snowgyre
Well-known member
I recently ordered a "custom" (as in 6-levels instead of the standard 10) ARS7030 hybrid rack from ARS Caging. I am tremendously impressed. My goal was to get something that wouldn't sag, as a lot of the ABS/PVC racks I've had in the past tend to do. No sagging on this beast, everything but the tubs and glides are metal. It's one of the more expensive racks on the market, but you do get what you pay for.
Pros:
- Rock solid rack. Even the plastic components are tough. The entire base frame is metal.
- The tubs (I got the solid gray tubs) hold heat well despite the rack not being fully enclosed. The 20% ventilation lids hold heat and humidity well in the tub.
- The heat panels are great. Make sure you get the insulated ones. They're worth it. They keep the heat contained on the level instead of losing heat below.
- Shipping was fast! Ordered the rack on a Wednesday, got my order confirmed on a Friday, rack was sent out the following Wednesday, and the rack was at my doorstep (from Indiana to Georgia) by that Friday. Two day shipping for freight was impressive.
- Disassembly is easy by level, however, full disassembly of individual levels requires screw removal, which could mar the integrity of the plastic joins between levels. Not a problem for me, since individual level assembly is all I'd need to do to move (e.g. to a new house because my house doors are too small for it to roll through).
Cons:
- Rack is HEAVY. It grossed around 300lbs for the 6 high. Make sure you buy the casters, moving this thing without them by yourself would be very difficult, if not impossible.
- Shipping is expensive and cost me $179, which I believe is the minimum charge for freight, so there's not much flexibility ARS has there.
TIPS if you're planning to get one:
- The directions say to use an electric screwdriver. They're not joking. You will not be able to install the glides with a drill and phillips bit. There is simply not enough clearance. I stripped a few screws before I got frustrated enough to buy a cheap electric screwdriver for the job. Get a model that can fit in tight spots.
- Make sure you get a thermostat that you can set to PULSE instead of proportional. The heat panels will have a noticeable electrical hum if the thermostat is set on proportional. There is no hum if the thermostat is set on pulse.
- Probe placement took some guessing. I ended up dangling it from the glider between two tubs directly above the heat panel. This worked well, although I had to set the thermostat at 85 to get a hot spot of 90 inside the tub. You'll have to do some calibration with thermostat set point depending upon the temperature of your room.
- If you order an incomplete rack like I did, you will need to purchase and custom cut a piece of wood or plastic if you want to use the top of the rack to store supplies. The top shelf has no "top" so to speak, so it is not weight bearing.
Pros:
- Rock solid rack. Even the plastic components are tough. The entire base frame is metal.
- The tubs (I got the solid gray tubs) hold heat well despite the rack not being fully enclosed. The 20% ventilation lids hold heat and humidity well in the tub.
- The heat panels are great. Make sure you get the insulated ones. They're worth it. They keep the heat contained on the level instead of losing heat below.
- Shipping was fast! Ordered the rack on a Wednesday, got my order confirmed on a Friday, rack was sent out the following Wednesday, and the rack was at my doorstep (from Indiana to Georgia) by that Friday. Two day shipping for freight was impressive.
- Disassembly is easy by level, however, full disassembly of individual levels requires screw removal, which could mar the integrity of the plastic joins between levels. Not a problem for me, since individual level assembly is all I'd need to do to move (e.g. to a new house because my house doors are too small for it to roll through).
Cons:
- Rack is HEAVY. It grossed around 300lbs for the 6 high. Make sure you buy the casters, moving this thing without them by yourself would be very difficult, if not impossible.
- Shipping is expensive and cost me $179, which I believe is the minimum charge for freight, so there's not much flexibility ARS has there.
TIPS if you're planning to get one:
- The directions say to use an electric screwdriver. They're not joking. You will not be able to install the glides with a drill and phillips bit. There is simply not enough clearance. I stripped a few screws before I got frustrated enough to buy a cheap electric screwdriver for the job. Get a model that can fit in tight spots.
- Make sure you get a thermostat that you can set to PULSE instead of proportional. The heat panels will have a noticeable electrical hum if the thermostat is set on proportional. There is no hum if the thermostat is set on pulse.
- Probe placement took some guessing. I ended up dangling it from the glider between two tubs directly above the heat panel. This worked well, although I had to set the thermostat at 85 to get a hot spot of 90 inside the tub. You'll have to do some calibration with thermostat set point depending upon the temperature of your room.
- If you order an incomplete rack like I did, you will need to purchase and custom cut a piece of wood or plastic if you want to use the top of the rack to store supplies. The top shelf has no "top" so to speak, so it is not weight bearing.