I’m thinking of buying one from the local online classifieds website. Is it a good stick? I know it has the clicking sounds from the stick, I know how its hot as durable as a TE. But is it still a good stick
I’m almost entirely sure that it’s a pain to mod and uses knockoff parts. If you want a relatively cheap and easy-to-mod stick, get a Madcatz SE.
It will probably be good for about 6 months before something on it breaks, and repairing it will require some metal work and electronics tools.
Depends on how cheap you’re able to get it for. As said above, the Madcatz SE stick is pretty cheap, you can find it for $50 and under these days. The parts in the SE will eventually need to be replaced, but that’s very easy to do, as opposed to the soldering the EX2 will need. Having said that, I do like the small form factor of the EX2, and if you have any sodlering skill at all and a dremel tool, it could be a good project. A bit frustrating, but good nonetheless.
You can put Sanwa OBSF-30 microswitches in the stock buttons. They’re a perfect fit. I don’t understand why people go through the trouble of modding the case for Sanwa buttons when they can get the Sanwa feel with a simple microswitch swap.
The joystick uses standard Omron microswitches. You can easily replace them with Cherry microswitches if they go bad, which probably won’t happen. The buttons are what go south on these things, not the stick.
The hardest part of modding an EX2 is desoldering the PCB from the buttons. There’s always a contact point that wants to be a pain in the ass. Don’t piss around with low watt soldering irons and desoldering bulbs. Get a butane soldering iron and a copper desoldering braid. Just don’t hold it on the PCB for too long or you’ll fry it since butane irons put out a lot of heat.
The reason I would go with an EX2 rather than a Mad Catz SE is because the stock Hori joystick is really good. You won’t need to replace it like you will the Mad Catz stick, which is a piece of junk. That’s $25 plus shipping saved right there.
Yah I agree. Unless you’re a die-hard JLF fan, the joystick works well. Most people wouldn’t complain about it if they didn’t have the Sanwa placebo.
I think if you’re going to go through the trouble of desoldering the buttons to get Sanwa microswitches in, you might as well enlarge the holes and put the whole Sanwa button. That way, you can wire quick disconnects from the PCB and if you were to ever need to change buttons again for whatever reason, now you’re able to do so without any more desoldering. Plus you get the added bonus of choosing the colours of your buttons. Stock Hori buttons look meh at best.
the ex2 is a great durable stick. i got mine used 2 years ago and it’s stock and has no problems whatsoever. i can’t say the same for my madcatz SE, which has absolutely atrocious stock parts and a pcb that will randomly stop working until you unplug and replug it back in to your console. if you get the SE, realize that you can’t use it stock for more than a couple days until the buttons start sticking and that you’re taking a risk with the pcb inside the stick. it has a high failure rate so you might be one of the lucky ones that has no pcb problems. only get the SE if you plan on modding because it’s nothing more than a glorified case.
QFT
I was a bit meh about how the EX2 looked until I swapped out the buttons for white sanwas… Even though I spent a few hours in photoshop designing a new graphic for it, I can’t bring myself to change the artwork as it just looks so damned classy now.
I love the slimline design of the case too. Easily my favourite sub-£100 stick
Hori-EX2 is reliable if you can’t mod your SE out of the box, Also about your SE problem with having discon and recon you need to remove the metal washer inside the stick scratches the PCB
Your stick is keeping it classy. Never thought the EX2 could look so good. :karate:
You’ve never seen Don’s Hori-EX2 Mod then.