I pay $400 every year or 2 for a new GPU. My Cougar is what, 10 years old now?
In the grand scheme of things, it will be a bargain.
IMO, out of the box, the Cougar is somewhat of a POS. lol
My CH stick and throttle have never had an issue pots, needed modding, or required fixing of switches....and they were cheaper and a LOT more precise.
For looks, the Cougar all the way. Functionality, build quality, and price wise, my CH setup is a lot better than my Cougar (and I didn't even buy one of the early Cougars).
I won't lie and say that my Cougar hasn't had its quirks. The microstick is acting up a bit, the metal used is cheap zamac/zamak, the speedbrake and dogfight switch housings weren't aligned, and the paint is really rubbing off of the stick now, such that I'd really like to see it repainted.
But at one point, I had a CH Fighterstick, Pro Pedals, and DT225, all USB and thus Control Manager-compliant. The Pro Pedals developed a response issue with one of the toebrakes that would have its output spike a bit when moving the main rudder axis, but nothing too serious. They were all generally quite precise and the most programmable controllers on the market thanks to the Control Manager.
Nevertheless, I sold them. Why? Poor ergonomics (except for the DT225; that was just sold because it was lacking a scroll wheel, I needed money, and I didn't really play that much Marble Madness). The Pro Pedals were too closely spaced, and the Fighterstick dug into my palm in a way that the F-22 Pro or Cougar stick never did. And while I never owned one, I did also get to use the Flight Sim Yoke with three levers for throttle/prop pitch/mixture, and one of those levers had snapped off on one of them. Aside from that, it also dug into my palms kind of like the Fighterstick did. For something that could be used for hours at a time, I expect it to be comfortable, and that's what CH needs to work on.
The HOTAS Warthog is looking to bring the best of both worlds, if Guillemot/TM has really learned from their mistakes with the Cougar. TM ergonomics and refusal to omit things like the trigger's second stage and paddle switch, and CH durability and programmability (if T.A.R.G.E.T. delivers). I can't wait to get my hands on it and evaluate it for myself.
