Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 51
 TM Cougars: For Hard-Core FltSimmers and tech gurus July 30, 2004
T. Spann (So. California USA)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
Personal Testimony:
Well, Ive been into flightsimming since 1985. Ive owned every one of Thrustmaster's flight controllers since the: FCS/WCS, FLCS/TQS, FLCS-Pro/TQS, FLCS-Pro/TQS w/Dig Upgrade Chips, and now the Cougar FLCS and TQS controller set. All of these still exist are in working order in my "collection bin", except that Im using the Cougars presently.
I have not needed to fix the Cougars and Ive had them for about 2+ years now. With proper care (dust covers and keeping the dust off them), not beating on the stick & throttlem or hamfisting the little switches when using, proper electrical care when plugging them (they do contain electro-static sensitive EEPROM chip); they will last a long long time. These are not plastic like all the previous TM controllers, but rather are metal. Being in a Falcon4 flight sim squadron, I put in about 5-10 hours a week using the Cougars. So my Cougars have been used for at least 1000 hours and dont have a scratch or exhibit any spiking or other symptoms.
Reliability:
While it is true that many have bad pots and switches either from the day they were recieved or after 100s and 1000s of hours of use, the vast majority do not experience this kind of mechanical failure. TM will send you the parts for free if you write/email/call them. Yes, it did take about 4 months for me to get backup parts (I didnt need them yet). And yes, there are HALL Effect (electro-magnetic parts) to replace the moving pots (potentiometers) which make the controllers even more long lasting. This would be for those with the money and is very worth the investment if youre logging 100s of hours in your favorite flight sim.
Complexity:
Cougars are not for the techically challenged or timid flight simmer. You will have to know how to program in the TM button command file language (or just slightly modify the existing ones to meet your needs), know how to hook up your flight controllers to work with the Cougars, understand Windows controller utility, use the TM Command and Control setup software, use the FOXY stick file editor and Cougar maintenance software (which is super), understand flight controls as they relate to the aircraft you are simulating an how that maps to the stick buttons and axes, understand the complex flight sim (for hard core simmers that would be: Falcon4, LockOn, MS-FS, IL2 and others).
Support:
Thrustmaster controllers, and COUGARs in particular have a super user community of technologically adept users that are there to help world wide due to the web forums. (...).
With almost a 100 Falcon4 and LockOn online flight squadrons, which you can find with any inet search engine, there are lots of opportunities to get help and join a online flight squadron. The software and bios (flash micro code) is a free download, as are many user controller files. The negative side is that this is a French and Canadian business (Guillemot) that took over the American owned Thrustmaster company, so there are delays in getting parts and finding new units. One often has to find them on Amazon or Ebay (and I dont advise buying used ones as you may be buying a damaged set).
Value:
Or bang-for-the-buck? One movie date with condiments will cost you near $50 for about 2 hours of fun, or $25/hr. You will get 100s-1000s of hours with TM Cougars. Thats $300/100 or about $3/hour if you only fly 100 hours total (which is not very hard core flight simmer). Thats just the quantitative value. For the qualitative value you have the realism, full functionality and "feel". Realism wise, I own a real FLCS and TQS from a F16-A fighter jet. When you put the Cougars next to the real set, they are almost identical in form and function. In fact, the functionality of the Cougars are user definable due to their programmability - where as the real ones have set functions. Just put the Cougars in your hands, and you will feel the solid construction and will have as close as you can come to the real things in the palm of your hands.
Realism:
See for yourself, compare these real HOTAS from a F16-A with the picture of the COUGARs which emulate those found in a F16-C:
(...)
In closing, the TM Cougars have a steep learning curve and require care, patience, perserverance, technical skills and some serious bucks. They are clearly for the high end or "hard core" flight simmer. The CH Products Pedal Pro (gameport or USB) work well with the Cougars. If you want force feed back, I recommend that you instead get a MS Sidewinder Pro2 USB which is a stick, throttle and rudder with FFB all in one with limited user function programmability. Other sticks and throttles Ive tried like: Saitek and Ch Prod have their place, but must bow to the king of controllers: the TM Cougars.
