Think twice about getting a Warthog HOTAS

CH Products gear lasts for years and years, all the other manufacturers just produce flimsy lots-a-lights rubbish that breaks after a matter of months at best. There's absolutely no reason to choose anything other than CH for flight sim hardware.

Don't know about CH as I never owned one, but TM WH HOTAS are solid builds, mine is running on it's 6 or 7's year (need to check when I actually got it).
 
Somewhat off topic: does anybody have experience with the newer, Logitech-labeled X-52 Pro or X-56? I wonder if they might have done something about the product quality. At least they are back to a 2 year warranty, after they initially (until April 2017 - date of sale?) dropped it to 90 days. :eek:
 
Don't know about CH as I never owned one, but TM WH HOTAS are solid builds, mine is running on it's 6 or 7's year (need to check when I actually got it).

That means that they were being well made 6-7 years ago, and says nothing about today. The OPs unit was fairly new, though 2nd hand, so who knows what the first owner did to it before deciding to ditch it. Maybe they messed with the internals and didn't put the cables back in properly, allowing them to get pinched or stretched when moving the stick?

Idk, but regardless of QC issues, the main reasons I wouldn't grab a Warthog:

1) it's too bulky, I use my computer for other things and would probably kill my cat if I dropped that throttle on them
2) the throttle looks like a sharp cornered torture device, compare this to the rounded hand feel of every other throttle
3) here is no functional analog finger stick, so side thrusters are direction hat switch only, no finesse allowed
4) it sits high up desk that it requires expensive mounts to make it ergonomic.
5) wasn't designed with space Sims in mind
 
Recently broke the twist on my T.16000m so I upgraded to a VKB Gladiator mk2. Extremely good build quality and has magnetic sensors on all axes.
 
Used my X52 for two years without a hitch in ED then passed it on to someone who uses it for flight sims. It's still going strong, over three years now, no issues at all apart from the squeaking/creaking which drove me nuts.

Any hotas I want for ED has to have yaw on the stick, I won't consider anything else so that cuts out a fair number of them. Since returning to ED in May after a year off I've been using an old Logitech 3d Pro which leaves a helluva lot to be desired.

I've looked at everything that is out there and stuff that is yet to be released but see nothing that is worth spending any money on. I'm pretty sure that if I make the jump to a new hotas it'll end up being another Saitek/Logitech one unless something else surfaces that ticks all the boxes.
 
You gotta look out for the Warthog, its a gateway device!! Nasty bit of kit!

Once you get one it only leads to the harder stuff, mounts/cockpits, learning to program, and many many more hours addicted to ED.


Unfortunate to see one fail though, but on the up side it looks easily repairable. Couldn't say the same for the 2 X55 I have owned.

@Ziljan - correct no analog stick, but it does have a nipple on the top of the throttle which I use for analog precision thruster control. Works rather well.
 
As much as I love CH products and would buy them all again if I had to, I did have my CH Pro Throttle break on me a while back after about 2 years of use in ED. It looked like a design/manufacturing issue with the way they didn't secure a wire from the throttle potentiometer as it gets in the way of the throttle movement and ultimately broke. Sure it was a dead easy fix and I had it working in a few short minutes but if you didn't have access to a soldering iron then it may be more of a deal breaker for you. Any product can have flaws and CH aren't immune to it.
 
I went old school. Microsoft Force Feedback 2. The life span on these is measured in decades. They just don`t make em like they used to.

I used to have a Logitech Wingman force feedback joystick/throttle. That thing was a ​monster.

I used to have one of these.

41Q9JJVRXVL.jpg


I say 'used to' I've still got it - obviously it's no use for today's games due to a lack of buttons but it was still in full working order last time I used it. Amongst other things I dropped it down a flight of 13 stairs at least twice and it still managed to outlive three computers during its useful lifespan. It weighs a ton, that base is metal not plastic - build quality of stuff these days is terrible compared to what we used to get.
 
Full CH Pro stick, throttle and pedals for me.

CH throttle is peerless in VR. Every single physical function on it is accessible without removing your hand so once your muscle memory is tuned you never miss an input.

Build quality is outstanding, not even a hint of drama after eighteen months solid use.
 
I've had my Warthog HOTAS for 5 years now, and it is still working great. However, as another post mentioned, it was not designed with this game in mind. I originally bought it to use with DCS, and for that game it is perfect. That is the kind of sim it was designed for. Still, I love using it for Elite Dangerous even though there are way more switches available than I need.
 
I was looking for a second hand warthog too, but now I bought a gladiator mk2 pro. It's a bit short on stick buttons, but with a vkb throttle announced autumn 2017 and a space grip later this year (their pro series can swap the grip), I think I made the right choice. Best joystick I ever had.

https://flightsimcontrols.com/store/joysticks/vkb-gladiator-pro-joystick/

I can't compare it to the warthog, because I never had it, but I remember, I was very disappointed with my thrustmaster t16000 hotas, which died after 10 days.
 
