Anntann and Jack both make excellent points. You won't beat the quality of Klubertanz wire or cages, no matter where you shop. There are plenty of distributors out there who make equipment which is just as good, but there are no better cage builders than Klubertanz. Word of caution, though. Order the cages 2-3 weeks before you'll need to assemble them. They don't make cages until they're ordered, and since they're busy, it normally takes that long to get them cut and shipped out. If you use that Chinese-made crap, you'll be kicking yourself for it a couple of years from now (if you're lucky it last THAT long) when you're forced to replace everything. It simply will not hold up at all.
Since you're comparing costs versus buying the wire and building them yourself, stop and analyze the real costs of doing so. First, price the galvanized AFTER welded wire (it's far more rust-resistant than other types of wiring), and then figure out how high your cages will be [it will vary based upon the breed(s) you raise], as well as how deep your cages will be [which again, will vary based upon the size of the breed(s) you raise]. What that essentially will add up to is 3 different rolls of wiring (height, depth, and floor wire). If you try to do it all with 2 rolls of wire, you will wind up wasting alot of wire in the process.
Next, factor in how much wiring you'll also need to build your doors, then what it will ultimately cost you to install door latches, purchase 1000+ j-clips, j-clip pliers, wire cutters, etc. It's different for everyone, but for me, it would have been as cheap and in many cases cheaper to buy it pre-cut from the dealer, with only the assembly required when it arrived at my doorstep. The reason is simple. All the extras I just listed (aside from the wire cutters) were included as part of the cage price, and they did a heckuva lot better job at it than I ever would have. If you buy your own wired, you'll have to buy all the "extras" yourself. All of that says nothing of the cost of feeders, water crocks, hay racks, etc.
Also try to understand that any cut you make in the wire will automatically cause you to lose anywhere from 0.5 to 2 inches of wire, depending upon the measurements of the wire you're using. Again, if you decide to make everything with just two rolls of wire, your amount of wasted wire will increase exponentially.
__________ Wed Mar 16, 2011 5:31 pm __________
hoodat":jevmkv2v said:
Jack":jevmkv2v said:
YUCKY
that wire is CHEAP, as in from china cheap, compared to a quality wire from someplace like Klubertanz, you won't notice it, but compare the stiffness and finish, you really notice it.
You may well be right. I tried to find galv after weld but couldn't find it anywhere. This will have to do me for now. I can replace with better wire in the cages as these give out. I'll probably be able to cut off the bottom 6 inches or so and replace it with better wire. it's the bottoms of the cages that rust out.
Each time you replace the floor wiring, you're likely going to have to shorten the height of the cage by 1-2" as well, mainly because when the floor wire rusts, the areas where the side (wall) wire is j-clipped to the floor wire on the tends to rust as well. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the bottom 1-2 inches of wire on the cage walls will be rusted and need repair, and the only way to get rid of the rusted areas will be to trim it off, and there goes part of your cage height in the process of doing so.
