My experience with Saitek X 52

[=FI=Ghost]

Greetings dear fellow kaleuns and captains!

Apart from playing SH III, I had also been playing Il-2 Sturmovik series for many years before I took a prolonged pause last November. The reason for that was mainly due to the fact that my Saitek X 52 broke down, again. This was not the first time it happened to me, so I have become quite disappointed with the Saitek company and their X 52. I wanted to share my whole experience with the joystick, which I explained in a letter sent to them, and to which I have never gotten a reply. I kindly ask the moderators to leave my post here, I just want to share it with as many people as possible, since there is nothing else I can do about it.


Dear Saitek!

I am writing you in order to introduce you to my problem. I live in Serbia and I bought a X52 joystick in July, 2008. Just 5 minutes after I had plugged it in, it ceased to work. I,then, sent it back to the shop in Belgrade and their response was, I quote: „ Just a minor error, we have fixed it now and it will work normally“. When I received it back it worked for 3-4 months, and then it broke down again. I had to send it back to the shop, and they replied with the same „just a minor error, it will work fine now“. When I got it back the second time, it continued to work until spring 2009, but during that period I often had to unplug it and plug it in again, since X axis often „floated“. Then, in spring 2009 it broke down again, for the third time. This time I wrote a letter to your representative in England, and they told me that I had a right for a replacement the first time it broke down. I sent my joystick back to the shop in Belgrade, passed the message I got from the Saitek England and after more then a week of negotiations they „concluded that I do have a right for replacement“. I had to wait for a whole month before the people from Saitek in Germany sent a new X 52 to the shop in Belgrade, and then a couple of days until the shop in Belgrade sent it to me. I was so happy with the new joystick, and relieved that I had the first, faulty one, replaced, that I didn’t even want to report that one button on the new X 52 did not work at all, and 2 more would sometime cease to work. I was just happy that the axes worked fine, and that the problems were over; but, how wrong was I! In November 2009 the new X 52 ceased to work completely. To add to my surprise, during the period of several months before that, I rarely even used it since I was very busy with my daily obligations. I packed the new, and now completely out of order, X 52 and sent it back to the shop in Belgrade. They were, of course, „very surprised“ about how that could have happened to me, again. They told me that I will get a new one when Saitek Germany sends them one in their scheduled delivery in December. Of course, throughout most of December I never got a word from the shop so I decided to call them. The manager there told me that they had received their scheduled delivery from Germany, but my joystick was NOT in it, for unknown reasons. They also said that their next delivery is due to come this January. I called them today to ask about things and they said that the delivery could probably come at the end of January, or even later.

So, to sum things up. Even tough I paid 130 Euros for a brand new X 52 in July, 2008, I had it broken down 3 times, then replaced with a new one, that also broke down several months later. Now, it has been more than a month and a half that I am without a joystick and, as things look right now, it could very well be more than 2 months.

To be honest with you, I have gotten sick of this joystick, and I would like to get my money back. Is there anyway that you could help me? I hope that the Saitek company will find resources and time to help me.

Sincerely Yours:
my name

[Castout]

I almost bought this stick...but eventually I settled for a cheap stick. I only use it to play WoI and Free Falcon ...

Thanks for sharing your bad experience I had a similar one with Logitech's. I never got offered any replacement and the time between breaking down was a mere 1 or two weeks after the first 3-4 months without problem. Real bad.

[Letum]

Yup, this is the kind of thing I have heard before about the x52.
My old sidewinder from the 90's is still going strong and worth more now
than when I bought it. Shame MS don't make em' any more.

[Bort]

I received an X52 for Christmas two years ago. It broke only a few months after receiving it despite pretty minimal usage and it sits in my cellar broken to this day. Maybe I should try to get a replacement.

Sorry to hear about your frustration. Hope things get sorted out.

[Thomen]

I have been using the X52 for roughly 6 or 7 years now. The first one I gave to my dad when he discovered flight sims, and the second one I bought here, after coming to the states. Never had a problem with them.

Sorry to hear about your bad luck.

However, what pissed me off, was that they changed the format of the profile files so that you couldnt use your old profiles anymore if you updated the software.

[karamazovnew]

I broke my Sidewinder FF 2 years ago (had it since... uhmm... can't remember really... 2001?). I got frustrated while refueling in Falcon 4 and hit it a few times (wasn't the first time... the poor thing has been acting more like an airplane flying in the room). The force feedback doesn't work anymore (which includes centering). Precision wise, it's still the best and I continue to use it. Too bad they don't make it anymore.

[CaptainHaplo]

Logitech Extreme 3d Pro.....

Nuff said.

[FIREWALL]

I.m with Thomen. Have had mine for years and have been rough with it and, never had a problem.

My mainland house is 15 minutes from SAITEK in Torrance, Ca.

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo

Logitech Extreme 3d Pro.....

Nuff said.

If you ever need an upgrade, go with the Saitek EVO Cyborg. I went from LE3DP to SEC and couldnt be happier. It's basically the same joystick, but better.