Looking into the Thrustmaster Warthog Hotas joystick and throttle system.  I am seeing prices anywhere from about $580 USD and $980 USD.  Anyone have one of these, and any advice on where to purchase in the US for the best price?

The Warthog is a very nice HOTAS system...heavy, metal construction and contactless magnetic Hall Effect sensors on the joystick and throttle axes.  It has a fairly heavy action, which is fine for flight sims...maybe not so great for shootemup space sims and the likes.

I paid ~$375 during a Christmas sale for mine about 5 years ago.  They normally retail for around $450-500, but there's currently a shortage due to the sudden spike in demand that MSFS produced and the global supply chain disruptions due to COVID.  So if you want it soon, you're probably going to have to pay a premium price for it.

The Warthog is a nice stick and been around a long time. If I was thinking to outlay some big money on a stick I'd maybe consider going with VKB or Virpil over the Warthog though. They're a cut above the Warthog in terms of overall quality and feel. The Warthog has a metal stick and plastic gimbal which has a tendency to break after a while. The other sticks have a synthetic material for the stick but the gimbal is metal which is more important in the long run. You could get VKB or Virpil stick and match with just the Thrustmaster throttle. I use the VKB Gunfighter stick with a 200mm extension which works out great for me when flying in MSFS, DCS and IL-2.

For VKB in the US you can order from here: https://vkbcontrollers.com/

Not sure about Virpil for in the US. 

For Warthog I don't know for US. Can pick it up here in Ireland for €500 direct from the Thrustmaster website. 

It’s a fantastic setup, heavy, sturdy like it will last forever and feels great.  Highly recommended.  You’ll never want to use anything plastic again.

1 hour ago, regis9 said:

It’s a fantastic setup, heavy, sturdy like it will last forever and feels great.  Highly recommended.  You’ll never want to use anything plastic again.

It's all plastic inside, and the stick mechanics is breaking down fairly easily; not worth it's price at all. As recommended, look at VKB or Virpil offerings.

2 hours ago, SergeyPe said:

It's all plastic inside, and the stick mechanics is breaking down fairly easily; not worth it's price at all. As recommended, look at VKB or Virpil offerings.

Which will cost you twice as much 🙂

8 hours ago, Nick_h said:

Which will cost you twice as much

With the current prices for the Warthog there won't be too much difference with Virpil. And VKB sticks are even cheaper (while better in design). I had a Warthog for many years and know it inside out- it's definitely not the product that I'd recommend to anyone.

On 2/27/2021 at 12:27 PM, Tektolnes said:

The Warthog is a nice stick and been around a long time. If I was thinking to outlay some big money on a stick I'd maybe consider going with VKB or Virpil over the Warthog though. They're a cut above the Warthog in terms of overall quality and feel. The Warthog has a metal stick and plastic gimbal which has a tendency to break after a while. The other sticks have a synthetic material for the stick but the gimbal is metal which is more important in the long run. You could get VKB or Virpil stick and match with just the Thrustmaster throttle. I use the VKB Gunfighter stick with a 200mm extension which works out great for me when flying in MSFS, DCS and IL-2.

For VKB in the US you can order from here: https://vkbcontrollers.com/

Not sure about Virpil for in the US. 

For Warthog I don't know for US. Can pick it up here in Ireland for €500 direct from the Thrustmaster website. 

How is the weight of the base on the VKB?  One of the selling points for me is the weight of the Warthog.

So.. I've been researching the VCB flight stick most of the morning.  I must say I am impressed with the mechanics in the base of the stick.  I found I can use my existing throttle (Thrustmaster X65F) in combination with their stick, on a separate USB.

One thing I noticed was their product, although sells through a sales distributer in the US, is actually drop shipped from VKB's warehouse in China.  Obviously it has to go through customs, and you are at the mercy of whatever shipping/manufacturing backlogs that exist.  The Q&A section of their website is pretty specific that the sales distributer has no control of these things.  Any experience with ordering these with regard to delays and/or shipping issues?  

 

51 minutes ago, billkirk888 said:

How is the weight of the base on the VKB? 

The stick is light. I've never used the Warthog myself but I was definitely a little surprised at first when I unboxed the VKB at how light the stick was as it's made out of ABS. That being said when using it in practice it's not something that I notice or think about. However I'd say for somebody coming from a Warthog there might be a period of adjustment. It's nice that you get different springs and cams so you can adjust the feel of the stick. There's also some clutches for the pitch and roll axes that allow you to adjust the friction in each axis to make it feel lighter/heavier if you want - you can even make it completely stick in place like a helicopter stick. For those who absolutely must have a metal stick VKB are going to be releasing the MCG Ultimate which will be an all metal grip.

The base itself has a little weight but I don't remember it being very heavy. I've had it sitting in a desktop mount for over a year now so don't remember exactly. The whole thing together is really well engineered. Probably the only issue I have with the stick at all is that the software it comes with is less than intuitive.

14 hours ago, billkirk888 said:

Any experience with ordering these with regard to delays and/or shipping issues?  

From people I know in the US that have ordered it seems to be 1-2 weeks. Apparently if you're ordering over $800 worth you should split it into 2 orders to avoid some higher US tax rate but that wouldn't be a problem if you're getting just a stick. 

Thanks for the great info guys.  I pulled the trigger on the VKB.  I was set to buy the Thrustmaster, however with your help I've changed my mind.  I'll let you know if there are any snags with shipping etc.

 

Thanks much!

On 2/28/2021 at 6:24 AM, SergeyPe said:

With the current prices for the Warthog there won't be too much difference with Virpil. And VKB sticks are even cheaper (while better in design). I had a Warthog for many years and know it inside out- it's definitely not the product that I'd recommend to anyone.

I purchased my Warthog 3 weeks ago for £399 from Box in the UK they still have stock .... Gunfighter Mk3 $484 plus shipping and VAT at 20% - Virpil Throttle 369.95 Euros plus VAT at 20% and shipping .... So around £830 plus shipping .... Yeah if I had that much cash that's what I would have purchased !

Edited March 2, 20215 yr by Nick_h

I find this criticism of the Warthog very odd.  It has a very good reputation generally.

Disregard, found a set in the US at normal price. 

Edited March 18, 20215 yr by Wise87