I’m looking for a new joystick, and I want to know which one does most people here think is better, the Thrustmaster T16000M, or the TCA Sidestick Airbus?
I ask this question with the thought of overall durability, and a twist handle Z-axis that doesn’t wear out in under a year.
Thank you.
I don’t know for sure but under the hood I think they are very similar. I suspect they will have a similar life span. I just picked up the TCA as a cheap replacement for a failing Saitek Evo that I use on my non sim pc. I was going to get the Logitech Extreme 3D pro but the TCA is left or right handed and uses contactless sensors so I went for that instead.
TCA is a good well balanced joystick but the twist bit has started giving me dodgy inputs so I’ve disabled after about 2 years. Pitch and roll still works great.
My own personal experience with Thrustmaster joysticks is that they are complete and utter junk.
However that is confined to ONE purchase of Thrustmaster’s T.Flight HOTAS joystick, which was a shining example of pitifully poor design, construction, and/or quality control.
Your mileage may vary, and I personally would like to know your experience if you do get a Thrustmaster product.
I have a TCA Sidestick which is now about 18 months old and has seen quite a bit of use. As I’ve said elsewhere on this forum it is a decent enough product spoiled by careless assembly, the wiring in the handle of mine had been installed in an abysmal fashion which interfered with the rudder function, as so many other users have found. However it is solidly made, has enough buttons and a twist rudder axis, and is not expensive.
Since dismantling and sympathetically re-routing the wires, there is plenty to play with! the joystick has performed really well and it is possible to fly with great precision using it. I can’t comment on the longevity of the rudder sensor as I now have pedals and no longer use the twist function. Incidentally I also reduced the centring tension by slightly reducing the length of the spring, as I found it a little too strong.
Thank you all for your comments and feedback. They have been very helpful.
3 years with the Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS and no problems.
Works great.