I just had the joy or repairing (cleaning) three 5200 controllers today, two joysticks and one trak-ball. I hate those joysticks so much, but they all work now so I'm happy.
Does this mean you are diving into the 5200 and its library now? Looking forward to hearing what you think about it all! Already noted, you hate the stock controllers... most of us do, but there are a handful of exceptions out there. Hope you can find alternatives that work for you.