DSD Short throw shifter review

[Bkim]

DSD Short throw bend shifter review

NOTE: This review is my personal opinion. It is based on my personal findings with this product.

After buying the Thrustmaster TH8RS shifter i knew immediately i needed a more sturdy sequential shifter. I would use the TM purely as H shifter in which i find the TM TH8RS is truly amazing. So i started my research and after reading a lot of posts i choose to try the DSD short throw. I liked the bend shaft and i hooked up on the term short throw.
Yesterday i received it with a big smile! No more looking at the track and trace

Inside Simracing has a very nice review of this product, i wil not repeat them. Now...im going to be honest from my point of view. Let me get one thing clear: this a a very sturdy shifter that does its job very efficient and or effective. I have red stories of people finding this too loud and yes...it is. But if you are a bit handy your can easily overcome the loudness. On the other side the tension would be too strong. No problems with that. I like it! P&P, within 30 seconds it works. Make sure to have or buy a USB A male -> USB B male cable.

I do feel something else and that is a lot of free play around its dead centre. Curious as i was i unscrewed the top four screws and got the top lid off to have a peak inside. That is a very nasty habit of me. Allmost everything gets a peak inside before usage...anyways.

Now, looking at Dereks website it all looks very professional. To me, 160 euro's is a lot of money to spend on a sequential shifter. I expected something professional made and the inside mechanism is, i mean, i would have never ever been able to create a such a good working mechanism. The mechanism itself works flawless. Nothing to say about that. The outside look of the used materials: sturdy! It feels heavy, and sturdy. A truck could run over it without breaking it (figure of speech). But the box itself is not 100% square cutted or sawed. The top lid is not nice straight, it follows the curve in the edges of the box, which are not 100% square. Next to that, there is a bigger con: there is a lot of free play around the dead centre. The stick moves about 3-4 mm in a round dial. That is too much for me. As said before, the shifter does its job, it works and i can shift through gears like i cant with the TH8RS. It is limited to the fastest movement of your arm and hand during shifting up and down and it does it flawlessly with a lot of force. The free-play does not effect the working mechanism but it is there and somehow in contra-dictionary to the whole shifter sturdiness and well build quality look, the dead centre free play feels cheap.

So how does this adds up for me. I have divided feelings. It is sturdy, it works flawless and the mechanism works great. As far as i can see you can put a lot of force on the shifter during the heat of the battle and it wont break at all. But the production quality of the box and the free play at the stick centre is below my personal high quality standard and that is a shame. Im going to be honest: if i would sell this product on international bases, i would not accept the current outside quality. It looks like it has be made quick, without eye for detail. The outside box needs to be cut 100% square so the lid is also 100% straight, without following a curve. Next to that, the current free play at its centre is too much for me and feels cheap.

If you are not a nitpick like me (and i know that im worse), the DSD is a true solid shifter that wont bulge when played hard. It will do its thing gear after gear after...

Regards, B.

 

[derekspeare]

This customer contacted us and was notified that if there were problems we would make arrangements to provide a replacement. Then this review is published on the heels of no response from him. I question the sincerity and spirit of this, especially since we've heard nothing from him since our email communication to him. Add to that the fact that since only center play was indicated to us via support communication, a reasonable person would question the intent when additional grievances are posted here without an opportunity to address them to us first.

Certainly every DSD component is manufactured with the greatest possible care. If there matters for us to address we address it. Since we have put the customer on notice that we will make arrangements should he opt to receive them, it's not in the spirit of objectivity to the post what appears to be complaints while at the same time not electing the options we have extended.

The customer's shipping fees have been refunded as is our normal policy. He may write support@derekspearedesigns.com for return shipping instructions. We will service the shifter as it's determined necessary.

Here is a copy of the email sent to him within minutes of his initial report to us yesterday about 11am Eastern time US:

Hello Boris,

Thank you for your recent order. If the slight center movement becomes troublesome, we will make arrangements for you to return the device to us for replacement.

All shifters are fully tested to ensure proper and accurate function. There will be a very slight amount of play in the shaft and that's normal. It should not be excessive.

Best regards,

Derek Speare
​

 

[Bkim]

I would like to comment on Dereks reply. Indeed Derek has contacted me direct after i sent my email with the centre play question. His answer can be read in his reply. At that time i thought about the pro's and the cons (replacing everything would take up about two month and was the problem severe enough for all the hustle). I decided not to. That is the reason i did not reply on Dereks email. And yes, today i made the stupid mistake to post this review first, before informing Derek about the review. I would like to apologize towards DSD for my clumsy communication. Next to that i also would like to adress that DSD has a high quality customer service for replying instant on my email i sent yesterday, providing me the solution for a complete replacement. It shows that DSD is very concerned with his customers!!

My review is my honest personal opinion. And i would like to address that this sequential shifter exists out of high quality materials and inside mechanism for long durance. It is not my intention to burn down this shifter.