Author Topic: Anyone ever used this brand of LEAF JOYSTICK? (Read 4153 times)

GroovyTuesdaY · « **on:** January 17, 2004, 03:11:12 am »

I found this wico style leaf joystick on ebay and i thought i would run this by everyone and see if anyone here has ever bought this particular joystick or for that fact dealt with this vendor?

Here is a direct link to the picture of the joystick :
http://66.96.171.172/cgi-local/shop.pl/SID=1074326868.7655/page=product.html/product=303

The vendor is called VALCA SALES.

I would love to know what you all think of this stick before i slapped money on this one. I am wanting to find some REAL wico leaf switch joysticks, but there just doesn't seem to be any to be had out there, unless someone knows where i can pick up 3 of them lol *hint hint* lol

thanks,
groovy~

Brad Lee · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2004, 11:49:52 am »

Thats the exact one Ive got.. works like a champ

I think that might be the guy I picked em up from- if so it was quick and everything was ncluded

OSCAR · « **Reply #2 on:** January 17, 2004, 12:26:26 pm »

That same joystick is available from Centsible Amusements and Quarter Arcade for a little bit cheaper.

If you use this link, http://www.centsibleamusements.com/store.asp?dc=newsg, for Centisble Amusements, it gives you a 10% discount. This link was provided by Censtible in RGVAC as a discount for the group. This discount price for this joystick is $13.49.

QuarterArcade sells this joystick for $11.95.

I don't know what their shipping charges are, so that may make a difference on which one actually ends up being cheaper.

BTW, I've heard both good & bad about those joysticks. Some people say they work great, others have said otherwise. If I remember correctly, these joysticks are Chinese-made Wico knockoffs. Not that's a bad thing, just they aren't real Wico joysticks.

Tailgunner · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2004, 01:30:28 pm »

I have a few of them, my only real gripe is the choice of plastic used for the ball top knob. The knob is made from what I assume is polyethelene as it has a slightly milky appearance typical of that plastic. It'll hold up just fine, though it looks a bit odd when the joystick is used on a panel with real Wico 8-ways.

Brad Lee · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2004, 01:30:46 pm »

I think it was 2fer20$ when I got em

Anyway, read this, it may be the difference between wico and these. SInce that last post I havent had to touch the guts of the stick, so take that as you will

SirPeale · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2004, 02:29:24 pm »

I just wanted to clean that link up a bit:

http://66.96.171.172/cgi-local/shop.pl/SID=1074326868.7655/page=product.html/product=303

GroovyTuesdaY · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2004, 04:33:48 pm »

Quote from: Peale on January 17, 2004, 02:29:24 pm

I just wanted to clean that link up a bit:

http://66.96.171.172/cgi-local/shop.pl/SID=1074326868.7655/page=product.html/product=303

Thanks for cleaning up the link. I'm not sure what happened there lol.

I did some research and here is the breakdown. I checked into both CENTSIBLE AMUSEMENTS & QUATER ARCADE and here are their prices for two of the wico imitation joysticks , including shipping :

Quater Arcade : $28.90

Centsible Amusements: $26.98

Oblviously centsible is the chepear by a couple of bucks. I tell you what, i am glad that i was made aware of these two vendors before i slapped some money on ebay for a couple. I could have been out $40 some bucks! OUCH.

Thanks again to all who posted and if anyone else would like to chime in with their experiences with this imitation sticks, i would to hear them.

thanks again,
G~

SirPeale · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2004, 05:16:26 pm »

The broken link happens when you don't use the URL tag on the head and foot of the URL. The YABBSE software guesses what the URL should be without it, and cuts it off at a certain point, in this case at the '-'. With the tag, it treats the entire thing as the URL.

patrickl · « **Reply #8 on:** January 18, 2004, 09:18:25 am »

I have seen both tabombaci (he had it in his signature) and HagHore (in this message) comment that these sticks suck.

