I've been using thrustmaster equipment since they first appeared. Recently rejoined Aces High and bought a cougar. (I'd sure like to know how you got one for $100.00, I ended up paying $200.00).
I love my cougar. It does take a little getting used to. The pull is rather intense, but once you get used to it, it's great. Except for a few keys I rarely use, I've got everything mapped to my Stick and Throttle. The only knob I haven't found a use for is the Ant Elev knob on the throttle.
I agree that the after-market upgrades can help, but I'm too poor to cough up the cost at present, and so far, my standard cougar is performing just fine for me.
Visit Cougar world and download the installation instructions they have there. It will help you avoid and install/setup problems. Make sure you don't use the drivers on the cougar cd, but download the latest ones from thrustmaster.
Enjoy,
Wabbit