Hi, I am able to get a USED Thrustmaster cougar for $150 and want to know what you guy think about some things.1) Is it worth it?2) Do you think the pots will need replacement and if so what do I use?3) how does it rate compared to say, a Saitek x52?4) Some people rate it 5 stars and some rate it one, so I would like some feedback from people who own or have owned this stick.Quick replies greatly appreciated due to the fact someone may have bought it within the week.ThanksNed

Well I'm going to dive in and say I thoroughly enjoyed my Cougar back in the days, its an excellent setup but make sure you ask questions about the gimbols before purchase because they do tend to get worn and play is introduced. I think it somethig to do with the type of metals that was used in its production.If you are willing to do a few mods the stick will be even better. I have the Uber II NXT mod on mine and I love it. My cougar sit there now waiting for MechWarrior 5 YEAH! so I have no intensions of getting rid of it, its that good.The mod replaces the overly strong stock springs with new gimbols and internals that involve Hall Sensors; was abit exspensive then but i'm almost sure its cheaper now.It can be a bit of an enthusiasts system now, go over to here they have all info yo will need: http://cougar.flyfoxy.com/ and see whats involved. Look down front page for Hardware Mods.Good luck on your decision.

+1 to the above post.I have had my Cougar since 2001 I believe, ran it stock up until latter part of 2005, when I then purchased and installed the NXT gimbal mod, along with the hall sensor mod for the Throttle and the Elite Rudder Pedals. However, the purchased mods cost more than the original new stick.When it was stock, it was pretty good - but as mentioned, springs were kind of stiff and there was play in the center of the joystick. Since I have modded it, it has been perfect , the smoothness of the stick is probably second to none. And yes, the pots can and will go bad - depending on the shape of the one you buy, you may or may not have to replace. Should not be any problem ordering replacements from TM.I would probably rate the stick as follows:Stock Configuration - 3 starsU2 NXT modded config - 5 starsI cannot really compare it to a Saitek or any other sticks, as all I have had are TM - prior to the Cougar, I had the FLCS.The pros for the Cougar:Heavy cold metal, feels great and solid.The depth of the Foxy programming software that comes with it, one can really get into programming their own joystick files, along with setting a lot of parameters for the stick, like dead zone, axis curves, sensitivity, etc...Lot of programmable buttons on the stick and the throttleThe cons:The stock gimbal for the stick , fairly weak .Springs - Fairly stiff, some folks liked that, some hated that.Foxy Software - The same depth that is a pro, can also be a con - can be somewhat overwhelming to some folks. If one takes the time to read up and learn the software, this con can be turned into a pro. However, one can run the stick in windows mode, where all the buttons and axis are assigned by windows, without using the supplied software.Hope this helps,