Fair skies and check six,
AV8R
 Works Great for a few months....then croaks!!! November 14, 2004
James Mctamaney (Richmond, Virginia USA)
18 out of 19 found this review helpful
This is truly an impressive joystick/throttle combination. I was overjoyed when I got this as a gift. It worked great for the first few months of use. Unfortunately, the system fell into disrepair, mainly because of poor quality pots. This is a common problem with these units. After spending an entire day taking apart the throttle and cleaning the pots with jewelers glases, reinstalling the firmware and finally giving up, I am looking for a replacement. It REALLY BUGS ME to see what was spent on this item and see how shabbily it was constructed. LET THE BUYER BEWARE !!!
Love my Cougar March 31, 2003
17 out of 22 found this review helpful
Well to start out this is quite possibly the best feeling joystick setup I have ever owned. Sure its cost's big money but its worth it just for the programming and ease of use. Let me get the bad points out of the way first. There are significant "flat" areas at 12, 3, 6, 9 o clock positions. And in some reports there is significant center play. Now with those gone let me tell you about mine. I have had it for about a year now and I have loved and hated it all in a 24 hour period. However the love aspect overrules the hate 99% of the time. There are times when it needs some harsh words but those are few and far between and mainly related to the software and my Via chipset motherboard. So be careful which Via chipset you use. My suggestion is stay away from the KT266. I love the feel of the stick and I am one of the few who like to hear the clicks within the throttle from the detents. You can move or remove the detents as needed and it makes for a highly customizable stick before you even attempt to mod it. The software (Foxy) is utterly amazing. There is nothing that I haven't been able to do with it even having used the old versions of Foxy and Thrustmapper way back when. So in closing if you have the money buy this stick and use it. ... Good Luck with your Cougar.
Don't buy Thrustmaster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! May 10, 2004
Maureen Swierupski (USA)
17 out of 22 found this review helpful
Before you go and spend a ton of money on Thrustmaster, go to this site and read for yourself reviews about thrustmaster quality or lack of it: http://cougar.frugalsworld.comI bought a new set from Amazon last June, and when I finally got it hooked up (alot of work btw), the TM pedals were not recognized by the stick. I had to send it back to Thrustmaster in Montreal, and it took 3 months to get them back, unrepaired.
Their customer service is AWFUL-they promise and don't deliver. The sticks look and feel great, but don't let that sway you. The pots and gimbels go after about a year of playing, and virtually everyone replaces them both at great expense with after market companies. If you have unlimited funds, great, you will need them to replace components . The buttons on the throttle are not aligned correctly and are very stiff. I found programming them difficult but the software TM has is pretty good for that. The programming is complex though, so get ready to read the manual for a few hours. Please take the time to go to the Cougar site I listed above, and read about the myriad of problems that occur with these sticks. They are NOT good quality, despite the hype you read. Don't be taken in by their marketing. Being honest, the stick feel is very good but very stiff. Thats about the only good thing I can say about them. Caveat emptor!
 Badly disappointed May 24, 2004
DmdMax (Woodstock, Vermont United States)
17 out of 19 found this review helpful
At a cost of $269 this was touted as "the last joystick (HOTAS) you'll ever buy." Wrong!! In less than 2 months, the potentiometers (pots) started giving out and caused a lot of stick spike in Aces High. Thrustmaster pointed me to Amazon and Amazon pointed me to Thrustmaster. I pointed to a hole in my wallet and a stick that was barely usable. This seems to be a well known problem and new pots can be had for another hundred bucks. I sold mine as is, took a $100 hit and bought CH USB stick, throttle and peds. It will be a cold day in hell before I spent another nickel with Thrustmaster.
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