Yoke recommendations

[danira 0]

Hey guys, I have already downloaded the NGX, but unfortunately I won't have the time to get in it to at least monday evening. However I've got the Saitek X52 Pro Flight Joystick without any pedals. As I'm almost flying big birds like MD-11 or the NGX (hopefully soon) I'm looking for a yoke instead of my joystik, perhaps also pedals.After I've been searching for "the right" one for two weeks or so, I haven't found it yet. I read a lot about the CH Eclipse and the Saitek Pro Flight Yoke, I think they are the most popular ones, because they are the cheaper ones. I was secounds before buying the VRi Flightmaster Yoke, when I discovered that it has no buttons on the yoke handle. There are also some expensive replicas, but I cannot afford them. My personal price limit is between 400€ and 500€. Is anyone out there who can help me to decide which yoke I should buy??? Every experiences are appreciated! Greetings from Germany

[landingksea 0]

I have had my CH yoke and pedals for almost 5 years now (the original one not the newer Eclispe) without any problems. My freind has the Saitek Yoke and he likes it so I guess its down to the price..

[ZachLW 37]

The Saitek Yoke is more substantial feeling. The CH Yoke is cheap feeling with a plastic tube. Having had both, the Saitek wins out of the two hands down. I'm hearing great things about the Saitek Rudder Pedals, too. I'd take them over the current CH ones I have as they're too close together and funky feeling. Why don't you try a search? This was covered in various other post, including one last week in the PMDG General Forum. There were a few good post with decent input in there. Look for folks that have used or owned both, because it's nonsensical for someone to make a recommendation otherwise. Did I mention the Saitek Yoke comes with a great quadrant? Well it does!

[MrKen 3]

The Saitek yoke is pretty tolerable. The built-in springs are way too strong for my tastes (makes the yoke snap back to center & too firm of a centering detent)In 7 minutes I replaced the springs with a couple of rubber bands & it feels much better. It still centers itself, but it's a much smoother motion and it doesn't bounce back & forth.

[Wynthorpe 51]

I'll be going for the Saitek yoke and pedals in the next few months, i might ask the wife for them for Christmas actually.

[crosswind 825]

Check out flypfc.com you should be able to acquire a desktop yoke for around the budget you are suggesting. Quality and durability, not forgetting precision. i have the desktop and the column yokes and both have served by exceptionally well. The guys at PFC are very helpful as well.

[mpetr 0]

I just purchased a Saitek Yoke after many years of flying with the trusty CH. From almost all points of view the Saitek is better, but I'm experiencing a HUGE problem that I've read a lot of people are experiencing and I've been unable to find a fix.The problem is that the aileron axis is drifting to the right making straight and level flying impossible. Yes, you can trim the ailerons, but that's not a solution. There are two walk-arounds: unplug and replug the yoke during the session, but the problem will reappear after a certain period of time. The second walk-around is deleting some registry data to have the problem fixed only for it to resurface the next time you boot your computer. As you can see, none of these fixes is permanent and doing this over and over gets pretty old quite fast.If I will ever find a solution to this problem, then the Saitek yoke will be far better than the CH, but until then... CH remains my favourite controller. At this moment, I do not recommend the Saitek Yoke.If anyone can help with this issue, then suggestions are welcome and highly appreciated, of course! (not meaning to highjack the thread as this info may benefit the OP aswell)

[JohnsonPBX 8]

Forgive me if I go a little offtopic, but this is more like a reply to Marius. This might sound disappointing (it did for me when I realized it also happens with the yoke), but by reading your experience and adding mine, I find it pretty un-probable to achieve a permanent solution to the issue. I have the Saitek X52 (standard one), and I also experience the sudden jumpy axes issue. Even my joystick's vertical axis, which I used for the rudder, started randomly jumping to either side, and at first it could be "restored" by replugging the set or moving the cables, but after some time it became completely unusable - although I read somewhere it was perhaps a design problem in which the cables could be damaged and that it was solved with the X52 Pro, it also happens with nearly every other axis, so it seems there's rather a big problem with the product line (assembly perhaps). Of course, there will be lucky people who might never experience this, but well, we're not. Sad to hear it happens with the yoke though, was planning to ask one for Christmas.

[VirginAus737 0]

I have had the Saitek after buying it for its great throttle quadrant. for the first year it was fine but then I had a problem with the HAT switch which had lost its spring and was falling down. The overall feel of it is, well, plasticy and it creeks and croaks some of the time. But in saying that it is still better than a joystick and IMO better than the CH because of its throttle quadrant and metal shaft. I wish Logitech would make a flight yoke. I bought the GT force for $90, NEW. I think the retailer realised it was too low and has since out it to $190. but i bought it cos i also do some racing games and just use the pedals as the rudder pedals.

[Martin Harasimowicz 1]

I have both The standard CH yoke as well as the Eclipse, and may i just say, the eclipse is the best out there for yokes period.. The saitek fan-boys may say they have a metal shaft, but CH has something bigger than that. Proven reliability. In short, buy the eclipse!

[danira 0]

@Zach: I tried the search simultaneously and all I got was the impresion that the yokes from CH and Saitek have problems and that most owners are not 100% happy with them. Although they are cheaper compared to other available yokes, they are too expansive not to feel 100% comfortable with them. @crosswind: I read some of your posts in other yoke threads, where you mentioned that you feel very comfortable with the PFC yoke. Unfortunately, I cannot afford the column yoke and the 737 yoke seems way too expansive, as it is the same as the other desktop yoke just with another handle. So all in all, I ordered the PFC Cirrus Saab Yoke, which is nearly formed like the 737 handle and it has also the buttons I need for trim and ptt.Thank you everyone for your comment on this issue. I'm going to do an in depth review when it will have been arrived. @Marius: I hope you'll be able to solve the problem with your yoke in the near future. Greetings from Germany

[Helge Rasmussen 7]

Hi Daniel, where did you order the PFC yoke from? DIrectly from flypfc.com? And how much was it including shipping? (What about tax?) I might be interested in buying one too. Helge

[WilloW_737 5]

Precision Flight Controls (PFC) in California make a good solid yoke called the cirrus 2 with jetliner yoke. I have used one for quite a few years - no hassles at all, Iain

[danira 0]

@ Helge: Yes, I bought it direcly from PFC. They try to calculate the taxes and the shipping costs, by entering your ZIP code. I entered my German ZIP code and the costs for taxes and shipping is nearly 50$ (0& taxes + nearly 50$ shipping with UPS)Unfortunately, I think they got the wrong idea of my ZIP code, because under the shipping adress is the abreviation "AK" and I think that stands for Alaska. Thats why I directly wrote them a mail to make clear that I'm from Germany. Let's where the package will be sent. (I hope there is nobody with the name Daniel Gravanis in Alaska! ) Let me say a few things about the taxes and customs issue. I ordered a few things from the US before, these packages will be whipped through the customs service, as far as Germany is the destination country. I don't know the exact situation in Denmark, but I have to pay additional fees for "importing" this article and the VAT (which is currently 19% = around 85€ in my case). I will keep you updated what it costed my in the end.

[WilloW_737 5]

You will like the PFC yoke - much better than the CH yoke. You will open your box and smile...... Iain