Hardware & Technical Really disappointed with Saitek X55 Rhino build quality.

[DanTheMan]

I was delighted to be presented with an X55 for my 60th birthday by my 3 adult sons.
3 Months later I sent it back because several of the switches had begun to fail and the unit was seriously impaired as a result.
The supplier replaced it at no charge for another brand new unit but here we are less than 2 months later and guess what?

The same microswitches are failing on this unit too.
The ones that are failing are the 2 switches associated with the rocker switch accessed by your "Pinky-finger" on the throttle unit.
I have these set for Jump to SC and Hyperspace respectively. At the start of the life of the unit they work in all positions of the throttle, but after a few months they begin to fail in anything other than mid-throttle position.

Is this a common occurrence or am I just unlucky?

Has anyone found it possible to put better quality microswitches in to replace the cheap Chines ones?


The accusation that I am "heavy-handed" has been made, but I fail to see how your little-finger can be "heavy-handed". A switch should not fail this easily surely?
Admittedly I do log about 6 hours a day flying so perhaps the repeated jump-use is taking its toll.

I am seriously considering demanding a full refund and buying a CH set TBH.

 

[EUS]

Mine is 2 or 3 months old, and already the gray hat button on the joystick is failing (specifically the "down" button). I use it for pips selection, as well as scrolling through the multiple menu items. I've taken to using the mouse when docked.
Disappointed in the build quality would be an understatement.

 

[dominathan]

When I received the x55, I immediately wanted to return it. Not just because the POV hat was DOA, but the quality just... Sucked. Plus, the twist is so stiff, it's almost unusable. Sure, you'll have to grab a set of pedals with the CH, but the quality is much better. It's what I'm using, and I love it. The x52 feels a lot better than the x55, but you're still going with Saitek.

 

[jmg]

cant comment on the Saitek, but I do have a warthog, and the build quality is amazing. it doubles as a home defense weapon its so heavy.
The switches feel like mil spec ... not like they came from tigerdirect.

 

[Iain M Norman]

Paging Aleksej...

 

[Crash1099]

I have to agree the quality is poor and i recommend people not to buy it.

 

[Aleksej]

Really poor quality...

1. Bought at amazon.fr, delivered March 13 2014.
1-1.5 months since delivery - minor trigger failure, fixed by myself by reducing the distance between the plastic rad trigger and the button inside the joystick.
Major twist rudder failure, highly probable cause wire soldering failure in mid June 2014. RMA'ed, amazon was not able to provide a replacement until August, requested money back.

2. Bought at MadCatz UK in the end of June, delivered the 2nd or the 3rd of July, non-functioning switch at delivery on throttle, definite cause - bad soldering of the switch. RMA.

3. Replacement for 2, delivered in the beginning of August (delivery delayed as MadCatz did not provide nor tracking, nor my phone number + logistics company delay in sending me a notification that the first delivery attempt has failed). I have received it 1 day before that would send it back. Normal delivery time - 5 business days, storage time - 14 calendar days, 19 days total. MadCatz requests not to bother them with the delivery questions for 21 days. So basically, they say that I should contact them when my shipment should already be on the way back if it is not delivered.

Twist rudder failure in the first half of October, definite cause the wire got loose inside the Joystick. Hence, the suspect for the failure of the Joystick #1 bought at Amazon.

3. Replacement for 2, delivered in the end of November. Delivered fast because only because logistics company had my phone number in their database. This happened despite all my notes within the ticked requesting to add my phone number to the shipment address. Tracking number sent by MadCatz support 1 week after the delivery.

Failed in mid February 2015. Definite cause:

Spoiler

This is actually one place of wires being cut, the second cut is where the wire go into the throttle handles. Symptoms of failure - the buttons on the throttle unit stop functioning and 100% throttle position, however, they function in any other position. If the cut develops further - buttons stop functioning completely.

There are two bunches of wires for each throttle handle. In my case only one of them was cut, I've seen both being cut. The cuts develop with throttle movements.

