Easiest lack diy?

[Bethyboo11]

Hi everyone!
I am wanting to set up a diy ikea cage. I was initially going to do the detolf, however someone suggested the lack, which is apparently easier and better for a Syrian
Considering I'm not DIY guru, I want the simplest, and easiest cage. Which, in your opinion, is easier?

[pinkneon]

I found a Youtube video on the lack cage. I think for the detolf you only need to make a lid, unless you plan to split it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtDdjWtIG58

[CMB]

Detolf looksi easiest.

Third option is the IKEA Billy cage hack.

https://youtu.be/Qy-GKabRQdY

Also have a look at the Billy cage extension videos.

[velma]

I think the detolf would be simpler as its only the lids that would need constructing seperately, the rest is made following the manufacturers instructions as intended. I think from any lack cages I've seen, it's more of a construction job. It also depends on what space you have in your house and what suitable furniture you have for it to go on to support the underneath. The only other thing to consider is the temperament of your hamster and what space they are likely to be most comfortable with. For some hams the bigger the better while others get in better in a more contained environment.
I look firard to seeing your project whichever way you go!

[AmityvilleHams]

The easiest DIY is just stapling mesh on the sides and making DIY lids for each unit.You could add doors if you really wanted or for stacking units(no lid access if they're stacked)but that takes hinges,more materials,etc.

To keep substrate in,all you have to do is cut cardboard to the length of the sides of the units.For Syrians,12 inches is a good height.

This method is the easiest and cheapest,nothing fancy or bulky or ridiculously expensive.You could at some point add plexiglass sides if you really wanted,but that does make the DIY cost more and it is harder to make so just mesh sides with cardboard substrate borders is the easiest way to go.The borders can be taped on where they are in areas that the hamster cannot chew at so for example the outside edge of a table leg.

There are quite a few drawbacks of the Detolf compared to a Lack table hack.For example,the Detolf is going to be heavier and more fragile as well as being more difficult to make the actual setup.Bottles are a big problem since they do have to go inside the cage,and wheels take up valuable substrate depth due to the Detolf being pretty much a tank.The only way to change that would be making topper style lids,but at that point you're putting less effort into the Lack tables anyways so the Detolf isn't exactly the easy way out,and that's not even considering the cost being so much more relative to the actual floor space vs the floor space of the Lack in a square meter formation.