GroovyTuesdaY · « **Reply #9 on:** January 18, 2004, 11:47:20 am »

I find it strange that no one has ever done a full review on these sticks yet. Once i buy a couple and have a chance to get them installed and play some games with them , i will make sure i post a good detailed review of them so people can have a nice idea from the average joes perspective. I am not a hardcore WICO fanatic, so i can approach this issue pretty unbiased. In my thinking, leaf is leaf. Its all the same kind of contact, i think it might be in the grommet that makes the feeling different, but this is just me thinking out loud lol.
So, i will be sure to let saint know when i review them.

g~

patrickl · « **Reply #10 on:** January 18, 2004, 12:05:18 pm »

BTW here is the post from tbombaci (and HagHore again)
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=14356;start=msg112814#msg112814

HagHore · « **Reply #11 on:** January 18, 2004, 02:38:39 pm »

I've obviously made it clear in my post that I don't care for these. The leaf switches themselves are not as sturdy as the ones you'll find on a true Wico. Also, the action of the stick itself is not smooth, and I believe that is due to the grommet. If there are any auctions in your area then go to one, you might find some gutted cabs with true Wicos in them (there were some at the Dallas auction yesterday). One cab had two very good condition Wicos (sticks just needed to have some rust cleaned off, the tops where PERFECT and shiny and the leafs and base were also in excellent condition, action very smooth) and it went for a buck. Nannuu yelled out $2 but the autioneer didn't hear him dangit!

paigeoliver · « **Reply #12 on:** January 19, 2004, 01:14:49 am »

The real ones are still super common. I personally try to stick to the real ones. They maintain a great feel right up until the point that the grommet falls apart. Once you get a bunch of them, then it is easy to piece together perfect units that will be better than the new knock off ones.

The only real issues with them are that sometimes the grommet will freeze to the stick and will not budge, and you will have to cut the stick apart. But this is rare, and only tends to happen on machines that have been left outdoors. I have personally only encountered it once, and it WAS on a machine that had been left outside.

JamesS · « **Reply #13 on:** January 19, 2004, 12:34:56 pm »

Question about Joysticks. As I was testing my 4 way super out, it is bad, gonna change it.

I noticed that I could not do the old Pacman wiggle, to entice the ghosts to follow me. It just was not sensitive enough. I tried the 8 way ultimate, set to 4 way, since I do not have the right actuator, anyway I still could not do it, although the Ultimate felt much better.

Is this because it is using micro's and not leafs or is it my Keywiz?

GroovyTuesdaY · « **Reply #14 on:** January 21, 2004, 04:23:04 am »

HEY!!! Go get your own thread! lmao.

J/k

HEHEH

G~

steve_pss · « **Reply #15 on:** January 21, 2004, 10:58:12 am »

I have Wico sticks, and the knock offs your about to buy ( to be very blunt) suck.

The ball top is a soft, seamed, easily scrathced plastic, the bases are cheesy, the switches themselves are not the same and the opening on the top and bottom of the base is a diamond shape. doesnt exactly restrict the diagnals but it makes them feel like crap. Sorry about the tone of this post,I just felt like Valca sales ripped me off after i got these and i'm still a little bitter.

Valca Sales · « **Reply #16 on:** January 21, 2004, 02:37:34 pm »

Quote from: steve_pss on January 21, 2004, 10:58:12 am

I have Wico sticks, and the knock offs your about to buy ( to be very blunt) suck.

The ball top is a soft, seamed, easily scrathced plastic, the bases are cheesy, the switches themselves are not the same and the opening on the top and bottom of the base is a diamond shape. doesnt exactly restrict the diagnals but it makes them feel like crap. Sorry about the tone of this post,I just felt like Valca sales ripped me off after i got these and i'm still a little bitter.

Steve,

If you were not satisfied with the joysticks, why didn't you contact us or let us be aware of the problem? Instead you continue to post adverse comments about our company in a public forum. All that does is cause negative and unnecessary publicity for us.

We have sold hundreds of these joysticks at the current price of $18.99, with very few complaints (Maybe 1 or 2). We even have customers that continue to purchase them on a regular basis for their Arcade restoration projects and also submit positive comments about them through eBay and other means.