This was caused by the "optimisation" of the manufacturing process. In the earlier batches the white paper isolation has covered the wires along all their lengths, in the late batches only a tiny part of them.

Numerous reports of this happening with pictures seen over the Internet. The timing of the failures depends on the amount of time when the throttle is being used. I suspect an avalanche of RMA requests by now with this reason.

Replacement confirmed the 26th of February. Standard note received not to ask about the shipment for 21 days. 9 weeks since replacement confirmation I've sent a request asking where is my replacement, had to confirm that they have not sent it to me yet. After they have sent a query to the German warehouse they have sent me a note that they are going to send it to me ASAP. 12 weeks since replacement confirmation - no replacement received yet.

Conclusions:
Since buying from Amazon it was used for 3 months, no replacement for 1 month, i.e. 1 month that I could not use it. Waited with shipping it back for 1 month using X55 throttle and T16K.M.

Had to buy a unit from MadCatz (the 26th of June, delivered the 2nd or the 3rd of June) to replace bought at Amazon as I could not wait:
Unit 1 - not used at all, waited for a replacement for 1 month.
Unit 2 - used 2 months, waited for a replacement for 1.5 months.
Unit 3 - used 2.5 months, still waiting for a replacement for 12 weeks (almost 3 months, 1 week lacking to make it 3 month).

So I own an X55 bought from MadCatz for 10.5 months of which I could not/cannot use them for almost 5.5 months, i.e. about 1/2 of the time that I own them.
---------

Experience of my friends:
one of them has the 3rd or the 4 unit;
the other one bought one at Amazon.fr in June 2014, button failure on Joystick 2 months after the purchase, Amazon could not replace it, the second one bought in mid March 2015 at local Internet store, throttle buttons started failing about two weeks ago.

 

[Rankaze]

I own both an X55 and a Warthog. There is absolutely no comparison in build quality. For the price, the X55 is incredibly flimsy. The Warthog, on the other hand, is rugged as all get out. On this alone, the Warthog justifies its hefty price point. Sure, it costs as much as two X55's... but it will last many times as long.

 

[Aussiedroid]

Sorry to hear of your issues mate!

IMO a HOTAS should be able to take some punishment, so I would certainly not put the blame on yourself.

Seems the X55 is very hit and miss. Mine was quite horrible to start with until it was properly lubed up and broken in somewhat. Now it is great, no issues.

I would buy a Warthog in a second if it has the twist rudder, but perhaps one day I change to it and get some pedals instead.

Might keep using the Throttle as I do like it tho.

Hope you get your issues sorted soon!

 

[Hexen]

Nightmare on the Elm Street. What a horrible story!

I decided to go with x52 pro but been strongly considering buying x55 or x65 (I it was possible to procure one) at local shop but they did not managed to deliver those.
So I went to another shop myself and got x52 pro there. Quite happy with it.

 

[Abbadon]

Well It's an expensive garbige, however the x52 quality was much worse with similar results. Luckily my x55 Works perfectly like half a year. If u can buy a warthog It's easy, if not... use ch products, if this is somehow not an option then this is the best product left.

 

[mattensky]

For what it's worth my CH Fighter stick seems like really solid quality. It's ugly - yes - but no signs of wear yet after more than 6 months.

 

[Zorkin]

Had mine since Jan 15 and now the throttle's top hat has failed, the left rotory fail a month ago and tbe lower rotory gives jumpy readings when moving the throttle. Also noticed that the right throttle seems not to respond if the left throttle is at zero.
The stick is still ok. Still useable but had to re-map the buttons.
Bought from MadCatz direct. Can't be bothered to get a replacement so ordered an X52 Pro from Amazon instead ad a backup.
Hopefully it will last longer. When that fails, I would seriously considering the Warthog.

Disappointed as I was hoping it will last at least 2 years.

 

[robbiec]

For what it's worth my CH Fighter stick seems like really solid quality. It's ugly - yes - but no signs of wear yet after more than 6 months.

