Get ready for WRC! | Simlab XB1 Handbrake Review

[@sim-lab_official]

Thanks for the review Dan! 🙌🏻

[@XanDer026]

Hello @sim-lab_official 👋 Quick question ! Can the handbrake be plugged into the XP1 controler box (EXT.1 or EXT.2) or is it only by USB ?? Thank you.

[@mr_pase6956]

LOL, best timing, Dan. Was just about the get into handbrakes and an hour later you publish that video. Thanks, mate!

[@ASQUAREDX9]

For anyone wondering I just got mine yesterday and they switched to usb-c

[@RivanovNL]

Great review Dan. I ordered it yesterday coincidentally.

[@flightis3dollars]

Thanks for the review. Push/pull shifter review for sure.

[@taxi615]

I have the push pull took a while to get use to it as it's statis and sometimes you miss the shifts while turning but it's well built lots of adjustments plug and play. A bit expensive for what it does and I only use it for cars that used a single paddle. Depends what you want to do. Paddles on a wheel is best

[@flightis3dollars]

@@taxi615 Thanks for the feedback. Will be for rally for me if I take the plunge. Can be hard to hit the regular paddles when there's lots of lock on the wheel.

[@BigMeanyVids]

Interesting. Seems quite nice. I recently purchased the Moza handbrake when it first came out. Very happy with it. It's the only piece of Moza gear I own. This is nicer for sure but then 2x the price so guess just depends on what you are looking for.

[@coolmus1]

Looks nice, wonder are they bringing out a regular sequential shifter rather than the push pull one?

[@NTSH443]

Think you glazed over the Heusinkveld a bit there, being able to mount it vertically can make or brake (lol) your decision on available features. Simlab does look very nice though.

[@BelgianSimRacing]

i have this handbrake and i can confirm its a solid and very good handbrake for the price !

[@andreasotto1977]

I've just received mine, and there's absolutely no side to side play in the shaft. Noice.

[@danielmalka8884]

Hi Dan first, great review! I don’t need handbrake since I’m driving formula cars but it’s looking great. Second, I’m on the market for Simracing pedals. What is the best set for around 600 euros?

[@IronAces]

VRS.

[@danielmalka8884]

@@IronAces are they better than the vnm?

[@IronAces]

@@danielmalka8884 I don’t know. VRS are pretty much the yard stick without going crazy expensive. I use HE Ultimate+, and I think VRS is comparable to those.

[@zzmadd]

Will you test their load cell pedals?

[@PietroPizzi]

Push-Pull review - 100% !!

[@kamael1125]

2 problems I have with this product and this review. 1. The micro usb socket on it is of the worst quality I have ever seen. Micro usb sockets and plugs are of trapezoidal shape so you can mate them only one way. This brake has cable with trapezoidal plug but the socket is oval-ish meaning you can plug the cable upside down. The whole connection is so loose that you need to tape the cable to the rig hard....otherwise cable will fall out if you just look at it. 2. Race director software. Not a single reviewer mentioned it... My antivir software went apeshit when I tried to download it. Not install, download it!!!! My antivir deletes the file before it is downloaded. It sees some major trojan in it. It basically forced me to disable whole suite of antvir soft. only to download the file. Then I had to disable some more to install it, and then brake would not run because of the shitty cable/plug/socket. Because I forgot to add an exemption in my antivir for that racedirector pile of garbage, after pc reset, antivir deleted any trace of racedirector from my pc.😂

[@taxi615]

I prefer my vnm 1.5 HB but it does look nice

[@amigoz3201]

I do not has vnm1.5 bit after my reaserch seems vnm is way way better hanbrake!

[@taxi615]

@@amigoz3201 it's been great for the past 18 months lots of adjustments and you can angle the handle just about any way. Its about 50$ more than the simlab if I remember here in Canada all these HB are 500$ plus with the rates and imports. The Heusinkveld was more so that why I went with vnm at first. I'll be getting a Hydraulic one soon.

[@amigoz3201]

@@taxi615which hydraulic is on your radar?

[@taxi615]

@@amigoz3201 the simtag one.

[@taxi615]

@amigoz3201 just to be clear nothing wrong with loadcell HB I just updated everything to high grade stuff and my HB is my last piece. So the vnm simlab HE are perfectly capable to use. If you want the most adjustable one the vnm and HE are great but the vnm you can angle it anyway even the handle and you get many springs and bushings to get exactly like you want.

[@pdfhd]

How dare it not be purple

[@filiposay]

Sorry to say, but I bought it when was releaased and is a very bad product😢. The little plastic box where the board is placed broke of simply use after a month of so, just very bad qualitt. That made the usb wire not conecting properly. The spring on the handbrake is varely useless, as the movement you get of it is too short and weak is more like a broken feeling than a real useful movement. Simlab costumer service was bad since day 0, took months for it to arrive, then arrived with one of the elastomers attached with tape outside the box and also in pueces...still waiting for a replacement 😤. Just to say that I bought too the push/pull shifter from Simlab and no priblem with it, but this handbrake terrible.

[@DanSuzuki]

Yeah as far as I know the usb box has been revised, a stronger spring would indeed be nice

[@martijnp4313]

I'm sorry you had that experience, but you're just unlucky. I have mine since launch as well and it's been good. I do agree that communication from SimLab wasn't great.

[@filiposay]

@@martijnp4313 thank you, I know I was unlucky, as I said I also bought the push/pull shifter and that is top product. I also know that Simlab had a problem with the first batch of handbrakes (reason for the delays on release) and I suppose I was one of the few people who got those defective ones (the defect is on the little plastic box, the rest of product is rock solid). But the elastomer outside the box attached with tape and in pieces and the lack of response is sad for a company which I had a very good image of (and because I thought very well of them I bought there two products).

[@amigoz3201]

@@filiposaysorry but i tested my friends HE sequantical shifter and it is speaking frankly piece of sh...t, SG racing pro is miles better.

[@filiposay]

@@amigoz3201 not sure what is the HE sequential shifter, do you mean the Heusinkveld sequencial shifter? Cause i don't have this, I have the Simlab push/pull sequential shifter, whic basically is a giant paddle that you push/pull, technically a very simple product but for my hand arthrosis is perfect, and because the arthrosis,instead of push sometimes punch (as fail of moving my hand properly) and still working like the first day, so looks tough to me. However I know how a stick shifter should feel, but no idea how a push/pull paddle shifter should feel so my only criteria is how strong is and how well change the shifts.