Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm getting some new racks and would like to hear from those of you that have purchased from either of these companies.
AP offers a 10 shelf rack that accepts the sterilite 30 qt box or 2 of the 15 qt boxes per shelf. They use heat rope, recessed into each shelf. The units ship unassembled but take just a few minutes to screw together. All pre-drilled, etc.
3 racks will run $1266 shipped. The 30 boxes will be purchased locally and are not included in the above price.
If I go with the Boaphile. The racks are 5 high and I would get 4 racks. Same sterilite boxes and same setup, 1 30qt per shelf or 2 of the 15qt boxes per shelf. They use flexwatt, recessed into each shelf. These come assembled, just plug it in.
The cost for 4 racks is $1076 without boxes, same as AP.
If I go with AP, 30 boxes. If I go with Boaphile, 20 boxes but $190 less. I could add one more Boaphile for another $269 to bring the pricing similar but quantity would still be less.
The Boaphiles are definitely more expensive but I want to make a one time purchase. I don't want to be unhappy with the quality or heating performance and have to replace the racks.
I would like to hear from anyone that has purchased these racks. How well made are they? Both brands offer belly heat which I prefer but has anyone had a problem getting the temps up and maintaining the heat? I plan on housing mostly balls, 88 degrees to 90 degrees. A couple of the racks I have now use backheat and this winter I had some minor problems maintaining the right temps.
Share your personal experience with these.
thanks
John Q

Gentleman, to your corners......

np

This thing rocks.

Everything fit nicely together, the tubs slide perfectly and it is light as a feather.

I haven't seen anything else on the market that comes close to doing everything this rack does. Nice ventilation and humidity control all in one package.

I haven't heated it up yet. I will report back when I get it up and running.

It looks like it will look brand new after many years of use.

Also the room temps it is kept at..

They do look really nice.. If I win the lottery I may have to order myself a couple. lol.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
www.aircapitalconstrictors.com

np

np

Why not go with www.junglehabitatsplastics.com and get the number of slots you want for less then both?

Alan has good racks that suit most needs..

If you still go with between AP and Boaphile good luck on choosing.. Both have their positives and negatives.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
www.aircapitalconstrictors.com

Between AP and Boaphile I would go with AP all the way! They just feel like they are worth more!
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www.mgreptiles.com
CBB Herps and Heating Supplies

This really has thoroughly discussed recently. I would read through previous threads and do so considering what species you keep and how good of escape artists they are.

I don't own a commercial sweaterbox rack and really don't need one. However, it's a wide open market and there are a lot of tradeoffs to consider. Weight, sagging, price, heating options, security, and how well the boxes slide are all isues to consider.
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Current snakes:

0.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.3 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

3.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

I use them and love em. Heating is not a problem and they function perfect for my needs (mostly colubrids, ball, womas, and Brazilian rainbow boas).

Don't commit to many unless you've tried one. That is my advice. Here is why:

No one rack will be "the best" for every type of snake out there. Boas/pythons for example need more of an enclosed rack if the room itself is not heated. What is best for one species of snake may not be the best for others.

Opinion: If for boas, Rhinos work well: they provide enough heat and humidity. I'm sure AP will too.

Another opinion: If for colubrids, you may want to go with a more ventilated rack. The Vision rack looks awesome for colubrids. So does Freedom Breeder and similar units. Boaphiles do not have enough ventialtion for colubrids IMO unless you poke lots of holes in the boxes.

Try one of each, then decide.

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Mark G

If you check out the posts from around March 10th you'll see why.I am presently waiting for an AP rack and I'll be glad to let you know how I like it in comparison to the Boaphile.

From what I've seen on the Visions site and the discussions I've seen here The Vision looks interesting for some applications. I saw a Freedom Breeder rack for sale in the classifieds recently and the seller said it cost close to $400 for shipping if I read it right.WOW! I know that the vision is listed as shipped for no more than around $90, 1/3 the size of Freedom Breeder but a lot more realistic price for the typical herper. No disrespect to the previous poster but sometimes buying one of each is cost prohibitive. I'd rather listen to folks like Mark and Chris who have experience. Good luck.