These joysticks are an economical alternative to the rare WICO sticks that are no longer produced. They serve their practical purpose as an Arcade joystick.

Our goal is to make sure our customers are satisfied with their purchase. If we don't know that there is a problem, it is next to impossible for us to improve our services and customer relations.

-AGM

RandyT · « **Reply #17 on:** January 21, 2004, 04:14:40 pm »

Quote from: JamesS on January 19, 2004, 12:34:56 pm

Question about Joysticks. As I was testing my 4 way super out, it is bad, gonna change it.

I noticed that I could not do the old Pacman wiggle, to entice the ghosts to follow me. It just was not sensitive enough. I tried the 8 way ultimate, set to 4 way, since I do not have the right actuator, anyway I still could not do it, although the Ultimate felt much better.

Is this because it is using micro's and not leafs or is it my Keywiz?

I think your KeyWiz is fine. It's fast enough to do that little wiggle manuever in it's sleep

.

I think what you are seeing here is the difference between a joystick that uses a spring centering mechanism and one that uses a rubber grommet.

With a spring based stick, there is a certain amount of force that must be applied to overcome the "seat" of the stick when it is at center. In contrast, a rubber grommet based stick has a fairly uniform force requirement across it's normal range of motion, as it has no such seated position.

This means that a very rapid back and forth motion will be much smoother and controllable on a rubber grommet based stick.

Then there's also the longer throw of some sticks, which require more travel before each of the directions register.

RandyT

steve_pss · « **Reply #18 on:** January 21, 2004, 07:48:36 pm »

To ValcaSales,

It took a few days to get a reply back on my request for a tracking number. It took a couple days to get a reply for an in stock request. I didn't feel like waiting for a reply for a refund for the following very honest reasons:

1. I'm lazy. It's a pain in the backside to ship goods back at my cost and hope you refund me (not that you wouldn't mind you, but that thought is in the back of every consumers head when dealing with an unfamiliar company).

2. Your advert said "Wico Style", not Wico. I knew that when I bought them. No false claim on your part. I assumed (again my issue) that they would be similiar in quality. They are not but I see no right to ask for my money back.

3. I'll find a use for these at some point. If there's a common thread on this board it's that we all need a little pack rat in us to collect this old stuff in the first place.

Allow me a second to climb onto this soapbox.

Now then..

As someone with more than a couple incomplete original Wico sticks lying around I think my opinion on this product is valid, and stress that it is just that, an opinion. On this very same thread a number of members also shared my opinion. My only gripe with ValcaSales which I posted originally was the response time on your part. I will admit that dealing with certain vendors who frequent this board has spoiled me rotten from a customer satisfaction standpoint.

I wish your company no ill will and your response on this board proves to me that you would have stood behind a refund if I so requested one. It may be safe to say that my order for 16 translucent buttons just flew out the window, but that's entirely up to you.

I extend the olive branch sincerely to you and your company. Please email me regarding my possible order on the buttons.

steve_pss@yahoo.com

Valca Sales · « **Reply #19 on:** January 22, 2004, 01:56:53 pm »

steve_pss:

Thank you for posting a response.

We apologize that we could not respond to your inquires sooner. The latter part of December just happens to be the busiest time of the year for us and we also take a few days off for the New Year's Day and Christmas holidays. In any case, we are back up to speed now and you can even call us directly for future inquires if you prefer.

Your honesty is respected and of coarse, everyone IS entitled to their own opinions.

We do not manufacture these joysticks, we just sell them because there is always a huge demand for them. The original WICO leaf-switch joysticks may respond better for some people, but you are going to be dishing out approx. $40 per stick if you can even find them. Additionally, the WICO sticks are 10+ years old. The condition of the rubber grommets and other components are questionable. The joysticks we sell are currently manufactured. They are Brand New (Not New Old Stock) and they can last longer.

If you still are in the market for translucent buttons or other items, I would not have a problem with doing future business. I will email you today.

