Think twice before you buy Winwing

[Zodiacc]

After a long time, I decided to retire my trusty old X56 HOTAS and move on to a premium setup, so I purchased the Orion 2 Navy Ace. While the product is generally nice, unfortunately, there are some frustrating issues with both the joystick and throttle.

First, the joystick exhibits a noticeable twist motion—as if there’s a Z-axis—even though there shouldn’t be one. This happens when applying a bit of force. There's nothing wrong with the assembly; everything was done exactly as described in the manual. However, this issue persists regardless of how tightly it's put together. It seems the rubber gasket that should normally prevent this is missing.

As for the throttle, if you leave it untouched for about 40–45 seconds, it requires an excessive amount of force to get it moving again, almost like it’s stuck. Once you break that initial resistance, it moves smoothly, but considering you don’t constantly move the throttle during normal use, this becomes extremely frustrating.

What’s even more disappointing than the hardware issues is the experience with Winwing customer support. They keep repeating the same copy-paste responses over and over, trying to wear you down. They constantly tell you to follow the assembly instructions from the manual or explain that the throttle issue is due to the nature of the damping grease and will fix itself over time. I've been waiting for almost two months, and absolutely nothing has improved.

The support team seems to be mocking the customers at this point. I never imagined a product like this could be represented so poorly. While the hardware itself may be solid, if you run into any issues, you can be sure you won’t get any real support behind it.

Lastly, I want to share a screenshot of this customer support disaster to give you a better idea of how pathetic the situation is.

[Vakarian]

1 hour ago, Zodiacc said:

As for the throttle, if you leave it untouched for about 40–45 seconds, it requires an excessive amount of force to get it moving again, almost like it’s stuck. Once you break that initial resistance, it moves smoothly, but considering you don’t constantly move the throttle during normal use, this becomes extremely frustrating.

What’s even more disappointing than the hardware issues is the experience with Winwing customer support. They keep repeating the same copy-paste responses over and over, trying to wear you down. They constantly tell you to follow the assembly instructions from the manual or explain that the throttle issue is due to the nature of the damping grease and will fix itself over time. I've been waiting for almost two months, and absolutely nothing has improved.

 

 

Nothing they tell you is incorrect. You also might work on your behavior and manners is I may notice...

They use specific type of grease which on one side smooths out the movement and helps reduce the jitter, but on the other may induce some stickiness as a side effect if left at a certain place. That is by design, you may or may not like it but there's nothing for them to fix as the product is working the way they designed it.

What you could do is open up the throttle and replace the grease with the different type, but be careful which you choose as not all greases are made the same.,

[Zodiacc]

Quote

29 minutes ago, Vakarian said:

Nothing they tell you is incorrect. You also might work on your behavior and manners is I may notice...

They use specific type of grease which on one side smooths out the movement and helps reduce the jitter, but on the other may induce some stickiness as a side effect if left at a certain place. That is by design, you may or may not like it but there's nothing for them to fix as the product is working the way they designed it.

What you could do is open up the throttle and replace the grease with the different type, but be careful which you choose as not all greases are made the same.,

 

My tone might have come across as a bit harsh due to the lack of full context in our previous conversations. However, the condition of the grease in this state is simply unacceptable. Even based on what you’ve said, this issue is supposed to resolve itself over time with regular use. I’ve been using the product almost daily for about two months now, and if it were going to resolve itself, it should have already done so by now.

Moreover, this is not an issue experienced by everyone using the same throttle base as I do. So this isn’t just how the product is supposed to function. And even if it were, the presence of such sticking or resistance is clearly something that should not be happening — this is not up for debate.

[Despayre]

We should debate this. 

[BIGNEWY]

I own a winwing throttle and it is great for me. 

I appreciate you may not be having a good experience but posting here like this really does not help. 

 

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

34 minutes ago, BIGNEWY said:

posting here like this really does not help. 

 

Well, user feedback is important though and if there are issues with consistency of quality of finish it is important that potential customers are aware of that.

Chinese industry is getting better and better but is still notorious for having QA and QC problems: Chinese engineers admit that themselves.

 

That being said, “sticky dampers” are indeed very normal when the product is still new. I had that issue as well with my VPC pedals and it indeed vastly improved over time.

[Zodiacc]

Actually, I'm not really looking for a solution or help here.I just wanted to share the issue I'm experiencing as an end user with the DCS community. Before buying Winwing products, I was honestly very hyped, but I don’t think it's normal for a joystick without a twist axis to actually twist mid-flight, or for a throttle to get stuck after not being touched for 30 seconds and then suddenly jump all the way to the afterburner detent once force is applied.

As a solution to the joystick issue, I was told I could buy a rubber gasket myself and install it. To me, that’s not acceptable. Sure, it may be a cheap and practical fix but why should I have to go out and buy parts and put in the effort to make a product I paid €500 for work properly in the first place?

They keep attributing the issue to the "characteristics of the damping grease." That might be technically true  but it’s not a satisfying explanation. I’m not asking for an instant fix. I’ve been using it regularly for two months, and if it was going to get better over time, it should have by now. I’ve told them that the issue hasn’t improved at all, but they just keep repeating the same generic answer. It doesn’t feel like genuine support — more like an attempt to wear me down and get me to stop asking.

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

Very understandable that you’re frustrated about it, and thanks for sharing your experiences with us.

[NineLine]

I have a number of different offerings from WINWING, full disclosure, they were sent to me for support within DCS.

I have had an issue with the stick twisting, but generally it was my own issue with the set screw. I am not saying this is this person's issue, but in my case it was my own issue.

I have 2 throttles and both have worked just fine, no sticking. I have adjusted the resistance myself to firm it up a bit, but this is personal preference and I like to tinker. 

If you want, you could DM me your support info, and I can see if I can help you find more support. I have seen many throttles over different Expos now and never seen such an issue. So if you want, shoot me a DM. 

[MAXsenna]

The anser is 767A.

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[MustangSally]

No issue with my gear at all and I pretty much own all of the Mill offerings. No problems in over 4 yrs.

Love how people need to share their whinge sessions!

[J4ckson]

my throttle works fine for over 1,5 years now. 
Sure the CS from Winwing isn't a highlight but i don't like how you downgrade WinWing in general just because you don't like the feeling or how their product works.

I had that Z-Axis as well. Try using some Loctide when tightening the screw to fix it.

@MAXsenna
Did you change your grease to 767A?

[MAXsenna]

10 minutes ago, J4ckson said:

Did you change your grease to 767A?

In every movable peripheral I have. Don't have any WW stuff though, while I assume it will work perfectly there as well. 

Cheers! 

[Griefhard]

I had a lot of HOTAS. X52, X56, and Thrustmaster Warthog. All broke. X52 und X56 very soon, and a short while ago the Warthog - the 4th I had!

I switched to WinWing a while ago. Bought the SuperTaurus - excellent and bought the F15EX and the F16EX Throttles. I know what the OP means, but in no means is this any setback for me. Their hardware is just excellent and way better than all my old stuff. For Stick bases I use VIRPIL bases and Thrustmaster/VIPRIL Grips. These are excellent as well. And of course the collective from VIRPIL is awesome.

If someone askes me for a serious HOTAS (not a 'I want to try out flying and do not want to spend money'), I can recommend WinWing any time! Excellent and durable hardware for an excellent price!