.My old Thrustmaster HOTAS joystick and throttle thing doesn't cut it with the Kodiak. Working the rudders by "twisting" the joystick just doesn't work very well.

So I'm thinking of buying one of those cheap plastic junk things, like the Logitech Saitek yoke and throttle quadrant.

Was briefly considering the Honeycomb version, but I watched a few youtube videos, and they look just as plasticky and junky and cheap as the Logitech, at 2.5 times the price (if you figure in rudder pedals as well).

Haven't made up my mind yet, as I hate to clog up my desk with these huge monstrosities.

The Honeycomb seems to be very popular around here.

If your main problem is the rudder (which I can imagine) I'd go for basis Logitech rudder pedals. I've been using Saitek rudder pedals with a simple Logitech 3D Extreme joystick for years and years and they work perfectly fine. I don't see the need for rather expensive hardware that indeed take up a lot of space (and needs to be installed everytime you want to fly). The rudder pedals are lying underneath my desk and aren't in the way and I can simply lift up the joystick and put it in front of me (if I need to) within a second. All that expensive hardware is wasted on me... 😉 It also never really looks and works like the yokes or sticks etc. I see on screen in the various aircraft I fly so to me that hardware doesn't add realism or anything. On the contrary, it spoils the immersion for me. I like to do as much as possible with the mouse in the virtual cockpit!

34 minutes ago, Ricardo41 said:

briefly considering the Honeycomb version, but I watched a few youtube videos, and they look just as plasticky and junky and cheap as the Logitech

I'd say you need to watch better Youtube videos 😎. The Logitech yoke is execrable, the Honeycomb one is way better. On the other hand, if your joystick works okay you might be better saving your money and just buying rudder pedals.

I'm actually quite satisfied with the budget Logitech (Saitek) rudder pedals.

Adjusting the tension in the pedals is key.

I suggest that you continue to save up some money and buy better stuff, there are no shortcuts, Honeycomb are way better option than the Logitech Saitek toys.

I use the Thrustmaster Flight pack, Joystick, Throttle and Rudder pedals, simply awesome with the Kodiak... and every single other plane I fly...

http://www.thrustmaster.com/products/t16000m-fcs-flight-pack

Edited January 4, 20224 yr by Gadget FPV

Oh, and btw, a nice advantage of the 'cheap stuff', like my Logitech 3D Extreme joystick and Saitek rudder pedals: they are 100% plug and play. Whenever I re-install Windows I can plug them in and they work: Windows even shows the appropriate names for the devices. Period. No need to setup anything. No drivers or profilers or apps or whatever either. When I see all those topics about people trying to get expensive hardware to work with MSFS I am always very happy I like 'cheap stuff' LOL

Best joystick for the Money is the Thrustmaster T 16000M with hall effect ICs which never drift or get noisy. I don't like yokes at all, they take up too much room, and don't work as well as a good joystick in my opinion. 

The Logitech/Saitek Yoke is trash (and as an owner of it I can assure you that fact). As the others posted stay with stick and get pedals only as a start. Me still on old trustworthy CH pedals and happy. Stick and rudder is the mantra 😁 For Yokes are better alternatives out there with the Honeycomb the best option if you don't want to spend a fortune. If your budget is higher then check others as well...

Cheers T.

44 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

which never drift or get noisy

Totally OT but out of interest/curiosity: what exactly does drift and noisy mean in this regard? In other words: what would I experience if my controller would drift and get noisy?

12 minutes ago, tup61 said:

In other words: what would I experience if my controller would drift and get noisy?

You would experience a lack of hall sensors.  They allow brushless magnetic readings, which means those components used in measuring movement do not suffer wear over time. My current Crosswind v3 rudder pedals are my first device with hall sensors. Over the years I have owned and used two versions of CH yokes, a number of joysticks, a Saitek (now Logitech) Pro Cessna yoke, and now Honeycomb Alpha yoke and Bravo quadrant. The only time over more than 30 years that I recall  that I experienced drift and noise was with the original Saitek throttle quadrant that attached to the Saitek yoke with a DIN plug. I later used (2) of the Saitek USB connected quadrants without issues.

I like my current Honeycomb Alpha and Bravo very much, and I recall they have versions of one or the other coming that will have the "magical" hall sensors.

Read the third paragraph at this link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_effect_sensor

7 minutes ago, fppilot said:

The only time over more than 30 years that I recall  that I experienced drift and noise was with the original Saitek throttle quadrant that attached to the Saitek yoke with a DIN plug.

Okay, well... hall sensor don't seem to make a real difference then... 😉 I replaced my 14 year old Logitech 3D Extreme a year or so ago because two buttons sometimes needed a second press in order to work and pushing the joystick to the left didn't seem to fully work anymore. Not too bad for a 14 year old and heavily used 'cheap' device so I bought yet another Logitech 3D Extreme. I was worrying I might have made a bad decision and should have gone with a 'hall-device' but I think I'm okay for the coming years. The only Thrustmaster I gave a try back then, which supposedly had hall-sensors, felt very 'loose' and 'wobbly' (if that's a word). And besides that the buttons weren't placed as convenient as they are (for me anyway) on the Logitech. I will have another look at a hall-sensored-device in 14 years or so (if I'm still around 😉 ).

Over the years I've had products from CH, Logitech, Saitek & Honeycomb and if you compare all 4 of those as far as build quality IMO the Honeycomb yoke and throttle setup is by far the better of the 4 contenders. Can you get better? Sure I guess, if you're willing to spend that much more...but for a total of around $500 you won't get as good of a balance of functionality along with fit & finish as you will with the HC yoke & throttle.

2 hours ago, tup61 said:

If your main problem is the rudder (which I can imagine) I'd go for basis Logitech rudder pedals. I've been using Saitek rudder pedals with a simple Logitech 3D Extreme joystick for years and years and they work perfectly fine. I don't see the need for rather expensive hardware that indeed take up a lot of space (and needs to be installed everytime you want to fly). The rudder pedals are lying underneath my desk and aren't in the way and I can simply lift up the joystick and put it in front of me (if I need to) within a second. All that expensive hardware is wasted on me... 😉 It also never really looks and works like the yokes or sticks etc. I see on screen in the various aircraft I fly so to me that hardware doesn't add realism or anything. On the contrary, it spoils the immersion for me. I like to do as much as possible with the mouse in the virtual cockpit!

You make a number of good points, and I think I'll replace my current setup with a Logitech joystick and rudder pedals. This way, my desk isn't cluttered up plus I save a boatload of money.