-AGM

patrickl · « **Reply #20 on:** January 22, 2004, 02:08:32 pm »

As I understand from comments above the the good thing about the original Wico's is apparently the rubber grommet (and not su much the leaf switches). Problem is that that is just what is missing in these "chinese" knock offs. So I guess that means the demand is probably not on the right basis. Of course a salesperson would not care about that, but a buyer sure would.

steve_pss · « **Reply #21 on:** January 23, 2004, 01:31:50 pm »

Hey folks,
On a happy note ValcaSales did indeed email me right after their last post and have been super responsive to a few questions since then.

Not trying to wake up a sleeping thread, just giving positive remarks where positive remarks are due. Throw my ascertion about non-responsivness out the window.

Xiaou2 · « **Reply #22 on:** January 23, 2004, 11:57:14 pm »

After playing robotron.. you realize that no stick feels so good other than those wicos with the rubber gromet centering.

Id really like to get my hands on some... and I think many others would too.

I hope that someone might produce replicas of these.

GroovyTuesdaY · « **Reply #23 on:** January 24, 2004, 01:51:24 am »

Quote from: Xiaou2 on January 23, 2004, 11:57:14 pm

After playing robotron.. you realize that no stick feels so good other than those wicos with the rubber gromet centering.

Id really like to get my hands on some... and I think many others would too.

I hope that someone might produce replicas of these.

LOL, don't hold your breath lol. There is a reason they were stopped being produced before. There must be something about those that are cost too much in the long run for them to make much of a profit. Microswtiches are so much easier and faster to exchange i imagine. Who knows.
If anyone else knows why WICO stopped making the leaf sticks with rubber grommet i would love to hear the story. For that matter, i wonder why know one else has picked up production of them? strange.

groovy!~

patrickl · « **Reply #24 on:** January 24, 2004, 08:57:05 am »

I think the problem is that they (pageoliver?) just realized that the grommet is the reason the Wico's were that good. Before that people assumed it was in the leaf switches. That's why Valca Sales tries to lure/fool people in buying these things by claiming they are "Wico style" when in fact they are nowhere near the "style" the buyers are after.

Since it's now obvious that players would prefer a rubber grommet, maybe manufacturers will step in. Let's hope it's not just the "chinese" though.

Spaced Invader · « **Reply #25 on:** January 24, 2004, 12:37:10 pm »

Quote from: patrickl on January 24, 2004, 08:57:05 am

I think the problem is that they (pageoliver?) just realized that the grommet is the reason the Wico's were that good. Before that people assumed it was in the leaf switches. That's why Valca Sales tries to lure/fool people in buying these things by claiming they are "Wico style" when in fact they are nowhere near the "style" the buyers are after.

Since it's now obvious that players would prefer a rubber grommet, maybe manufacturers will step in. Let's hope it's not just the "chinese" though.

I don't think they are trying to lure/fool anyone...they are just trying to sell a product...that you are free not to buy. And they do seem to be willing to refund any disgruntled buyers. There aren't a whole lot of good options in the way of four way sticks and, in my opinion, anyone offering another option is welcome!

And as far as the "chinese" thing goes, odds are you are sitting within three feet of something that reads "Made In China" on the bottom...something you are quite happy with...at least until you looked at the bottom of it.

Opinions vary!

Edit: sloppy speller

patrickl · « **Reply #26 on:** January 24, 2004, 12:55:37 pm »

Using the name "Wico" falsely implies a certain quality that is apparently not present in the product. All other sellers of these sticks (I have seen) don't abuse the Wico name. I was "lured" by it too and almost "fooled" by it. Luckily I read this forum.

OSCAR · « **Reply #27 on:** January 24, 2004, 01:39:10 pm »

Quote from: Xiaou2 on January 23, 2004, 11:57:14 pm

After playing robotron.. you realize that no stick feels so good other than those wicos with the rubber gromet centering.

Amen, brother...

After I built my multi-williams using Wico leafs, I find it very annoying to play Robotron with anything else. I think back to when I played Robotron on my MAME cabinet with Supers/P360's and I thought it was about as good as it could get, and now I see how ridiculous that really was...


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