure doing great reviews, watched all about shifters n wheels coz i think about buyin it n u help me decide thx so much :)

[@BrainsBush]

Great detailed review! Within a couple of days I wil replace the TH8A with this Fanatec shifter and the TH8A will be transfered to a analog handbrake. side note: so you like heavy ball(s) ;)

[@NeoEletto24]

Brian,can you tell me more about your choice? I own a Th8 and I'm planning to switch to this Fanatec shifter. Is it worth the change? Thanks.

[@OhItsThat]

I bought one of these at the beginning of 2017. It worked great for three months. Then it started registering incorrect gears eventually leading to any gear selected registering as sequential. I sent it back, they fixed it and returned it. It took almost a month. After that the shifter worked great for about 6 months. Then once again it started registering wrong gears. However this time it would work for a couple of hours then start acting up. I contacted Fanatec but this time they say it’s static electricity interference and won’t repair it or replace it. I have no idea how it could work perfectly for so long then all of a sudden be effected by static electricity. The said I need to ground it but I have no idea how that’s done. The other weird thing is when it first started happening, shifting into first would put it in reverse. That was going on for a few months. I ended up binding reverse to 7th gear in all titles. Now shifting into 3rd randomly puts me into reverse. I don’t know...I just wish someone would make an affordable H Pattern shifter that’s just a good or better then the Fanatec as far as feeling.

[@ehss192]

If you haven't seen this, this might be your fix. It was for me. imgur.com/a/vMO5R

[@omegaacev]

Another issue is the same PCB needs a layer of insulation on its backside. I added a layer of carefully trimmed duct tape. No more blown engines.

[@samuellp1146]

@@omegaacev yeah this is a joke, they have this problem everyone is going through and they are just brushing it off.

[@Dutch3DMaster]

The whole static electricity thing along with grounding the shifter is absolute nonsense: the metal housing that holds the bearings and PCB is grounded to the casing, so anytime you'd touch it, it would discharge through you so that doesn't sit well with me as an excuse. I have the very first generation of this thing and it also had the exact same problem (scarily enough, when not using hall sensors, but a potentiometer and 2 microswitches). While I performed 3 things at once to see if it would fix things (because mine was absolutely engulfed in grease I decided to not want to repeat opening it up and making a mess 3 times) I resoldered the potentiometer (and put it more straight), resoldered the microswitches (sucking away the tin first and applying lead-based solder) and put some insulating material behind the PCB and bearing housing. So I don't know what solved the problem precisely, but it started working as intended right after, but I haven't been able to test it for durability (to see if it's going to stay stable in operation).

[@Dutch3DMaster]

@@samuellp1146 It is a bit scary that for a device at this price point there is such a massive amount of people having problems with it, their forum is absolutely overflowing with messages of this exact problem... And it's also equally scary to see that this problem has persisted throughout the different iterations of this product (I have what seems the very first generation). (I do not buy the static electricity argument, it does not hold any water when you see how the PCB is mounted because you'd discharge any charge through you upon touching the stick).

[@1993saif1]

my man i have the same shifter but its missing in gears like putting it in 2nd gear it will put it randomlly either in 4th or 1st any solution how fix it thanks in advance

[@alibee1978]

Legend has it barry built a car from threading the bolts to hand stitching the leather steering wheel in that very garage !

[@GrantMerle]

Thanks Barry

[@ImageArtSigns]

Great review as always and I personally like the look of the Fanatec...are you going to do a review on 'Thrustmasters TSS Handbrake SPARCO Mod' unit as it has a combo 'Handbrake' and 'Sequential Shifter' in one unit

[@ryanchenoweth5673]

Another super in depth review mate 👏👏👏 This is the shifter I use, at this point the money is better spent in other areas of the rig. Just wondering if the slack in the rotation of the shaft bothered you at all and if you used your own heavy shifter knob and if that felt better again having even more additional weight there? 🤔

[@simracinggarage3026]

I personally like to have a heavier shifter knob. Adds to the inertia of the shift in a way the feels right to me. I am running a stainless steel, chrome plated ball that weighs 465 grams on my Quaife H pattern and really enjoy it. I have had folks who stop by, try it with the original knob and the heavy ball. So far everyone prefers the heavy ball.

[@StefanMytilineos]

Sim Racing Garage Thanks Barry for the great reviews and amazing tips on improving our own workshops and techniques! What about the rotation slack? Did you not have it in your unit?

[@arccrenshaw8391]

Would love to see the fanatec handbrake looked at by you. thanks for the video, another great one.

[@simracinggarage3026]

The Fanatec handbrake is on the schedule for review.

[@ricohcrap]

Best sim hardware channel~ BTW, do you have any info about the release date of the HE H shifter?

[@simracinggarage3026]

Still waiting!

