I wish i found it sooner also. My problem is that my cage isn't made for my saucer and its big and vibrates the whole cage. Its braking the wires. I'm wondering if this would be better for me.
This is true, even with some of the best ... it is not always the wheel, or the cage that is the culprit ... but the combination of both.
Sealed/compressed ball bearings are generally the quietest.
Most wire cages are not made to withstand the vibration caused by the use of any wheel ... regardless of the quality of the wheel.
We have tried different things over the years. Most regular chinchilla cages have wire that is light weight and has been welded at each junction or crossing of each wire. Welding does not stand up well under constant or frequent vibrations ... regardless of the quality of the welding ... eventually, it's gonna give/break.
Wire now being used in cages was originally made to contain or restrict the movements of an animal from one place to another ... but was not designed to stand up under constant or heavy vibration.
The heaver weight cages, normally made of bars rather than wire, are stronger and tend to stand up longer under the vibrations of the wheel, but rarely have the safe distance between the bars needed for a chinchilla safe cage.
So, what do you do? Try using a large piece of plywood on the out side of the cage to help stabilize the cage and wheel, when in use, bracing it around the borders of the plywood from the inside with solid 1" X 1'" or 1" X 2" solid pine boards on the inside of the cage screwed to the plywood board. The larger the area braced, the better the results, usually. The solid pine boards/frame keep the chins from getting to the plywood and helps to form a much larger surface to absorb the vibration.
The "best" solution we have found is to use special play cages that are extra strong/with extra bracing and allow chins to have their play/exercise time in the wheel in it each day, then they can play in their own cages at night.
The quietest solution was to let the chins have their wheels outside of the cage, attached to doors or heavy wooden boxes that are also used to store chin supplies inside.
Assess the problem and be inventive with the solution ... I'm sure there are many other solutions that can be found.
Jo Ann
