JohnM450

Two words... Must have!!!

This button box is really nice overall and if you want to be immersed into a truck driving/farming simulation game, this is a must have!

This button box was worth the wait (shockingly small amount of time waiting for delivery). When I ordered the Heavy Hauler, I saw the message : "Due to high demand, please expect shipment of your controller in approximately 2-3 weeks from your order date". But then when I was ready to order and was in checkout, the standard Canada shipping was two months wait time. I was excited and really impatient to get it (knowing that I would only get it in two months, or will I?) Then this morning, my girlfriend come to see me and said to me that my button box was here already! I was shocked and I didn't believe her! It took only a week from my order date (28th of April) to today (5th of May) to get it! *BE AWARE* Since I am in Canada, I needed to pay extra at the door when receiving my delivery and it was around 80$CAD extra. It may not be the same for you but just be careful when ordering.

Enough about delivery time and import fees and let's get into the unboxing and first feeling of the box and the buttons! When I opened the box, I immediately felt like this wasn't going to be cheap opening, I opened the box and removed the plastic wrap that was covering the whole button box. It felt premium at first touch and looked pretty solid. Installed it on my desk for the moment and plugged the USB in the PC, the CB mic into my Heavy Hauler and the jack from the button box into the PC. The buttons and switches are bigger than what I imagined them to be, overall the Heavy Hauler was bigger AND lighter than what I was expecting. The light switch felt nice but sadly the only issue with this button is the way the game reads it (button box is not the issue, the game is!!). When switching from 0 to 1, it works well, when switching from 1 to 2, it works too. Only issue is when I want to go back from 2 to 1. I then need to switch from position 2 slowly to position 0, then go back to 1. It's not a big issue that I can't live with, but SCS Software really need to add a light switch back button, just like the wipers for example. The two little "radio style buttons" I call them (or the rotary encoders) are nicer than what I was expecting. I was a little scared of what they would feel like because I heard they turn infinitely and may be a little sensitive. But they had a nice click if you turn them slowly, which is not bad. The red buttons are soft buttons (they do not click). They feel nice even if I know people may not like soft buttons. Horn button was a surprise for me since I was expecting it to be like the red buttons but with a different shape from the red buttons, but it is a click button. You push it in, it clicks and then you release and it comes right back! Ignition switch with two keys are definitely working like expected and have a nice tension when from ACC to START position. I decided to go with the A.S.P. faceplate (option is called "None") option and it came with a A.S.P. key chain (really nice touch from A.S.P. here)! Both Trailer Air Supply/Trailer Brake and the Parking Brake push/pull buttons are really nice feeling, they do click when you pull them, works obviously like expected. Fuel button is nice and it does click and hold it's position until you click again to release, really nice to do the obvious refuelling function like it was made for (just in case you didn't know, you need to map this little green button to the "activate" function, just like the ENTER button on your keyboard). Plastic switches are nice and work like expected, nice feeling but not amazed by them since it is only made of plastic. The metal switches though are a different experience, both little and big metal switches felt absolutely amazing! I just love to pop the switch for the Engine Brake function, it is really satisfying! CB mic works like a champ and is really clear, you can increase and even boost the mic volume in the windows setting if you like. But be careful! If you increase too much the volume or boost it too much, a "static" kind of sound will appear when you push to talk. I recommend to either keep it like it came or increasing it to 70% max, microphone is already loud and clear and it is not necessary that you increase the volume.

Like I said earlier, the product works like expected overall, some good surprises and some things that may be improved but overall really happy with this premium button box. I ordered a vesa mount that is expected tomorrow (I didn't have time to order it earlier and the button box came here faster than expected lol). I am running the Heavy Hauler with my Logitech G923 Xbox version, the Logitech G Shifter and the Logitech Heavy Side Pannel as well. I will provide a picture tomorrow when receiving my vesa mount and when everything will be in place.

Thank you so much A.S.P. for creating these beautiful button boxes for every kind of people, and for different kind of games, I am sure excited for the Farming Simulator button box prototype and will probably buy one in the future when it will be able to order one. You guys out there are more than creating button boxes, you are changing the way we play the game and this feels 10 times better! The immersion is real!