Hamster Wheels

Emma · 04-28-2005, 08:42 AM

What sort/brand of wheels does everyone use?

The new robo girls will be living in our bedroom, so I'm looking for quieter free-standing wheel options. The one I have (cheapy wilko's own brand - just 99p) is fine and probably won't make that much noise, but I'm looking around just in case. Up until now Alfie has been in our bedroom (he's now moving to the study) and he doesn't use a wheel at all, so no noise problems.

I like the sound of the "silent spinner", but can't find it available in the UK, and US online stores charge $30 shipping for a $5 wheel. I have found a UK chinchilla online store selling the giant silent spinner and have emailed them to see if they stock the regular/mini sizes as they weren't on the website.

What about other options? The boys have an old rotastak "wonder wheel" which can be a bit squeaky but we oil it with vegetable oil. The only downside is that the wheel is at quite an angle (sloping backwards) - the boys seem to like it though.

Other wheels I have are all designed to go on cage bars - I have a few of the small ferplast ones that came with cages, and a larger syrian one that is brilliantly silent - shame I can't use it in a tank!

What wheels do you have - and how noisy are they?

What wheels do you have?

SnuggleHam · 04-28-2005, 09:29 AM

Emma I wish I could help you out, but the best wheel I know of is the Silent Spinners. They are perfect for small dwarf hamsters. My two Robos are in my bedroom and we never hear the wheel spinning, in fact the sound of them drinking from the water bottle is the loudest.

For the gerbils the SS make a bit more of a rattle because they are a bit heavier and kind of have a hop to their run. I find that weighting it down with a heavy stone helps allot.

Maybe if you can find a good wheel on a stand you can weight it down with a flat rock to keep it still. Other that that maybe you can find a good wire meshed wheel, the only problem with then is they might squeak but its nothing a little vegetable oil can fix.

Here is a link.. its a link from the petsmart website but its a picture so you know what Im talking about...

Click Here Its called a Super Pet Run-A Rounds

DejaVuaoa · 04-28-2005, 07:26 PM

Have you take a look at Wodent Wheels? They are super.

Emma · 04-29-2005, 12:17 AM

I think the mesh wheels are just as bad as runged wheels, especially for little robo legs - which could be solved with a strip of cardboard but I'd prefer to go for a solid all-plastic one.

Anyway - sucess!!! I just found a mini silent spinner on UK ebay for £5

so that should be here in a few days.

I have seen wodent wheels (they are available from UK online shops but never seen one in real life) - I wasn't sure about them for a robo pair/group though as my two boys like to jump in and out of the wheel whilst the other is running (they can fit side by side in it) - they run so fast, it seems like with a wodent wheel they have to go in & out of the access holes might make it more difficult for them.

I'd like to try a wodent wheel though (as they seem so popular!) when I have a suitable hamster - Alfie is the only singleton at the moment and he steadfastly refuses a wheel.

**babyboos** · 04-29-2005, 04:26 AM

For Roborovski Silent Spinner is best due to the speed they seem to get up and as you say Emma they do like to share and jump on and off

which is so amazing to watch - this just isn't possible with the entrance holes on a Wodent Wheel. For Alfi though it would be good to try him on a Wodent Wheel especially as you say he is a "handful"

Again eBay is the best place to get them in UK.

Please, please, please nobody buy wire rung or mesh wheels, it just isn't worth the risk of injury, especially when there are so many solid alternatives out there, with additonal advantages. The Silent spinner truely is a quiet wheel - where noise is less of an issue Comfort Wheels or Wodent Wheels are great. Most hamster species like to run with a solid surface at their side - "wall-huggers" is an affectionate term I have heard given to them and all of these wheels have this making the hamster feel more secure in his excercise period.

What did we do before eBay UK??? I pick up new water bottles for pennies there all the time and they have lots of duna cages which I favour for dwarf hamsters. I hope you guys around the world get the same bargains

Emma · 05-03-2005, 08:27 AM

Well the silent spinner is here now and the girls have that and the wilko's one in their tank to avoid any squabbles!

The ss really is quiet! Compared to the wilko's one, which doesn't squeak at all just the general rattle/motion noise of a wheel, the ss is completely silent. It has a very smooth action though, perhaps a little too smooth, I saw Shirley do a double loop-the-loop in it (shes tiny). She jumped straight back in though.

I'm on the lookout for more silent spinners, I'm very impressed with how quiet they are, next academic year all the hams will probably be living in my study/bedroom so quiet may be the way to go.

So if anyone spots any ss in the UK, give me a heads up!

**babyboos** · 05-04-2005, 10:43 PM

The only place I have came across them is online petshops or eBay so far. I wish Pets at Home or one of the big stores would take them on although I would grudge buying one there as this would be giving my support to them... I have asked my local small store but they just don't have them in their supplier catalogues.

Emma · 05-05-2005, 08:29 PM

I guess there's no chance of them being in the UK unless pet supplies wholesalers take them up.......hmm, maybe we should write some letters! Or maybe I should import a bundle and sell them here and fund my degree a bit

there's obviously a demand!

I just found some more available on UK ebay

, there seems to be a small trickle of them.

**babyboos** · 05-05-2005, 10:51 PM

I do this sometimes - luckily I have friends and family in USA and Canada who can send me items for cost rather than profit

Coco1 · 05-06-2005, 02:45 AM

I LOVE the silent spinners, that is what I used for Nibbles up untill this week, when I moved him to a wodent wheel as he out grew the 61/2 " SS wheel. I REALLY wished they made an 8" SS wheel! Crazy! I would hands down get a SS spinnner again if they did an 8". For a dwarf hammy the 61/2 is perfect. They do do smaller ones, which I'm sure are fine for teeny hammies or mice.

I do like this Wodent wheel thought (separate post added) and I do find it quiet. The only thing I can hear is his little feet go "pitter patter" on the wheel, but I have to get down and put my ear to the cage to hear it. I'm sure they may vary from wheel to wheel but I did put a touch of oil as recomended alon the axle joints where it rubs and its absoultely fine, no squeeking or rattling.

Hope this helps