carrick58 23 Posted May 26, 2011 (edited) My Saitek Av8r-01 is giving up the Ghost so will have to buy a new Stick soon. It seems after 2 yrs the X-Y Axis is going out. So I ask, Whats a good buy out there ? Edited May 26, 2011 by carrick58 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted May 26, 2011 My Thrustmaster T Flight Stick X never failed me once; it has a twist axis; and no less than 12 buttons. It is none of the expensive ones, but worth every penny. Here it is - or better: was. Not available right now. http://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-2960694-Flight-Flightstick-PlayStation-3/dp/B000U1OOH4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1306422278&sr=8-2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Burning Beard 14 Posted May 26, 2011 Thrustmaster also makes a HOTAS set up like the stick only that Olham referenced. The one I had was even force feed back. The advantage to the HOTAS version is the rudder is on the front of the throttle like the old Saitek X45 (I believe). Anyhoo it is a very nice stick, the only reason I don't use it still is the cleaning lady ran over the cord to the power supply with a vacuum cleaner and it couldn't be replaced here in the states, some sort of bazaar French voltage, like 14 or something. I currently use a X52 which is a fine stick but I use rudder pedals with it. Beard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DukeIronHand 8 Posted May 26, 2011 If you are joystick shopping I just purchased a Saitek X52 Pro. I have only had it a week but I like it very much. The programming part is a no brainer as the software is good. I am using about 1/3 of the total available buttons (1 mode out of 3) and I almost have every single OFF command programmed into the stick. Since I have a TrackIR the three(!) hat switches can be programed into a 8 or 4 button switch. Built in mouse, clock, timer on the throttle portion. The stick itself is adjustable for hand size. All very nice so far. If I could only figure out how to program the Precision Slider into the OFF zoom buttons I would be all set. Again - only been a week but so far a thumbs up! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lewie 7 Posted May 26, 2011 (edited) I'm going to stick my cheapskate neck out and say that my Saitek ST290 pro wasn't a bad deal. It's limited in extra buttons but it has a hat switch and a pretty ergonomically adjustable hand rest for left and right handers. I've had to do some modifications to remove the 'goop' they use to damp the throttle and rudder axis' and to weaken the centering spring in the rudder twisty bits. They are a bit of a challenge to open up in the handle because of the amount of interlocking bits that work with the 4 screws that hold it together. I also trimmed away the stops to open the twist arc some, it was easy to do with a hobbyknife. It was $21.00 including shipping, it's cheap enough that you could buy 3 and for it's price the construction is more than adequate using pretty resilient ABS plastic. Even 32 bit XP recognizes the stick immediately once plugged into the USB port, painless uninstallation and reinstallation because of it being in Windows' driver .cab files. It gets pretty good ratings for being a 'beginners joystick' in Amazon's reviews, mainly the price and it's sturdiness. Edited May 26, 2011 by Lewie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Burning Beard 14 Posted May 26, 2011 The X52 Pro is an upgrade of the X52 has some different internal parts. I dont think that Saitek even sells the X52 at their site anymore, they are readily available at Amazon. Beard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Typhoon 5 Posted May 27, 2011 I've had my CH Products HOTAS (Fighterstick, Pro Throttle, and Pro Pedals) for about 8 years now and they are just as solid as the day I bought them. They are pricy but they last forever. The free Control Manager Software really enhances the CH Prducts hardware. Tony Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
