To build or to buy, that is the question

[Simple Man]

I don't like heat cable,I don't think that it is any safer than flexwatt. AP makes good racks as well.

I feel that buying racks is worth it, they last longer and are built better (by computer controlled machines) They cost more upfront, but the fact that they are enclosed (except Visions which I'm not a huge fan of) means that they will hold in heat much better. If you do decide to build one yourself, I would link into building a frame, then enclosing 3 sides with a good insulation

With all due respect, there is nothing wrong with DIY racks. My DIY build can be built open design or enclosed. Open design works great for a heated reptile room that many collectors have and saves cost. My racks are just as nice and will last just as long as a commercial rack at half or less of the cost. It's XPVC so it won't have any sort of breakdown if you are unfamiliar with the material. Let's be honest here, screwing together some plastic pieces isn't rocket science. I can see if some people want to buy for time saving issues. If you're even partly handy you can screw together some precut pieces from a plastics manufacture. This will save tons of money. I now make racks on the side for local people and make some side cash while saving them a lot of money.

Here's a 41qt x 9 level I just built.






Here is a dual purpose 2 x 15qt per level or 1 x 32qt. You can use any combo of the two. This works great for hatchlings, subadults, and adult males. This was the first rack I made and still works great!



And here is a link to my DIY thread.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...lete-with-pics!

PM me if you decide to build and save some money. I'll gladly help you any way I can. Lots of people have used this info to make some great racks that are working great.

Regards,

B