Rudder Pedals - Best Value for Performance

[Feldgrun]

In my ongoing series of flight sim hardware polls, please let us know in your opinion/experience, which pedals hold the best value (best bang for your buck) for playing IL-2 GB?

 

Edited February 8, 2022 by Feldgrun

[messsucher]

Why there is not VKB's pedals?

[Feldgrun]

I had them. Editing error. I'll put them back in.

[messsucher]

My vote goes properly for VKB's, but it went to "other" already.

[No.23_Gaylion]

This is great because we were just having a debate in the squadron about rudder pedals.

[Feldgrun]

42 minutes ago, US103_Talbot said:

This is great because we were just having a debate in the squadron about rudder pedals.

Make sure they vote. The more shared experienced opinions, the better for all of us.

[Cynic_Al]

4 hours ago, Feldgrun said:

Which pedals hold the best value (best bang for your buck) for playing IL-2 GB?

 

 

Is there any reason the answer for IL-2 GB should differ from any other 'flight sim'?

 

[BladeMeister]

Not IMHO. I fly IL2 1946, TGBS, FC, DCS, CLOD/DWT, WOFF PE, WOTR and most recently I am back into ROF with a passion. I even use my MFG Crosswinds to steer the steel beasts in TC. Oh did I mention that MFG Crosswinds are the best? The poll speaks for itself I think.

MFG FTW!

 

S!Blade<><

[Cynic_Al]

1 hour ago, BladeMeister said:

Oh did I mention that MFG Crosswinds are the best? The poll speaks for itself I think

 

I wonder how individuals can be expected to answer this poll, as each would need to have personally evaluated everything available.  In effect it translates into: Which pedals do you want to tell the world you bought?, which inevitably must yield a very skewed result.

[Gambit21]

[messsucher]

5 hours ago, Cynic_Al said:

 

I wonder how individuals can be expected to answer this poll, as each would need to have personally evaluated everything available.  In effect it translates into: Which pedals do you want to tell the world you bought?, which inevitably must yield a very skewed result.

 

I answered pricewise. "Best value" takes the price of the pedals into account too.

[cardboard_killer]

3 hours ago, messsucher said:

I answered pricewise. "Best value" takes the price of the pedals into account too.

 

As did I. I own the Crosswinds, but I bought them used, so if I had had to buy at new prices, I would have bought the VKBs. Toe brakes are not worth another 100USD to me. YMMV.

Edited February 9, 2022 by cardboard_killer

[messsucher]

1 hour ago, cardboard_killer said:

 

As did I. I own the Crosswinds, but I bought them used, so if I had had to buy at new prices, I would have bought the VKBs. Toe brakes are not worth another 100USD to me. YMMV.

 

Pretty much the same. VKB's are the cheapest "built like a tank and surgically accurate" pedals.

[ROTER_BART]

Yeah, don't know, I only own one set..

[DD_FT-]

Other.

Home built.

Some MDF. Some nuts and bolts, two bits of carpeting, HAL sensor. Two springs.

Go!

[BladeMeister]

13 hours ago, Cynic_Al said:

 

I wonder how individuals can be expected to answer this poll, as each would need to have personally evaluated everything available.  In effect it translates into: Which pedals do you want to tell the world you bought?, which inevitably must yield a very skewed result.

It was a joke because basically these polls are worthless. There are thousands of people that own rudder pedals that they like, work well for them and they will never participate in this poll. Take your time, do your homework and study the different pedals offered and buy what you have found to be the best IYHO.

Relax Broham!

In my little world ?, MFG Crosswinds are the best IMHO.

1. Milan is a great guy and gives great service.

2. Crosswinds are an incredible design and made of premium materials

3. Crosswinds perform absolutely flawlessly with top quality precision which one can adjust, both mechanically and through the software, to one's little hearts content. 

There is a reason why so many MFG Crosswind owners gush about there rudder pedals though. I read and watched all I could about Crosswinds for nearly 2 years after they were realeased, saved my money and finally jumped in. The only regret I had was that I wished I hadn't waited the two years.

Hey, for all of you VR users out there, you can relate to this statement.

ONCE YOU'VE GONE CROSSWINDS YOU'LL NEVER GO BACK!

Nuff Said!

 

S!Blade<><

 

Edit: Toe brakes are certainly worth the extra money. The left and right brakes are separate precision axises which can be adjust both mechanically and in the software to one's little hearts content. This means that in sim one can control independent braking with high precision making taxing and takeoff much easier. One can apply a tiny amount of independent braking or both at the same time and anywhere in-between all the way up to full braking. You cannot do that with a button press as the breaks are either full on or full off. I guess tapping the button works somewhat, but for me, no, toe breaks are well worth the extra money.

Edited February 9, 2022 by BladeMeister

[LukeFF]

The extent to which the Crosswinds can also be customized with different rudder pedal designs is also a big plus. The "default" German-style ones are great, but they didn't fit well within my computer setup*, so I opted for the P-51 style pedals once those were offered for sale. Now the feel is even better.

 

*I couldn't tilt them as vertically as I wanted them to be.