[@cortecz]

4:03 WRC - Group A Ford Escort RS Cosworth 4-cyl - 310bhp - 7 speed manual

[@roverboy1687]

Thanks for the review Barry I currently have 2no th8a thrustmaster shifters one set up with the ricmotec sequential plate and one in h pattern with a 3d rap mod and enjoy the feeling of both but am thinking of selling them both to get fanatec 🤔

[@darylwyrick2857]

Shielding on audio cables needs to be lifted on one end and grounded on the other. If both ends are grounded then it does not work as a shield at least that's what I've been taught in the recording/live sound industry. So would that not be true for any other type i.e. USB! Just thought it worth a mention.

[@Dutch3DMaster]

No it would not. Most of the times the USB cable shares the ground with the aluminium shield, whether on the device side or on the computer side. Some devices use the shielding unconnected, some use it connected. The thing with audio equipment is that most of the equipment connected is also powered, so there will be grounds present in the device that will loop with the device you connect it to. For most USB appliances that does not happen, and in case of this shifter conversion box it definitely does not happen, given that it's a stand-alone device powering the shifter without external power. Any grounds present will now be tied to the computer directly. I am fairly sure that if you were to continuity test the ground wire of the USB plug with the shielding, you might get a 0-ohm reading because they are connected.

[@phycoman4561]

Mine has rounded edges, they must have listened!

[@j88000]

Great review! Just ordered one! Two things, The mount you used I cannot seem to find at simlabs, can you link to it? Also, what sort of screwdriver was that? Looked perfect for working on these rigs.

[@simracinggarage3026]

You have to email Sim Lab to get the mount. Here are the drivers: www.amazon.com/Bondhus-10686-1-5-5mm-Balldriver-Screwdrivers/dp/B0006O4AD8/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1528237031&sr=8-22&keywords=bondhus

[@j88000]

Email sent! Thanks!

[@IvyMike.]

Awesome review as always, but the bearings are shielded and not sealed.

[@jacobsoares7068]

Wish I had watched this before I bought mine so I would have known that I NEEDED the dongle before purchasing the shifter. I assumed it would have USB compatibility built in like the pedals do. I realized that I needed the dongle a few /hours/ after I placed the order for my shifter, which had already processed by that time. I had to place it in a separate order and pay an extra $12 of shipping for a $20 component. (Definitely annoyed at that, but I can't be upset at Fanatec for quickly processing my shifter order.) What I AM annoyed about is the fact that my shifter has now arrived at my house and is mounted to my rig, but my adapter has yet to even leave the warehouse despite being marked as ready to ship on their store page. I guess they only care about orders over a certain dollar amount. (Wouldn't surprise me, as everything I've heard about Fanatec has always been "amazing products, awful service.")

[@bobbyosborne2375]

Where'd you go Barry?

[@chaseshadow]

Hi buddy, another very informative great video. I've watched a few of yours now & subscribed. Can you tell me what the hole pattern measurements are if I wanted to just bolt in to a plate. They look about 100mm x 100mm pattern, can you help at all ?? Thanks.

[@simracinggarage3026]

The holes are 70mm ctr front to back and 90mm ctr from side to side. You can get a template here: www.fanatec.com/download/CSS-CSSSQ_DrillingTemplate.pdf

[@CarTribu]

My selector does not switch from seq to 8. Following your video at minute 29 (awesome by the way) i see the two metal hooked wires and mine are very loose. What is your view? Are they broken or loose? Should they be loose or tightened ? Thanks so much

[@mqt5]

I didn't watch the whole video but i hope that he mentioned the terrible reliability, it does have a fix tho

[@Colevid19]

I am having an issue with my second shifter on my second CSL ELite ps4 base replacement unit in a month. When I plug in shifter only 1st and 2nd register and my display goes crazy on my wheel or it just will not work at all. If I wiggle the cable at back of base it seems to work at times. I don't see any bent pins, I replaced the cable already, checked and redownloaded firmware. I spent 1500 on fanatec rig and have not had a working rig in since the holidays. I am pissed because all they can tell me is send it in for repair. I have not had a working unit yet and they won't give me a full refund saying the refund period is 15 days. Can someone please hel? I am going through withdrawals from not racing.

[@lexx348]

Seems that Fanatec customer service isn't as premium as the price segment

[@leeyo5801]

22:39 does anybody know where we can possibly get a replacement plate like this? 🤷‍♂ I like to play with a tightened shifter, but it's got a price obviously, even more when you didn't grease it by yourself after a few months...

[@inexternalrecords]

16:09 - That looks like a standard USB header in case the other connector breaks.

[@ModMINI]

Great shifter. I just got one. Would like it to be a little less "clicky" when the ball bearing goes into the up/down shift gate. Has anyone tried milling over the divots where the ball rests between gears?

[@buzzfightbeer8023]

You are the first person I have ever heard say they do NOT like the positive feedback click in a shifter. I love how it feels. Is it a noise issue for you?

