THe vision racks are nice, but way beyond my price range. Also, I am leary about not having lids as all it takes is one careless moment of not pushing the container all the way back in and you have escaped snakes. at least with a lid in a tight rack, even if the lid isn't completely on, there may not be any chance a snake can squeeze out. Maybe kings or corns could do it, but less change for a ball python. Also, if something should happen and the rack system falls over (some kid decides to climb it, for instance) you won't have X number of snakes loose (course change the lids can pop off anyway...)).



However, that said, if I had the spare money to buy vision racks, I would go for them. Less work for me to get it up and I don't have to pull the containers out all the way to clean/feed/etc. which means less bending. If I ever win the lottery, I plan to buy vision racks, or perhaps the plastic racks, the solid sides do look nice. Also good place to mount rheostats etc.



Overall, since I have also read good things about these racks, the best thing to do is buy what you like and can comfortably afford. Building your own deffinitely will be cheaper and with care, wooden racks can last 10-20 years. Plywood can be painted or stained, just air dry completely (at least 24 hours after the last coat, or longer, if you can still smell fumes from it) before putting the snakes into the rack. Water damage probably is your number one risk with wooden racks, especialy malamine (which bubbles and expands when wet. Plywood does too, though tends to warp or ripple, depending on how much water gets into it). TO me spending $600 US plus shipping (and taxes, and exchange difference between the US dollar and Canadian Dollar, unless I find a local retailer) amounts to alot of money (probably around $1000 after all is considered) then having to spend another $100 or so on tubs....building wooden racks even once every 10 years, is cheaper. It will cost me about $100-$200 to build a wooden rack, depending on how fancy I want to get. Plus cost of heating and tubs. Even if it comes out to about $350, still can build three racks or more, for the price of one Vision.



Again, if money wasn't an issue, I would most likely go for a Vision rack style or the reptile plastics one. Mostly because it will save me the trouble of going to Home Depot, getting the cuts done, figure out how to put everything together without having board suddenly a half inch too short because i forgot to take in account thickness of the wood when measuring size of sections I needed, or whatever. Lugging the wood from the store to my car, my car to my apartment, then finding room to build it, etc. PRobably hitting a billion snags along the way...Yeah, if i ahd the money, will get somebody better at carpentry and cage building to do it all for me...and delivery it, leaving the only thing I have to do is slide in the tubs and plug in the rheostat.



Sorry for the long ramble...
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PHLdyPayne

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