Anyone got a madcatz fight pad?

I've not played a SF game in over 15 years but i'm really thinking of getting this.  I'm not expecting to play this all the time but definitely a few times a week.  I was thinking of getting the fight pad (which i can get new for £15) as I don't think i can justify £40 for a stick as I don't think i'll use it enough.  Anyway, anyone got any views/comments on the madcatz fight pad?
 
thanks

sorry, just noticed I put this in general discussion rather than the SF thread

The fightpad works really well.  I used it for about 6 months before deciding I wanted to get a stick, but it is a huge upgrade over the 360 dpad which is what I originally used.

It's pretty good. You'll definitely want to remap buttons on it if you end up being competitively minded, having one thumb for 6 attack buttons isn't ideal.

I bought one, and it's worked out very well. I've recently bought a TE FightStick, but the Fight Pad is a good step up from a regular pad, and worth it if you don't want to go all the way with a stick.

I had the Blanka one back when I had a 360. Highly recommended over the standard 360 controller.

I've been using the fightpad for a couple days and it's definitely better than a standard controller. I kind of flip my hand back and forth for the 6 buttons. If i need to hit two or all three I've found it's best to go at it palm down, but all other times it's fine to hold like a regular controller.

many thanks for the replies so far.  Very helpful.

Hit and miss. Mine was broken after five minutes, as were many others, but some people have had one from launch and their's still works. If you're on 360 I'd say it's worth doing, wouldn't bother If you're playing on PS3 though.

If you look around, you could probably find a Hori EX2 stick for about the same price as a fightpad.

I have a Street Fighter IV fight pad for the PS3 and it works well although my thumb starts hurting if I play for too long due to the shape of the D-Pad.  Considering how often I play fighting games, it's a good buy for me, but if I was serious about the genre, I'd recommend ponying up the extra cash and getting a proper fight stick.  I have the Ken one.

Customization is your friend when i comes to these fight sticks. Redo the buttons i hear there not the best and should always be replaced. Its really not that hard. Mine has a whole different skin and buttons as well as the stick it self.

A friend of mine has one. 
 
  

I used to have one but it broke after about a couple of weeks of non-stop use.  When it did work, it felt quite good to use and I really liked it. 
 
My recommendation: get it, but also try to get a money back warranty or something similar if you can.