[@ModMINI]

@@buzzfightbeer8023 The shifter is moving into the H position. No click is needed. Real transmissions don’t have a click that sounds like this/not street cars anyway.

[@GodleyX]

bro, your rig is moving around? how do you get that kind of feedback in your rig?

[@WW2Fr3k]

What are the dimensions of the product? Trying to figure out if it will fit on my desk

[@Toutvids]

I already own the Thrustmaster TH8A shifter, would this be a good upgrade or not? I know it's all opinions but I am looking for some opinions.

[@jorge_781]

Is way better. I used to swap between H to sequential once per year with TH8 due the PITA process, the switch alone worth the upgrade for me.

[@Flatnens]

Do you have a review of the fanatec handbrake?

[@Bigsbeee]

Try the 2018 Frex Barry..really love mine...very well suited to a Prototype./ Group C car.

[@RE18042009]

Can anyone tell me if this kind of shifter is needed? Or is it just for fun. Because if youre really racing against people, peddles are faster?

[@4DModding]

Hello. I am curious how much the motion control (actuators) cost for the rig?

[@darthmauldarthvader8877]

it's working with thrustmaster steering wheeL?

[@arisp816]

Hey Barry, any idea how to make the shifter more quite? On h pattern is like I'm "knocking on my girlfriend's door"!! If I don't find a solution I might sell them or find a deaf girlfriend...

[@ericody6394]

You should do a review of the shh shifter! I think it would be a good comparison for a cheap option.

[@simracinggarage3026]

Working on it.

[@ericody6394]

Good deal, been eyeballing it myself and have seen some good reviews, but lets face it. Only your review matters! :P haha@@simracinggarage3026

[@Srt4drvr89]

Was wondering if you had any idea on how to keep the shifter from going into reverse when you are putting it in 1st. When in first sometimes It thinks it is in reverse

[@Dutch3DMaster]

I have the (what seems to be at least) very first generation of this shifter, given how it's different electrically on the inside (mine does not use hall sensors but a potentiometer for left-right movements, and 2 microswitches with rollerblade contacts). Mine had the exact same problem, and I have seen a lot of people put some insulating material between the backplane of the PCB and the metal housing it is either VERY close to or basically on top of (possibly causing shorts). Because mine had grease absolutely everywhere I decided to do 3 things all at once (so I can't say which of the 3 things I did solved things) but I re-aligned the potentiometer. It was slightly at an angle and because it has very limited movement (physically and electrically, the value changed a lot when rotating it ever so slightly, it's basically the same kind of potentiometer in a bumper or trigger on a game controller like from a PS4 or Xbox) I reasoned that could be one of the reasons for misregistering the gear. I also pulled off as much solder from the microswitches (this is not something you are able to do if you have the 1.5 version since these are not present in those) and put on a lot of new fresh, lead-based solder. After this I put some insulating material (this is something you can try) between the back of the PCB and the metal housing that holds the bearings to stop possible shorts. Doing all that solved the shifter misregistering gears (mine was worse than yours though: almost all gears at front could be either reverse or 1, and all back ones could be 2....)

[@stevedunklin9939]

Are you planning on reviewing the Frex H Shifter?

[@simracinggarage3026]

Yes, when I can get one. Maybe a month or so.

[@dh6865]

Can i ask what mic you use

[@aeiouxs]

Thanks Barry - I'd been considering this for SEQUENTIAL shifting duties, which I thought would be far better than my Thrustmaster TH8A, but it seems that it's not ideal for that purpose.

[@SimonChampagne]

Look at the ricmotech sequential mod for your TH8A, that should do the trick and the price is fair.

[@aeiouxs]

Thanks Simon, been thinking about that for a while!

[@stephenscott9837]

Not sure where you live but it always looks like nice weather outside your garage door lol

[@taibrookes7374]

This or the quafe pro sim shifter?

[@raikkusaatana]

Have been using Frex Shift+ seq shifter for years (5-10y), I have it connected directly to Fanatec wheel base(it has been connected to many models of them), just like F's own shifters. About seq use/quality, how CSS seq feel differs from Shift+ is it worse?

[@simracinggarage3026]

Can't speak to the Frex Shift +, as I have never used one. But I do expect to get my hands on a Frex H Pattern 2018 shifter in the near future.

[@ajsludge]

It's a big jump in price from TH8A ($217aud) to the Fanatec ($384aud). Is it worth the extra cost?

[@LogiForce86]

Yes! I've got the original TH8 and the TH8 is just like stirring in a pot on the stove with no resistance. With the Fanatec you really get that sense that you're banging gears, and it's really build like a tank. Plus getting it from H-pattern to Sequential and back is sooooo much easier. Just like Fanatec's quick release system being that much easier than Thrustmaster's screw on type of release.

[@jugador5801]

LogiForce86 I would completely disagree the fanatec feels like you can’t find the right gear