I would wait one more month and order VKB gunfighter or gladiator pro mk.2 with MCG grip and twist adaptor (jaw).
Warthog feels like a toy compared to VKB quality.
MCG(modern combat grip) will have version with twist or just to add twist adaptor.
https://vkbcontrollers.com/?p=2624
 
...........
Any hotas I want for ED has to have yaw on the stick, I won't consider anything else so that cuts out a fair number of them. ..

You don't need a twist-axis to give you that. I use the pinky-button on my CHPro Fighterstick as a press-to-hold button for the E D binding "Yaw to Roll" - so when holding it in, the sideways movement of the stick doesn't cause movement around the roll-axis but instead moves it in the yaw-axis. It is amazingly easy to get used to and is vastly more precise than a twist-on-a-stick (not to mention much more comfortable). {It is so much more convenient that my pedals only get used in flight simulators now.}
 
Mine's a Rhino, and the quality on that isn't good either. I'm going to need to take it apart at some point to fix the hat buttons (one decides to double press regularly, and one of the thrust works when it feels like it...). I only use the thing for E: D, and it was expensive enough that I expected it to last. It's less than two years old.

Its weak-points are the hats and throttle and stickyness. All are really easy to fix. The only expensive thing is the shipping fees for such tiny components. If you type x55 repair in google you'll get plenty of results!

Oh and ghosting... if improperly set-up. Watch your profiles if you configure them.
And don't buy it for the mouse-. It doesn't work. lol :)
 
For what it's worth; I have found a brilliant controller setup (for PC): I have burnt through them ALL since ED launch... X52, Pro, Warthog etc...gone through the support and return nightmares etc. etc.

I have had for the last 11 months the following "perfect" rig....with absolutely no sign of issues and so sweet...with yaw on stick too! (it is an eclectic mix but boy does it work for me!)"

"CH Pro" Throttle to the left and on the right a second-hand "Microsoft Force Feedback 2" joystick (make sure you get the "2" NOT the original one!!!)

The joystick can still be easily found on famous auction and shopping websites and just plugs (USB) straight into a W10 64 PC, obviously there is no force feedback other than a very pleasant force resistance to hand movement which makes it feel like you really do have a large vessel attached to the other end! More importantly it has "Yaw" on the stick!!!!! If you don't want a separate throttle then no problem because the joystick has a programmable throttle quadrant too....I use the CH Pro. N.B. The bundled software does NOT work with Windows 10 but is NOT needed for ED. (I was so happy with the stick that I went and bought two in case it broke....it hasn't!)
This old Microsoft branded joystick is superbly made and aesthetically it visually matches the CH Pro throttle perfectly. I have tried ALL the others and this IMHO is the very best out there! The CH Pro throttle is also the best out there... the CH Joystick is good but doesn't have "Yaw", CH expect you to use their foot pedal controller rig.
 
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Interesting. My X52 pro just broke, I thought about getting a Warthog because I'm tired of flimsy Saitek, but I couldn't stomach the price. I bought another X52 because I just really love them when they work, but they just don't hold up and this is my third one. I wish I could go CH, but they just don't have enough hands-on buttons and controls.

Take a look at the VPC Mongoos T-50. Mine is due to arrive shortly, I'll be putting a review up once I give it a good run. there's also VKB, but you'll want to wait for the Modern Combat Grip (MCG)

Z...
 
As much as I love CH products and would buy them all again if I had to, I did have my CH Pro Throttle break on me a while back after about 2 years of use in ED. It looked like a design/manufacturing issue with the way they didn't secure a wire from the throttle potentiometer as it gets in the way of the throttle movement and ultimately broke. Sure it was a dead easy fix and I had it working in a few short minutes but if you didn't have access to a soldering iron then it may be more of a deal breaker for you. Any product can have flaws and CH aren't immune to it.

CH, also, whilst very solid, are seriously ancient tech now. 8 bit sensors, old school pots - not that that's bad, but the price tag does is not easily justified. It's like paying full current price for a brand new (built in 2017) 1990 Toyota Corolla.

ps - I own a CH Pro throttle, love it, and think it's still the best throttle for ED. I also own a Warthog...

Z...
 
You gotta look out for the Warthog, its a gateway device!! Nasty bit of kit!

Once you get one it only leads to the harder stuff, mounts/cockpits, learning to program, and many many more hours addicted to ED.


Unfortunate to see one fail though, but on the up side it looks easily repairable. Couldn't say the same for the 2 X55 I have owned.

@Ziljan - correct no analog stick, but it does have a nipple on the top of the throttle which I use for analog precision thruster control. Works rather well.

Hello, could you tell me how you get the little analog axis/nipple on the throttle to work for thrusters?

I have been engaged in this game since last Christmas, and while I do like many aspects it, unless FD releases some really interesting content for single-player mode I likely won't be playing this nearly as long as I have my flight sims, which I have been playing for decades. So it makes sense for me to have controls that are better oriented towards my traditional sims, and the Warthog setup w/VKB pedals fits that bill nicely.

I'll have no more 'twisty sticks' in my P-51D or F/A-18 cockpit thank you... ;)

I am however, keeping an eye on VKB's North America site as they are supposedly coming up with some rather interesting stuff. :D
 
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