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Customcages.com cage review
Hey, just thought I'd write up a quick review for customcages.com and was wondering if anybody else has one of their cages, and what they think of it.
I ordered the Deluxe 48*36*24H for my six-foot RTB in early September. I wasn't in a hurry for it and I told them so, so I got it in 3-4 weeks. The cage is made of heat-fused melamine and screws together with pre-drilled holes, kind of like the modular furniture you buy at Wal-mart or Target. It comes with a tube of silicone caulk to seal it once you have assembled it, so all you really need to have is a caulk gun and a power driver (drill). A ruler is also handy for sticking on the glass door slides.
The instructions were just about unintelligible. Following the instructions, I put the back on the front. Part of the confusion may have been due to the fact that the top and bottom pieces had arrows labeled "front" on them which were pointing different ways. I trashed the instructions and used common sense to assemble the cage, which actually was pretty intuitive. If you've ever put together a bookshelf, you can do one of these.
The pieces met up fairly flush and the edge banding was OK. There were little stick-on circles to cover up the screw holes (Fast Caps). I dragged it out to the garage to caulk it, and it stunk to high heaven. Silicone caulk gives off acetic acid fumes, for those who don't know--it's harmless but will make your eyes water. The caulk takes 24 hours to cure completely, so the cage has to dry for a day before you can move in your critter.
Assembled, the cage is sturdy and attractive. The doors are several inches off the floor of the cage, which allows for a nice deep litter bed. The glass doors slide and remove easily and I can climb into the cage to clean it. The optional cord grommet I had the cage optioned for is a life-saver for the thermostat wire, etc.--I would recommend ordering one on each end of the cage for larger cages like this one, just in case.
This cage cost $700 with the options I ordered. The base price for that size cage is $500, but I got the "deluxe" model with glass sides and also specified several extra routings. The cages come standard with three small vents in the back, but I ordered three routs for lamps to be mounted outside the cage.
Anyone who has some experience in the wood shop, and has access to a wood shop, can build a cage like this for quite a bit less money. The amount of time it would take you to build it, though, is debatable. Although I could have built one of these for around $400, I don't have access to a shop and I don't have the time to devote to it. So for someone who is short on time, or unsure of their carpentry skills, I think this cage presents a good value. It is much more attractive than a plastic cage or aquarium.
Any comments or questions, please let me know!
Whams
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