Quote Originally Posted by Gloryhound View Post
The one place I would not cut any corners though is on a good proportional T-stat.
One thing to think about when looking at thermostats -- proportional is nice but honestly, I think it's overrated. I actually use Ranco's on most of my racks, and a 1 degree variance really doesn't make much of a difference as far as the animals are concerned. The only thing is that it's a good idea to use a back-up with the Ranco in case it does happen to fail in the on position. But, because it is an on/off style thermostat, it doesn't use nearly as much in electricity. Granted if you're only heating one rack, it might not make a huge difference -- but in the long run it can save you a lot of money.