This thread was from when Silent runner wheels first came out and we were all trying to fix them together and working out the joining strip. I actually contacted the manufacturers who confirmed the 9" and 12" have different lengths of joining strip. The 9" is about a centimetre shorter. So it can't be I have the wrong joining strip or there'd be a bigger gap, but it may be a faulty joining strip.
Cloudy - yes I can imagine those Tic Tac wheels would be sturdier on the stand and it also maybe depends on how strong your cage bars are for cage mounting. Looks like it will last forever!
I just read that. It was nice to hear all your excitement about them.
I also think the tic tac wheels look like they will last forever. I am very impressed with their design. They are not flimsy at all. I see they seem to always have some in the clearance which is handy too.
I actually did a video reviewing it and showing how to put it together when they had just come out! Six years ago now. So it's flummoxed me that there is a small gap inside with this current one when I know it shouldn't be there! At the time it was an exciting new thing as the only real choice was wodent wheels or the 12" silent spinner (which was huge and not silent and didn't spin that well) or the trixie wood and plastic ones. This was the first large wheel that easily attached to bars.
Now though, I think I prefer open wheels (for cleaning) and there is more choice - but it's still a great wheel (if no gaps) and hamsters love it - but then hamsters love most big wheels! I thought this was expensive at £25!
There's a video here of someone actually attaching a 14" tic tac wheel to the cage bars of a Coco rat cage which is 100 x 54 so similar size to the plaza. My only concern with the
Plaza is it's not a solid cage top - solid bars. It's a knockdown cage - I wonder if the bars would be strong enough.
I see she has decorated the outside of her tic tac wheel!
My only concern with the
Plaza is it's not a solid cage top - solid bars. It's a knockdown cage - I wonder if the bars would be strong
I don't think the Plaza or Alaska would be strong enough for a big wheel. It even states on the Tic Tac website that additional support may be required.
I'm going to wait and see how cloudy's future hamster gets on with the smooth running surface which is my main concern.
I think you're right, they're probably better on a stand. And I'm not sure I want to pay that much for a wheel! Although if it lasts a very long time it could be worth it. Trixie wheels may be cheap but tend not to last that long - although maybe a couple of years.
Seller says a small gap inside is normal to prevent infection and asked me to send a photo. So I think he's saying it's normal. It didn't used to be so I think they have changed slightly.
Funnily enough OH also suggested sticking something over the gap Cloudy! He said chewing gum though, which was not helpful! A dab of glue maybe that sets - but then I could never take the wheel apart!
Might do. The weight might put the wheel off balance, or it might be chewed. Same with a blob of glue actually. The tiny gap is actually at both sides as well - more the inside though. You can see the black edge under the gap so it's not "open" as such, but it's still somewhere to catch a toe nail.