I would steer clear of Boamaster, personally. There have been numerous reviews of their lack of customer service and overall quality (or lack thereof) of their products. Here's a link if you want to read further:

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...archid=2559192

As to a homemade unit: I'd be pretty leery of that, personally. Depending on what it's made of and how well constructed it is, it might be more hassle than it's worth if it's wired incorrectly or built out of plumb/square, etc. There's nothing wrong with a used rack that was professionally built (and some homemade ones are just fine too, but those are sometimes few and far between); just be sure to sterilize everything if you buy used. That isn't to say the person you're buying it from didn't take care of it, just better safe than sorry is all. IF you pick that one, I'd recommend a bleach/water solution and treatment with Provent A Mite (PAM) in case of mites and scrub it down as much as you can. Mites are a pain and if you can head them off at the pass BEFORE you get an outbreak, all the better. The second option, from the BP.net members, sound like a decent deal. Some of your costs if you buy a rack without tubs will be in finding the tubs to fit it and that can add up fairly quickly if you have a multiple-tub setup, so if those are included, that isn't a bad deal at all. Again, just make sure to sterilize everything before you use it or put your animals in anything.

I have two AP racks currently; a 1755 (I think; 32 quart Sterilite size) 9-slot rack and an 8-slot hatchling rack. I also have a 12-slot CB-70 rack on order that should be shipping in the next few weeks. AP racks are top-notch in my opinion and are built like tanks. They aren't cheap but if you think you'll stay in the hobby for the long-term, they might be worth looking into from an investment point of view. Any rack you use, open sides or not, will have to be in a climate controlled room unless your room/house stays within the proper range of temps for ball pythons. The Flexwatt is incapable of safely heating the tubs to the correct ambient temperatures without some type of supplemental heat, i.e.: baseboard heat, an oil filled heater, etc. unless you live in a relatively warm area that stays the proper temps year round. The Flexwatt primarily serves to create the hot spot, with the ambient air temperature in the rest of the room being set high enough to keep the ambient temp within the tubs at the correct level...if that makes sense at all, lol! The Economy Line of racks from AP are more affordable and every bit as good as their other ones. Just my two cents...hope it helps and good luck!