Dwarf wheel

[Engel]

Ok this may sound weird coming from me as I'm quite knowledgeable about hamsters I guess.

Those of you that own dwarf hamsters. Specifically Campbell's, Winter Whites or hybrids.
What size wheel do you use?

My robo uses a 7" silent spinner which is awesome. So quiet and perfect for him. But would this be too small for their larger cousins? As I read that they are 4" in length meaning a 8" wheel minimum for them. Now Ive never seen an adult Russian hamster in the flesh so I don't truly know how big they are.

Can anyone recommend a silent wheel for dwarf hamsters that's 8"?

Thanks

[auroraxo7]

i have a dwarf and i use an 8" and it definitely seems like a good size

[Ria P]

My robo and the dwarfs run fine on a 7in wheel. Edwina dwarf also has the 7in silent spinner in her playpen and runs on that as well. That's the wheel they've got in the photo.
The dwarfs also have the flying saucer which they run on too.
I got the 8.5in kaytee comfort wheel for the spare cage but the foster ham moved out before i got that wheel so can't comment on it as yet.

The savic orbital medium, the lime green wheel would also be an option.

[Engel]

Originally Posted by Ria P

My robo and the dwarfs run fine on a 7in wheel. Edwina dwarf also has the 7in silent spinner in her playpen and runs on that as well. That's the wheel they've got in the photo.
The dwarfs also have the flying saucer which they run on too.
I got the 8.5in kaytee comfort wheel for the spare cage but the foster ham moved out before i got that wheel so can't comment on it as yet.

The savic orbital medium, the lime green wheel would also be an option.

Niko has the 7" p@h one and it's lovely and quiet. Easy to clean and everything. I just love it. So if Russian hamsters can get away with 7" wheels I'll probably get another p@h one as they're just that good imo.

I personally think that flying saucers are dangerous as they don't promote a healthy, natural running position. But if it works for you then can't complain really

Is that the comfort wheel which has a large metal spoke sticking out the middle?

I was looking at getting the wooden Trixie wheel but I've heard robos struggle moving it, even the smaller size. Also considering how much Niko pees and poops and eats on his wheel, i would have to drown it in plastikote to try and make it wipeable

I don't think I've seen the savic orbital so I'll have a look at that one

[Engel]

Originally Posted by auroraxo7

i have a dwarf and i use an 8" and it definitely seems like a good size

Awesome. Can you tell me what wheel you use and how quiet it is?

[auroraxo7]

i have the trixie 8" in black which i ordered from ebay, it makes near to no noise i would definitely recommend this

[Ria P]

Originally Posted by Engel

Is that the comfort wheel which has a large metal spoke sticking out the middle?

The spindle is plastic but i much prefer a wheel with wheel bearings and a flat centre like the one in the photo which was out of stock. I'm still planning to replace the comfort wheel which will then go in a playpen.
The flying saucer is an additional wheel and the hams have an upright one as well.
Their running technique on the flying saucer varies from hamster to hamster. They all have their own style. Edwina runs very smoothly in a horizontal position and a straight back. She has perfected her technique but she's quite a clever hamster. Some hams run in a weird bendy position which looks uncomfortable to me and some try to run almost vertically, keep falling off or the whole hamster goes round and round.
All the dwarfs use both type of wheels but the robo only likes the upright wheel so i took the saucer one out.

Dwarfs vary a lot in size and they all seem to pee or poop in their wheels, some more than others. I only buy plastic wheels so i can wipe them when needed.

[Engel]

Originally Posted by auroraxo7

i have the trixie 8" in black which i ordered from ebay, it makes near to no noise i would definitely recommend this

Ugh I have the plastic Trixie wheel for my Syrians and out of the 3 on 1 is quiet. Apparently the wooden one is real quiet in comparison but I'm unsure if robos will be able to use it

[Engel]

Originally Posted by Ria P

The spindle is plastic but i much prefer a wheel with wheel bearings and a flat centre like the one in the photo which was out of stock. I'm still planning to replace the comfort wheel which will then go in a playpen.
The flying saucer is an additional wheel and the hams have an upright one as well.
Their running technique on the flying saucer varies from hamster to hamster. They all have their own style. Edwina runs very smoothly in a horizontal position and a straight back. She has perfected her technique but she's quite a clever hamster. Some hams run in a weird bendy position which looks uncomfortable to me and some try to run almost vertically, keep falling off or the whole hamster goes round and round.
All the dwarfs use both type of wheels but the robo only likes the upright wheel so i took the saucer one out.

Dwarfs vary a lot in size and they all seem to pee or poop in their wheels, some more than others. I only buy plastic wheels so i can wipe them when needed.

Yeh I understand. My worry with the spindle is the fact I've seen Niko run and then slam on the brakes which then means the wheel takes him to the top then he drops down. I worry that if there's a spindle, they'd hit their back on the way down? Hence why I too prefer the flush ball bearing wheels like you mentioned.

Please don't think that I was bashing you for using a saucer. It's a personal thing. I kind of compare it to us running on a treadmill then trying to run on the roundabout in a kids play park.

Some use it fine and have no issues and that's ok. Your gang like them and use them successfully and that's fine. It's just something I wouldn't use personally. So please don't try and justify yourself Ria. I know you're very knowledgeable and have your hamsters best interests at heart. If it works for your lot, it works. As I said it's just something I wouldn't use personally

I've only ever owned Syrians and 1 robo and Niko makes a mess on his wheel like no one's business. I have heard from various others that their dwarf hamster does the same so in my eyes a plastic wheel is the only sensible option. At the moment I'm wiping Nikos wheel down every 3rd day. If I do it any sooner I find he almost marks it and I found myself cleaning it everyday. Now he can stretch to 3 days and it's not as bad as it was

[Ria P]

Originally Posted by Engel

Yeh I understand. My worry with the spindle is the fact I've seen Niko run and then slam on the brakes which then means the wheel takes him to the top then he drops down. I worry that if there's a spindle, they'd hit their back on the way down? Hence why I too prefer the flush ball bearing wheels like you mentioned.

Please don't think that I was bashing you for using a saucer. It's a personal thing. I kind of compare it to us running on a treadmill then trying to run on the roundabout in a kids play park.

Some use it fine and have no issues and that's ok. Your gang like them and use them successfully and that's fine. It's just something I wouldn't use personally. So please don't try and justify yourself Ria. I know you're very knowledgeable and have your hamsters best interests at heart. If it works for your lot, it works. As I said it's just something I wouldn't use personally

I've only ever owned Syrians and 1 robo and Niko makes a mess on his wheel like no one's business. I have heard from various others that their dwarf hamster does the same so in my eyes a plastic wheel is the only sensible option. At the moment I'm wiping Nikos wheel down every 3rd day. If I do it any sooner I find he almost marks it and I found myself cleaning it everyday. Now he can stretch to 3 days and it's not as bad as it was

No, no i wasn't trying to justify the use of flying saucers, why would i? All i did was explain that different hamsters have different techniques of running on them because i thought it might be an interesting observation .

You have a valid point with the spindle and the fact that a hamster could fall on top of it. I have seen lightweights like our robo do a full circle and fall out of the wheel but not the one he has now because it has a wider running surface.

After giving it some thought, of about two minutes, i packed up the comfort wheel and returned it to Amazon because i don't want it anymore, the spindle did bother me but i didn't know exactly why until you enlightened me. Thank you.