Spudknocker's F/A-18C Stick Grip Review!

[Spudknocker]

Hey guys here is my review of thustmaster's new F/A-18C Stick Grip! So far I love it!

 

 

It is almost here guys, the Thrustmaster F/A-18C Stick Grip addon for the Warthog Hotas system.

 

Thrustmaster was kind enough to send me a fantastic care package with the TRP Rudder Pedals and more importantly the F/A-18C Stick Grip, a highly anticipated flight sim peripheral that has been in the works since the DCS: F/A-18C Lot 20 Hornet module was released.

 

The Stick Grip is now available for preorder in Europe and will be available for preorder World Wide on the 10th of June with commercial availability stating July 25th, 2019!

 

The stick will retail for $229.99 or 199.99 Euros!

 

So far I really love this stick it is the perfect complement to the DCS: F/A-18C Lot 20 Hornet and DCS: AV-8B NA Harrier II Modules. Lets hope that someday soon we will also be able to use her with the DCS: F-15E Strike Eagle module.

 

I would 100% Recommend this stick to any flight sim fan or DCS: World Player even if they do not currently own the DCS F/A-18.

 

It feels very nice in hand and is a massive upgrade over the old A-10C style grip.

[Gladman]

$229.99!!!! They can keep it. Obviously TM doesn't realize there are other options.

[Waxer]

Other options? Like $800 for Winwing's grip and throttle? You get a throttle too, but the bundle is c.4x the cost of Thrustmaster. What other options for F/A-18C are there? As a VFA-25 guy I would have thought you would be happy. Even looking at VPC / VKB Russian grip options they are more expensive excluding a base. So I don't understand the negativity regarding the price. If you are arguing that the A-10C grip is too cheap, then maybe you have a point.

[Gladman]

I use a Virpil base with a TM Warthog right now. To me, the 800 bucks for the WinWing with what would amount to probably another 600 dollars worth of switches (if you purchased the panels throught PCFLIGHTS along with the switches, rotaries, and bodnar boards) is an incredible deal.

[Waxer]

Oh okay, on that I agree with you: I will probably get the Winwing solution myself, as I want and can afford the extra to get a matching F/A-18C throttle and switch panel too. But you just need to recognise that the Thrustmaster solution comes in at a totally different - much lower - price point.

 

Thrustmaster F/A-18C + VPL WarBRD is what... c. $400? Vs $800 for the Winning which includes the throttle and panel?

[Gladman]

Yeah something like that. I bought the WH years ago and the Virpil base about 8 or so months ago so I don't recall exactly what I put out.

 

I'm very excited for the WinWing product, it looks to be the perfect solution. Time will tell.

[Waxer]

Winwing: Me too.

 

I just think that it is nice for the community to have options. Especially for people that already own a Warthog base and want to focus on the new F/A-18C, the older AV-8B and upcoming F-15E modules without spending as much as $800. $230 for the new T/M grip on its own is not insane, and if you already own the T/M base and don't mind swapping out the A-10C grip that is all you need to spend. Of course it would have been nice to include a base for that price, or sell the grip alone for a lower price, but competitor pricing really just highlights the fact that the original Warthog combo is a fairly good deal. (I personally don't like the base which is why I like the option to go with VPL for that).

[Gladman]

I would have thought that just a grip would be in the 150 range. It seems expensive to me.

[Supmua]

I would have thought that just a grip would be in the 150 range. It seems expensive to me.

 

 

 

It is a fully licensed product from Boeing, with higher quality materials vs direct competitions that already cost 160 Euro. You surely cannot expect it to cost less, especially with licensing fee plus the Thrustmaster brand behind it.

 

Honestly, I was expecting $200 but it is what it is. The good news is that it will likely be mass produced which means you can get a good deal on sales later on (might take a year or two).

[Gladman]

It is a fully licensed product from Boeing, with higher quality materials vs direct competitions that already cost 160 Euro. You surely cannot expect it to cost less, especially with licensing fee plus the Thrustmaster brand behind it.

 

Honestly, I was expecting $200 but it is what it is. The good news is that it will likely be mass produced which means you can get a good deal on sales later on (might take a year or two).

 

The entire WH stick with base costs close to the same. How can you expect to pay 3/4 of the price for the simple part of the configuration?

[Supmua]

Well, you are comparing

1. Brand new vs 10-yr old product.

2. Retail vs heavily discounted pricing.

3. Adjusted price vs competitors. Nobody would expect TM to price their flag ship product below their lesser-known competitors.

 

I would argue instead that it is the Warthog setup that is an incredible deal right now. Had the Warthog come out as a brand new product, it would’ve been priced even higher than the old $599 retail after adjustment for today’s inflation.

[Gladman]

To each their own. They wont get my money.

[Supmua]

To each their own. They wont get my money.

 

 

 

I’m not saying they will get mine either. Still weighing pros and cons, but from a business standpoint the price isn’t way out of line. I do prefer a Hornet replica grip to generic ones, so I might get it depending on how things go with the WINWING preorder. Plenty of time to decide.

[hansangb]

The entire WH stick with base costs close to the same. How can you expect to pay 3/4 of the price for the simple part of the configuration?