[No.23_Gaylion]

3 hours ago, BladeMeister said:

It was a joke because basically these polls are worthless. There are thousands of people that own rudder pedals that they like, work well for them and they will never participate in this poll. Take your time, do your homework and study the different pedals offered and buy what you have found to be the best IYHO.

Relax Broham!

 

 

He's a habitual "I'm smarter than you" sh*t poster. Just ignore him tbh.

Edited February 9, 2022 by US103_Talbot

[messsucher]

Crosswinds seem to be winning here with quite big margin.

[BladeMeister]

I own a VKB Gunfighter and it is a premium stick which I am WELL PLEASED with, so I would have to assume their rudder pedals would be as well if you don't want toe brakes, but I know first hand the quality of MFG Crosswinds and the well run business that Milan has established.

 

S!Blade<><

[=420=Syphen]

My vote goes Crosswinds. Full modded up they still come cheaper then equivalent VPC/VKB. And they have been fantastic. With the damper mod and P51 style pedals they are great. Still feel buttery smooth as the day I got them and they have thousands of hours of use on them.

[Alan_Grey]

Rudder pedals Happy Mk.II

Edited February 10, 2022 by Alan_Grey

[No.23_Gaylion]

On the face one could say this is just a post of what a person bought but you could think a bit deeper and it might yield some other information of value.

 

1. Alot of people have MFGs

 

-these people may have done research themselves that led them to buy these.

 

-other folks that bought these recommended them to other folks and so on.

 

-many people are pleased with MFGs which lead more people to buy MFGs.

 

-if there was something wrong or bad with them people wouldn't recommend them or buy them after researching about MFGs.

 

-the resale market for MFGs, if you buy and don't like, is probably good.

 

 

[messsucher]

Yeah, supposedly so, good thinking.

[FTC_Woop]

While my CH pedals have lasted 2 generations (my father bought them in about 1997-2001) and they still work fine except for one broken potentiometer in the left foot-break, I would go for Crosswinds once these give up the ghost, which logically must be soon. They can't last longer surely?

Edited February 11, 2022 by FTC_Woop

[BladeMeister]

8 minutes ago, messsucher said:

Yeah, supposedly so, good thinking.

Not supposedly. Happy customers are happy customers. No one is being paid or given discounts on MFG products to make the claims of excellent engineering, precision performance and durability that equates to long life. Until you own a set you will never know. Yes there are  other high quality rudder pedals and we are lucky for the variety in a niche market, but you can't deny that almost always when someone makes a thread about rudder pedal choice that MFG owners comment in high numbers as to their experience and satisfaction with these pedals. There is a reason for that, it is not just a whim.

 

SBlade<><

[LukeFF]

3 hours ago, US103_Talbot said:

the resale market for MFGs, if you buy and don't like, is probably good.

 

Oh yes, it's an easy thing to resell them. I sold my original set for the sole reason that I wanted the new graphite-colored ones, and that process didn't take long at all.

[=420=Syphen]

7 hours ago, FTC_Woop said:

While my CH pedals have lasted 2 generations (my father bought them in about 1997-2001) and they still work fine except for one broken potentiometer in the left foot-break, I would go for Crosswinds once these give up the ghost, which logically must be soon. They can't last longer surely?

 

I liked the CH but by design, if you own pets - I would not recommend them. The toothed guide rails would fill with cat fur no matter how much I cleaned. They ended up getting pretty gritty and required regular cycles of cleaning and greasing. The MFG and other designs using sealed bearings on cam surfaces are better for anyone with a pet. 

[No.23_Gaylion]

On 2/9/2022 at 2:17 PM, =420=Syphen said:

My vote goes Crosswinds. Full modded up they still come cheaper then equivalent VPC/VKB. And they have been fantastic. With the damper mod and P51 style pedals they are great. Still feel buttery smooth as the day I got them and they have thousands of hours of use on them.

Hey your damper is on wrong. It should be straight not cocked to the side. Swap that clamp on the "away" side to the right side of the bolt. 

[=420=Syphen]

3 hours ago, US103_Talbot said:

Hey your damper is on wrong. It should be straight not cocked to the side. Swap that clamp on the "away" side to the right side of the bolt. 

 

Thanks, both ways work. Milan from MFG and others run it the way I do as well: 

 

 

 

A quick google image search shows I'm not the only one who runs it this way.

Edited February 12, 2022 by =420=Syphen

[No.23_Gaylion]

Right on. I could've sworn I saw a video read something where he said damper should be straight. I originally had mine angled to the side too.

[BladeMeister]

All the cool kids mount the damper on an angle, and the square kids, generally old farts like me, mount it straight.

 

S!Blade<><

[BladeMeister]

It's ok to be an old fart US103_Talbot.

 

S!Blade<><

[Chris65]

Sure can tell I live in Canada, going through the poll and all the popular ones are not available up north and the ones that are available are 2x the price at least.  I still use my MS Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 JS which I purchased back in the 90s when I bought Rowans BoB!!

 

(as an example I wanted to buy my wife a humming bird crystal ornament which was $35USD or $125Cdn...wtf??)