There's only one rack that I would go with and that's the ARS rack system (and not the ARS hybrid system with the plastic parts). I've seen melamine racks after they have been used a long time, they often will have mold on them or will swell up from the moisture. And the tubs usually don't slide in smoothly, either they are too tight or too lose and snakes get out LOL. I've also seen a video of BHB when they had a hurricane that blew off the roof of the building, they had a ton of melamine racks that all got ruined from the moisture.
Other 'cheap' racks are too flimsy for me. Just imagine if a toddler or a big dog got into your snake room and pulled down the racks. ARS racks are built like a tank, you could climb them like a ladder. I've also seen a lot of home made racks with not enough ventilation and the moisture causes respiratory infections. Freedom breeder is a close second. However, I like the fact that you can stack different types of levels in an ARS rack and can even buy each level individually.
I also prefer steel since I'm a welder, I can grind down the paint and weld on any accessory (I'm not set up to weld stainless steel, a more advanced technique using specialized equipment). I'm not concerned about rust since I live in a desert climate with no humidity. I would imagine you may get rust if you power wash the racks without drying them off really good (I don't power wash with water, I use the vacuum and a dust rag).
ARS also looks more professional than any other rack out there. I've seen bad reviews on the build quality of freedom breeder compared to ARS but I've never compared them side by side myself.
Here are a few photos of my current setup, all with ARS racks. My next rack will be an ARS hatchling rack that I'm planning on buying this summer once I sell a few babies. I'm also planning on eventually moving out the rodents into their own room, should give me room for another hatchling rack and another breeder rack.
These two are my snake breeder and hold back racks.
Theses two are my rodent racks (mice and rats).
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