Hardware & Technical Another Saitek X-56 failure

[Hooplah]

It's been a bad week for me dealing with 2.3 Live issues and then the Saitek X-56 controller goes out. I haven't replied a lot on the Forum as I didn't want my frustrations added to my posts. I love the Saitek X-55/X-56 HOTAS controllers. Their design really nails the controls for an awesome experience in Elite Dangerous as well as X-Plane 10/11. If their quality and reliability was as good as the Thrustmaster products there would not be any competition...but it isn't!

After 3 years the X-55 yaw spring broke. It is a common problem and seems that I was more fortunate than others per the spring breaking within months. Rather than searching for one I purchased the X-56. After 81 days since purchase the X-56 joystick X and Y axis failed. This was also a problem on the X-55 and appears to be an integrated circuit failure rather than mechanical. It could simply be a diode or IC on the surface mount board in the joystick and replacing it should resolve the problem...but not why it occurs. Again a part not available.

Purchased through a Newegg secondary vendor (BigDeal USA Inc.) they immediately responded to my inquiry with a return authorization including shipping and handling. I love Newegg. Now I have to "suffer" with a Thrustmaster Warthog and rudder pedals I have for awhile! The yaw is driving me crazy but maybe I'll get used to it. I use the old X-55 throttle for now until I can figure out a setup that works with the Thrustmaster version. Those permanent on/off switches really don't work too well with the many momentary only commands in the game controllers setup. ALL the toggle switches on the X-56 are two position momentary providing two commands for each!

Anyway a heads-up for those considering the Saitek/Logitech X-56 controller. The reliability is the biggest downfall of the product and I would not purchase it without an extended warranty. For dedicated X-56 users maybe they should buy two or three of them with extended warranties! In that way one can continue playing the game while another is being sent back for replacement/refund. Funny but sadly true!

Regards

 

[wrmiller]

Thank you for post this Sir. I have been grinding a bit over what setup to get when my X52 Pro (pre-MadCat) finally goes. I've had it for many years, but it is getting loose and it is just a matter of time before it finally gets replaced.

Problem is, with what? I have been spending a great deal of time with this game, but figure I will tire of it eventually and will go back to spending more time in my A2A P-51 and DCS/P-51 sims which I dearly love.

I have been toying with the ideal of a Wart Hog/pedal setup as a replacement, but I really like the X52 Pro for ED with it's twisty stick. BUT...I prefer rudder pedals for flying tail-draggers.

Your post about your X-56 failing is yet another in a long list of comments about the shortcomings of the current Saitek line, and maybe I should just not even consider their current offerings and just go with my gut on the Wart Hog and just re-learn how to fly my ED ships with rudder pedals.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[Hooplah]

I think that you may be right. Bid Deal USA after a month sending the defective X-56 back to them sent me a Linksys 16 port ethernet switch by mistake which I kept and they sent me a refund for the difference. Must be one guy in an apartment doing sales. I ordered another X-56 from Newegg which failed on day one per the yaw on the joystick will not center. Now I have to send it to California from Indiana to get a replacement which will probably take two weeks. Meanwhile that 3 year extended warranty I bought may not be honored per the replacement. Saitek and Logiteck doesn't seem to be supporting their X-56 HOTAS.

Then being an idiot I ordered another X-56 from a different vendor at Newegg with a 3 year extended warranty and it failed out-of-the-box with the joystick yaw not centering problem. It was immediately sent back for replacement. I contacted the warranty service and they replied with no problem just send them the Model/SN of the replacement unit and they will transfer the warranty.

Maybe the Thrustmaster T.16000m which appears to have few failures is a better choice. It comes pretty close to all the programming abilities of the Saitek X-55/X-56 with ED. I have it but didn't want to go through the muscle memory training to get good with it then have to retrain again on the X-56. I also have the Thrustmaster Warthog and rudder pedals but like one hand only joystick yaw versus pedals since I like to move my leg positions around a lot and especially since dogs like to lay where the pedals would be! So for my overall experience if I was a first time HOTAS buyer for ED I would go with the T.16000m. But that is just me.

Regards