What Joystick should I buy?

[Joseph29 225]

I am currently looking for a new joystick. Now I have a Thrustmaster T.16000M and the twist grip rudder is not working anymore (it's permanently stuck in the left position). I fly a little bit of everything from military jets to helicopters to airlines, to GA planes. I have seen the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog flight stick, but I don't want to spend that kind of money for a joystick (it's way to expensive for me). What would you recommend?

 

Edit: I have a rather small desk so I don't really have the room for a joystick with a separate throttle.

Edited July 2, 2018 by Joseph29

[MaDDogz 242]

1 hour ago, Joseph29 said:

 What would you recommend?

A bigger desk, and the warthog. It’s the best there is for a Hotas system, and uses hall sensors ( magnets) rather than pots.

....otherwise you could look at the thrustmaster T-flight. Pick them up for about £50 new. 

[Sartanius 399]

Logitech's Extreme 3D Pro is a fine joystick with 13 programmable buttons, a throttle lever, and twist grip...  and it has a relatively small footprint.  Been using one for many years, and it just keeps on going.  There are lots of choices out there, but for me, the Logitech has been a winner.

[vortex681 806]

Micosoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2. Out of production for some years now but still available on eBay for usually a lot less than $100 for a good example. Excellent build quality, very solid/heavy and no chance of the centring spring weakening as it's centred by motors. Team it up with FS Force software and the feedback forces are very effective (much better than default) plus you get ”real" stick trim - when you adjust the trim, the stick datum actually moves. You can use different profiles for different aircraft and they are all fully customisable. See: http://www.fs-force.com

Edited July 6, 2018 by vortex681

[Sartanius 399]

Although, as I stated above, I'm currently using the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, I'd like to give a big shout-out for the Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 as well, which I used exclusively until it died many years ago.  Only issue with it is desktop space, which the OP mentions is limited.  The Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 has a fairly large footprint, but other than that, a terrific joystick.

[vortex681 806]

11 hours ago, dmiannay said:

The Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 has a fairly large footprint

True. The base is about 26cm x 23cm.

[vc10man 732]

On 7/8/2018 at 1:20 PM, dmiannay said:

I'd like to give a big shout-out for the Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 as well, which I used exclusively until

Thank heavens mine has lasted the course. Bought during FS98 days, or was it FS2000? Can't quite remember, but has lasted well.

[VeryBumpy 272]

Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2  - Some company really needs to come out with something similar nowadays.

 

[Sartanius 399]

18 hours ago, VeryBumpy said:

Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2  - Some company really needs to come out with something similar nowadays.

 

+1

[Juliett Alfa Romeo 508]

+2.

Love my Sidewinder Force Feedback 2.

[vortex681 806]

21 hours ago, vc10man said:

Thank heavens mine has lasted the course. Bought during FS98 days, or was it FS2000? Can't quite remember, but has lasted well.

Just shows the quality of construction and reliability, especially when you consider the forces being generated by it!

20 hours ago, VeryBumpy said:

Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2  - Some company really needs to come out with something similar nowadays.

I couldn't agree more. I'm surprised that FFB joysticks (not yokes, that's a different, expensive story) are not much more popular in the flight sim world - perhaps it's just lack of availability (although they regularly appear on eBay). People always seem to be searching for more realism and immersion and a FFB joystick offers both at a very reasonable cost. I'm constantly surprised that someone is prepared to pay 2-3 times the price of a decent FFB joystick for something which is essentially dead as far as feedback goes - the centring spring is always going to feel the same whether the speed is high or low, you're about to stall or you carry out a heavy landing.

Racing sims are another hobby of mine - more so recently as (shock, horror) I'm getting a bit bored with flight simming! No one in that community wants a non-FFB wheel and, as a result, there's plenty to choose from depending on your budget.

[vc10man 732]

2 hours ago, vortex681 said:

forces being generated by it

Don't use FF as more often than not, I have had issues of the AP disconnecting when using the force feedback with PMDG aircraft and others too, But in non-FF-----not having seen the point in investing in Dirk's FF FSX utility----it works brilliantly.

[vortex681 806]

2 minutes ago, vc10man said:

Don't use FF as more often than not, I have had issues of the AP disconnecting when using the force feedback with PMDG aircraft and others too, But in non-FF-----not having seen the point in investing in Dirk's FF FSX utility----it works brilliantly.

I don't have any PMDG aircraft so can't comment on those, but haven't experienced any problems with any of the aircraft I have, free or payware. You're definitely missing out if you have an MS FFB2 and don't have Dirk's FS Force app. It really does transform the feedback when compared to the default FSX forces (which I felt were rubbish). The app may seem expensive at first sight but the difference it makes is well worth the money. It comes with a number of ready-made profiles for different types of aircraft but all of the forces are fully customisable.

[vc10man 732]

2 minutes ago, vortex681 said:

I don't have any PMDG aircraft so can't comment on those, but haven't experienced any problems with any of the aircraft I have, free or payware. You're definitely missing out if you have an MS FFB2 and don't have Dirk's FS Force app. It really does transform the feedback when compared to the default FSX forces (which I felt were rubbish). The app may seem expensive at first sight but the difference it makes is well worth the money. It comes with a number of ready-made profiles for different types of aircraft but all of the forces are fully customisable.

You may have just swayed me to get Dirk's FS Force. Thanks.

[vc10man 732]

Need some help please.

Have a Logic 3 USB joystick on another PC loaded with latest P3D 4.3. Yet cannot get the slider to operate the throttle on any aircraft. I must admit I have been out of touch of any sim for nigh on 6-7 months, so am out of touch. Any idea how to set the Logic 3 joystick slider to operate the throttle rather than using F3?

Thanks.