My CH Fighterstick, Throttle and Pedals are 7 years old, have taken countless amounts of abuse at my hands and feet and still feel like new. They are not pretty but in 5yrs time I expect they will still be performing.

 

[Draven Darken]

I don't have any buttons falling off of my X-55 just yet, but nonetheless, the ghost button presses are driving me up the wall and making ED nearly unplayable for me. They always seem to be associated with a movement of the throttle. I already have the thing plugged into a powered USB hub, so I am at a loss about what to do, especially since I use this on a Mac and hence can't use any of the programming software for it.

But I think I am sort of out of options. While I love my old but hardy CH gear and would much rather be using it, it doesn't calibrate properly on the Mac unless the game itself provides a calibration routine … and ED doesn't (in fact it is the only Mac flight/space simulator I have ever encountered that doesn't do so). That's why I got the X-55 in the first place. And then there is the Warthog … but from what I understand that doesn't support the Mac either, so I am afraid of dropping another big chunk of cash on yet another HOTAS only to find myself still with the same problems. All this because Frontier won't provide a calibration function.

 

[anotheribex]

little, black pinky switch on mine (x-55) on the throttle has recently failed. no idea why this one would specifically fail unless it was just garbage to begin with, as it was set to switching fire groups, which is something i've rarely had to do with the ships/set ups i've run. and the little grey thumb switch on the top of the stick is loose. it still works, but i've had it pegged for failure since long before the other one actually failed. go figure. anyway, it was a gift, so i'm not out any money if it completely goes to s#$*.

 

[BillD]

I Have had Various switches failing as well, Up/Down on Stick Castle hat, Pinky button and button on side. All on the stick.
Prior to the x-55 I have had an x52 for I don't know how many years and it is still perfect.
.
I pulled apart the X-55 to make a repair and find that for switches other than the Trigger they use tiny micro buttons similar to these: https://nicegear.co.nz/electronics-gear/mini-push-button-switch/
For the hats they have 4 of them around the shaft of the hat. No supporting springs or anything to stop them from over-compression.
I just happened to have some the same size so I replaced them. I will see how long my ones last.
.
Disappointed with the design, I decided to pull apart my X-52 to see how they did it in the past as it is obviously a much better design. Well to my surprise the mechanisms are basically the same.
.
The only reason I can see that the x-52 hasn't failed and the x-55 has would be the quality of the micro buttons they now use for the x-55. What a shame, yes they have some quality control issues with the build but they were minor for me and easily fixed. But to have the life of the stick shortened dramatically by making a poor choice of button (probably based on a few cents)? How sad.
.
Anyway I have replaced the faulty ones for now and I am going to try and find some quality ones that have proper QA and million+ press tests, etc. I will use those to replace the ones in the stick that fail.
.
I love the throttle and have no probs with that yet, don't under stand why, I used the hats on that more for Thrust and they get used under pressure when I am under attack

 

[Phoenix_Dfire]

Does this sound like the same kind of thing?

I bought my x-55 2nd hand at Elite Meet and it's been working fine since then. However, a couple of nights ago, the buttons on the stick just stopped working. No response from any of them, I looked it up and people suggested a whole load of things ranging from tighten the screws or run it from USB3 or switch off the lights.

I did take the joystick off and put it back on again and the buttons started to respond again but very intermittently and since then the joystick has't really been responding correctly anyway.

As it's 2nd had there's no warrantee, Have I got a dead stick?

 

[BillD]

I had that problem out of the box. It was just the contacts not quite meeting properly (where its screws on). I found a small hair like piece of plastic in one of the contacts, I cleaned it and tightened it down .
Its possible they are not meeting properly. Make sure it is tightly screwed on.
Rather than screw it too tight, Unscrew it and remove the grey threaded disk (like when changing the spring). just hold the stick in place and hold it there to see if it works, the LED's should come on to show its connecting, etc

 

[jonny taco]

save money and get the better stick! Go with x52 pro.