There's just something about the X-52 Pro that suits me, but with VKB Sim and Virpil Controls coming out with new models very soon I may ending my habit with Saitek and buying one of those for my next gaming rig build. I still own a Thrustmaster Cougar that collects dust in a back closet. I've had many evolution's of Thrustmaster gear in the past and liked most of it very much. The throttle usually works fine, I wish the 'stick part could be purchased separately. After 2-3 years, adding more heavy damping grease just doesn't cure the slop anymore. It's the slop and play that develops in the joystick after 5-6 years that begs me to replace it. but the cheap pots they use in the other 4 axis' are evident immediately in a brand new unit. The X-52 Pro does have hall sensors in the 'sticks X and Y axis, never have problems with those. I use my flight gear nearly every day of the year for approximately 2 to 4 hours, sometimes more. I go through a Saitek X-52 Pro about every 5-6 years. That also means, just because there is Thrustmaster printed on a device, it isn't "perfect". The controller best suited for an A-10C may not be the same best suited for a Helicopter or WW II piston engine plane. When you want to fly sims like DCS as a hobby and strive for realism, I would recommend to invest a bit more and consider carefully what aircraft you want to focus. I simply recommend to do a little search through forums and blogs to get some input before you buy, as with all products. Just my two cents, though and everybody is free to vote with his purse. Now I feel there is a considerable gap between price and product. ![]() That changed when quality degraded and prices were raised. In the past I always thought of Saitek as a good bang for the bucks, as yeah they were plastic and sometimes had little issues with precision etc., but in that price segment you couldn't expect premium quality. In fact if not the majority of sales would go through Amazon or similar webshops with a very deliberate return policy, I dare say it would be even worse. If one simply Googles "Saitek quality" he can make up his own mind.Įven if I would dismiss 50% of the feedback as ranting customers, the remaining more objective and reasonable feedback isn't very encouraging. Unfortunately the chance to get a "good quality/long live expectance" one, seems to have changed for the worse in the past 15 years. That said, I guess you can still buy a good quality Saitek HOTAS, depending on parts used, production plant that built it etc. Yet it is an old device that was build before Mad Catz acquired Saitek and "optimized" the Quality Control with efficiency and revenue in mind, rather than quality. Mine too, about 12 years now, as it is still in use by a friend. its unfortunate that Thrustmaster Warthog is so expensive, but you do actually get what you paid for. So, to have a joystick that in just a year has wear, to me it just screams "bad quality". of course I've changed its pots three times and also replaced both gimbals when they broke (they seem to be made of a quite soft metal). Thus on 2002, I purchased a second Thrustmaster, this time a TM Cougar that is still working fine 14 years later :D. ![]() I decided to replace it, not because of wear, but rather because it wasnt USB and wasnt easy to connect to modern PCs. ![]() I used it for 10 years and had to change one of its springs only once. ![]() so for the second one, on 1992, I chose to spend more (quite a bit more, US$ 100, if I recall correctly) and got a Thrustmaster PFCS. My first joystick was a US$ 5 unit that only lasted a few months before breaking. Like on all things, the answer probably depends on the manufacturing quality and price of the joystick. May I ask you what's your joystick and what's its average life?
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