# What wheel is the best??



## tmr200 (Jun 19, 2014)

I have decided to get a wheel for my 4 ratties. What wheel do you recommend??


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## isabelleharris (Jul 15, 2014)

The employee at the pet store recommended the saucer wheel. It looks like a tilted plastic plate on a base.


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## inod3 (Jun 13, 2014)

My favorite is the wodent wheel wobust. It has a semi enclosed nature that I think makes it more attractive to run in. I suspect more rats would use a wheel if the option was a wodent wheel but don't have anything to back that up.

Probably the big three are silent spinner, comfort wheel, wodent wheel. All solid floor wheels (some feel that wire can snag a toenail). 

The silent spinner feels marvelously well constructed. Ball bearing axle, it really is very quiet, rotates smoothly. Edges are smooth. Cleans up easily. 

The comfort wheel is cheap, but works. Both the silent spinner and comfort wheel are easily obtainable - often carried by pet stores. Whereas the wodent wheels you have to order online. Another downside to the wodent wheel is it's more work to clean as it breaks down into some small pieces. The running surface is a long piece of plastic with a plastic joiner piece where the ends meet, then the front and back come off, there's two small plastic washers and a tiny metal clip to hold it together.

There's also alternatives like the flying saucers, though often when people try it the rats don't go for it even if the rats will run a wheel.

And many rats will never use a wheel. Girls are more likely than boys, younger boys more likely than older boys. It can end up being nothing more than a comfy sleep spot.


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

I have a silent spinner and it is not silent, especially when its attached to the cage. When it was on my smaller cage, it would rattle the whole thing. Now that I have a big cage, it doesnt rattle but it still makes noise when a rattie runs on it. But, it is easy to wipe down and take apart and clean. I've had mine almost 2 years and it hasnt broken. It doesnt squeak or anything like that and it is a good wheel, my girls love it, but its not completely silent.


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## SneakyLord (Mar 22, 2014)

I must say the 'silent spinner' is more 'quiet spinner', however it's the quietist ive had though and attaches to the cage easily, but if the bars aren't strong it can rattle.


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

My silent spinner must be defective then lol. I have one for my mice and it's the loudest wheel I've ever owned . 


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

I have a Magnum Wheel. It's pretty silent compared to the Silent Spinner I had before that, except the tapping of feet. My little Lynn likes to run a hundred miles an hour on it for about thirty minutes at a time.


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## Aeyna (Jun 16, 2014)

I have this one in the largest size: http://www.petsmart.com/small-pet/t...36-catid-600014?var_id=36-14615&_t=pfm=search

We have it attached to the wall of the cage, and it's extremely quiet. Plus it's wide enough that I usually have two rats in it together.


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## LittleSparrow (Apr 14, 2014)

I like the metal wheels that have a mesh floor to run on. I find that when they pee and poo in the plastic ones, it kind of stays in there as they run around on it. With the wire mesh ones, the pee just kind of goes through. They do get squeeky though, which is kind of annoying. Especially if they're like my rats who like to run at 3am! Lol


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## NeeNee (Feb 5, 2014)

Aeyna said:


> I have this one in the largest size: http://www.petsmart.com/small-pet/toys-habitat-accessories/super-pet-comfort-wheel-zid36-14615/cat-36-catid-600014?var_id=36-14615&_t=pfm%3Dsearch
> 
> We have it attached to the wall of the cage, and it's extremely quiet. Plus it's wide enough that I usually have two rats in it together.


I have this one as well and its attached to my cage. It's quite old and used now but still pretty quiet. The cage is 2 feet from my head and it doesn't wake me when they use it at night.


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## crazyratgirl101 (Nov 29, 2013)

I have the comfort wheel. That thing is LOUD! You can hear it in the kitchen and the rats are in my bedroom on the other side of the house -_-


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## inod3 (Jun 13, 2014)

With most wheels you can lubricate them if they get noisy. With some, it's pretty much mandatory. Like all of the mesh wheels I've ever owned and also the wodent wheels you want a little lubricant where the wheel touches the axle. Be sure to use something safe - vegetable oil is convenient since most people already have that.


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## Aeyna (Jun 16, 2014)

crazyratgirl101 said:


> I have the comfort wheel. That thing is LOUD! You can hear it in the kitchen and the rats are in my bedroom on the other side of the house -_-


I must have gotten lucky with mine. I can only hear the rats feet, not the actual wheel. It's one of the few sounds I can sleep through, lol.


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## PawsandClaws (Jul 22, 2014)

I have the Wodent Wheel and I am happy with the amount of noise that it makes. Sometimes it will get very loud when the boys are being rambunctious and going into it two at a time but otherwise, it is one of the quieter wheels I have owned. I have also heard fairly good things about the Silent Spinners but opted out of getting one because I thought my boys would prefer the closed space. It must have been a good purchase because 3 out of 4 of the boys I have use our wheel and fight over who gets to be in it!


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## crazyratgirl101 (Nov 29, 2013)

I have to put oil on my comfort wheel every few days so I can sleep lol.


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## PawsandClaws (Jul 22, 2014)

I have only oiled mine up twice since I got it. I guess I was just lucky in that regard or maybe the Wodent Wheel is a super race of wheel  haha. I could not imagine having to do it every few days as the rats sleep in our bedroom! It would probably drive us crazy if it squeaked as loud as some of my older wheels.


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## SneakyLord (Mar 22, 2014)

LittleSparrow said:


> I like the metal wheels that have a mesh floor to run on. I find that when they pee and poo in the plastic ones, it kind of stays in there as they run around on it. With the wire mesh ones, the pee just kind of goes through. They do get squeeky though, which is kind of annoying. Especially if they're like my rats who like to run at 3am! Lol


 Metal wheels are really bad, they get can their toes and tails caught in it and have them ripped off! If the mesh spacing is wide enough for poo and pee to go through, it may cause injury. However, if the mesh is very small, then it should be fine. The wire rod ones are the absolute worst, the classical wheels, they are almost guaranteed to cause discomfort, injury and general hard to use-ness.


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## deedeeiam (Apr 8, 2014)

Fun trick to noisy wheels....sex lube. No joke. It works great and lasts a long time.

I've had a ton of good use from the Comfort Wheels.


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