 

If the market supports it. Me, myself, and I will probably go for the Winwing setup. Pending review.

[Mule]

They ain’t getting any of my money.

[MRSHADO]

Adjectives have no real value and aren't tangible.

"New", "Retail", "Brand New".... fantastic. Everyone has different definition of value-for-the-money."

 

I'm on my 3rd third TM Warthog Base in 4 years and have two additional, perfectly operable, TM Sticks sitting on my desk. Each stick cost me approx $225-245 USD (depending on when on this fluctuating market I bought them) because they included the much needed, plastic-gimbal'd base with each purchase.

 

I'm not bashing Thrustmaster - far from it. I do want this Hornet/Eagle/Harrier grip badly, but I question this price tag. It doesn't include a base and is pretty much the same price as the TMWH Stick w/Base (yes, I acknowledge that the Warthog price has dropped 15% because of this release) - but that says something to me and I know I'm not alone.

 

So, I'll wait. But do let me know if it was worth it and I might reconsider.

Edited June 8, 2019 by MRSHADO

[hansangb]

Adjectives have no real value and aren't tangible.

"New", "Retail", "Brand New".... fantastic. Everyone has different definition of value-for-the-money."

 

I'm on my 3rd third TM Warthog Base in 4 years and have two additional, perfectly operable, TM Sticks sitting on my desk. Each stick cost me approx $225-245 USD (depending on when on this fluctuating market I bought them) because they included the much needed, plastic-gimbal'd base with each purchase.

 

I'm not bashing Thrustmaster - far from it. I do want this Hornet/Eagle/Harrier grip badly, but I question this price tag. It doesn't include a base and is pretty much the same price as the TMWH Stick w/Base (yes, I acknowledge that the Warthog price has dropped 15% because of this release) - but that says something to me and I know I'm not alone.

 

So, I'll wait. But do let me know if it was worth it and I might reconsider.

 

Well, it's actually *non tangibles* that we're talking about. There is nothing that the TMHW cannot do to mimic the operation of the Hornet. Throttle is a moot point since TM missed the boat and didn't create one. I think that's where the sweet spot was.

 

So net/net is: are you willing to pay for a phenotype change? And if it's worth it to people, they'll buy. And as for the "realism" argument, I know for a fact that people want selective realism. If not, build a tight-ass cockpit, strap yourself in with the help of others, crank the heat and AC until your freezing or burning up *EVERY* time you fly DCS. Yup, didn't think so! :D

 

So yes, we're all after a degree of realism and there's nothing wrong with it. I'm just saying that it's not the end all, be all that some claim it is.

[33-DFTC]

Meh ... The MCG Pro is sold almost $200 and nobody is complaining about it. I suppose it's all about perspectives.

[Waxer]

Right: and the Thrustmaster F/A-1C grip looks higher quality than the MCG Pro. Note the video review which points out the difference in quality of buttons.

[33-DFTC]

I must say that the MCG Pro is currently the best stick I ever used. Sure, this is some kind of plastic but the build quality is phenomenal. I'd like to think the price difference is due to the metal used in the Hornet stick, plus licencing fees.

[Waxer]

I must say that the MCG Pro is currently the best stick I ever used. Sure, this is some kind of plastic but the build quality is phenomenal. I'd like to think the price difference is due to the metal used in the Hornet stick, plus licencing fees.

 

Well, I have both a Thrustmaster Warthog grip and a Virpil WarBRD grip. I like both. And I am not marking down the Virpil because the grip is made of plastic... I agree that Virpil's plastic grips thick enough and tight enough tolerance that they are equally as good as metal. In fact their relatively light weight has advantages with prosumer gimbal bases.

 

Where I do mark down Virpil relative to the Thrustmaster grips is in the quality of the buttons. Virpil uses cheaper buttons just hot glued into the grip: frankly this is a pretty low end engineering solution which effectively makes the grip a consumable. VKB uses inexpensive buttons, but at least mounts the buttons properly with daughter PCBs held by screws and captivate bolt heads. So in theory, replaceable. Thrustmaster uses higher specification buttons and mechanisms generally. (Although on they occasionally lapse like they did with the Warthog throttle slew sensor which a significant minority of people end up upgrading). So I imagine some of the Thrustmaster cost is accounted by the button specifications.

[Sokol1_br]

Right: and the Thrustmaster F/A-1C grip looks higher quality than the MCG Pro. Note the video review which points out the difference in quality of buttons.

 

Thing is reviewers confuse the feel (heaviness) of buttons operation with quality.

 

The internal switch used by Tm under buttons caps is doubtful that they are better than OMRON switches used by VKB (VPC, CH). Or the cases of Warthog buttons/switches "broken" would not happen.

[XtraChrisP]

$229 = early adopter tax. Very excited about the stick and I will definitely pick it up, but I need to see it come down a bit before I purchase.

[cordite]

$229.99!!!! They can keep it. Obviously TM doesn't realize there are other options.

And that's not all. Add $50 USD for shipping, either from France or the US. One of those depots only uses the dreaded UPS, probably the US one, so that will probably be another $200 in brokerage.

 

 

I'd like the Hornet grip too, but that price is lunacy.

[Steel Jaw]

Where will this be available in Canada?