Where to buy Hotas's in the US?

[Ddawg]

I'm new to DCS and live in the US..  I invested in a computer that can handle anything DCS can throw at it.  My original plan was to buy a Thrustmaster Warthog hotas. If pricing wasn't crazy and availability almost non existent, I would have bought one.  So instead I decided to pick up a used Thurstmaster T16000M to get me by and wait it out.  

After some research I quickly realized that there may be some better options than the Warthog. My budget is 1K (+/-) for a complete setup with desk mounts minus rudder pedals ( I have some TFRP's that will work for now).   I play Elite Dangerous, so I like the Z twist axis, but its not a deal breaker.  

My 3 top choices are: Virpil, WinWing and VKB.  But unfortunately I cant seem to find any information on where to buy these in the US.  It looks like the WinWing is direct ordered from China; for those who have purchased WW in the US, what was your shipping costs?

When I google the Virpil and VKB all I get is Thrustmaster stuff, or UK pricing.  

So my real question is, Those in the US that bought one of the three hotas', where did you buy it and what is a good estimate on shipping costs?

 

Thanks,

David

[Munkwolf]

1 hour ago, Ddawg said:

I'm new to DCS and live in the US..  I invested in a computer that can handle anything DCS can throw at it.  My original plan was to buy a Thrustmaster Warthog hotas. If pricing wasn't crazy and availability almost non existent, I would have bought one.  So instead I decided to pick up a used Thurstmaster T16000M to get me by and wait it out.  

After some research I quickly realized that there may be some better options than the Warthog. My budget is 1K (+/-) for a complete setup with desk mounts minus rudder pedals ( I have some TFRP's that will work for now).   I play Elite Dangerous, so I like the Z twist axis, but its not a deal breaker.  

My 3 top choices are: Virpil, WinWing and VKB.  But unfortunately I cant seem to find any information on where to buy these in the US.  It looks like the WinWing is direct ordered from China; for those who have purchased WW in the US, what was your shipping costs?

When I google the Virpil and VKB all I get is Thrustmaster stuff, or UK pricing.  

So my real question is, Those in the US that bought one of the three hotas', where did you buy it and what is a good estimate on shipping costs?

 

Thanks,

David

 

I upgraded my warthog stick to VKB stuff and am quite happy with it. I've done 2 orders from https://vkbcontrollers.com/. Gunfighter base with F14 and MCG Pro grips, then a later order for the MCG Ultimate when it came back in stock.. plus the KG12 grip because why not.

 

Orders shipped from China via DHL (to Colorado), around $70 for shipping first order, $50 for second one. Both orders arrived on time, within about a week and a half from when I ordered. Really pleased with the whole experience and actively recommend VKB. Imo the clutches give the gunfighter the edge over the other bases. Hoping VKB releases their throttle soon before I'm tempted to go ahead and upgrade to a Virpil or WW throttle.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Monkwolf

[Lange_666]

2 hours ago, Ddawg said:

But unfortunately I cant seem to find any information on where to buy these in the US.

I don't think you can buy these "directly" in the US.

Virpil is Lithuania based. They ship worldwide.

[randomTOTEN]

For the USA, order VIRPIL directly from their webstore. They will ship it to you.

1 minute ago, Lange_666 said:

Virpil is Lithuania based.

They're actually based in Belarus. Shipping tracking starts in Lithuania.

[Lange_666]

I got my info from here: https://rekvizitai.vz.lt/en/company/virpil/

 

For somebody in the US it's somewhere over in Europe...

[Ddawg]

37 minutes ago, Lange_666 said:

I don't think you can buy these "directly" in the US.

Virpil is Lithuania based. They ship worldwide.

I've found their site, does anyone know where to find US pricing?? I did the conversion, but wish I know what shipping costs would be

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Ddawg

[G.J.S]

See here, at “Payment information”. - https://virpil-controls.eu/payment-info

[Ddawg]

13 minutes ago, G.J.S said:

See here, at “Payment information”. - https://virpil-controls.eu/payment-info

Thanks for the info!  Still looks like nothings going to be available for a while anyway.   Maybe some USA folks can chime in with their experience.  

Edited April 20, 2021 by Ddawg

[randomTOTEN]

13 minutes ago, Ddawg said:

Maybe some USA folks can chime in with their experience.

About 1 month depending on what you're getting.

[Ddawg]

3 minutes ago, randomTOTEN said:

About 1 month depending on what you're getting.

Any insight to how much extra was paid for shipping/Taxes etc? I know numbers will be specific to weight of what was actually purchased. 

[randomTOTEN]

not really enough for you to worry about, considering what you're spending on the hardware

[Immune]

I ordered the WinWing Orion and it took about 13 days to get here.  I could not be happier since my current desk setup would not support the full Taurus setup. The nice thing is the product is modular (the throttle in particular) so when they cone out with the F-16 throttle handle, it is an in place upgrade, no need to buy an entire new throttle. Also was about $480 with shipping (if I recall correctly).

I also have the Warthog and love that too. I had to crawl and babysit the site for it to become available. Within and hour of my purchase, they were out of stock again (same happened with WinWing).

You can't really go wrong with any of the high end sticks, they are all very good quality.

The only potential harp I can think of is the WinWing is more focused toward the Navy/USMC planes (F/A-18 and Harrier) while the Warthog focuses more more on Air Force planes (A-10 & F-16). That is why I ended getting both in the end. If you are looking for a setup more geared to Russian or others, the more generalized sticks might be better (e.g., Virgil, etc.). But if you are hooked on the American Planes, you will be right at home.

Ultimately though, any stick will give you a great experience as you can configure anyhow you like. I just prefer the closest 1:1 I can get. My 2 pennies, hope it helps a little.

P.s., I have zero buyer's remorse for either product.

[Hammer1-1]

If you can find one, theres always MicroCenter.