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Post by LilyandDaisy on Apr 12, 2022 8:23:51 GMT -8
The 28cm wooden Trixie wheel is my favourite wheel to use for gerbils. The 28cm size is good for most gerbils. I think there is a 33cm size which would be even better. It is not silent but very quiet. All you can hear is the patter of gerbil feet and a swishing noise. My oldest wheel has been in use for over two years now and is still just as quiet as when it was new. It has a cork running surface which is safe for gerbils' feet, but some gerbils might chew the cork. Mine never have, but it's a possibility. I have seen some photos of wooden wheels that have been absolutely trashed! The cork may also absorb urine so I painted it with a few coats of clear Plastikote Project Enamel to protect it. These wheels can be quite variable in quality. Some of them are great, whereas others arrive very wobbly and with poorly fitted cork running tracks, so it can be a bit of gamble buying one. These wheels are usually relatively inexpensive compared to some of the other wooden wheels on the market which can go up to £50 or £60. I consider them very good value despite the variable quality.   |
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Post by gerbilmomm on Jun 26, 2022 17:20:37 GMT -8
Thanks for your post and good idea about coating the wheel! I have a wooden Niteangel wheel with cork. It definitely smells like urine and I'm shopping for a new one because I feel it's not healthy for them to smell that all day. It came with replacement cork, but I don't see how you would replace the cork since whatever adhesive they used is very strong. I thought about chiseling it out but decided it would be pain.
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Thea
Member
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Post by Thea on Aug 24, 2022 12:17:16 GMT -8
Thanks for the review LilyandDaisy, I was looking for a wooden wheel for my gerbils as the 11" plastic wheel they have they would occasionally chew which I didn't feel too comfortable with. I ordered this one yesterday and it arrived today and they've tested it out and seem to approve! It's so much quieter than the old one which is great, and seems sturdy  |
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Post by icecontroller2529 on Aug 25, 2022 8:05:08 GMT -8
Thanks for the review and the tip with the coating, LilyandDaisy. We use the same wheels, and as for the wobbliness, in our case, the 28 cm wheels are not wobbly at all. They are stable and absolutely quiet. However, the 33 cm version (we have one of them) is a different story. I don't know whether we got a "bad one" or whether all of them are this way. Anyway, our 33 cm wheel - is very wobbly
- makes a lot of noise
- requires a lot of strength to move
The last point doesn't seem to be a flaw but maybe just a question of size, maybe this size is just too big for a gerbil. These wheels might be better for rats. The gerbil can't just start running like in the 28 cm wheel, but has to jump up on the front to get it moving by using her entire weight. I can imagine that this might be unpleasant or even impossible for some gerbils, especially young or older gerbils. Our gerbil girl uses the wheel a lot, but she's also very athletic.
I don't feel like buying the 33 cm version again, but I absolutely love the 28 cm wheels.
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Jan 31, 2023 18:30:48 GMT -8
Some updates to this review:
Some people have said the quality of these wheels has declined recently. I think that may be true as I bought a second wheel and it was very wobbly. It also didn't hang properly from the stand but drooped, and sometimes scraped against the base.
Also, these wheels are easily destroyed if your gerbils are so inclined. My previous gerbils never chewed them much but my current gerbil Twiglet succeeded in detaching her wheel from its stand. Fortunately, it was the wobbly one, and I was planning to replace it anyway. Twiglet just got tired of me procrastinating and was kind enough to finish the wheel off while Tictac wheels were still on sale.
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Post by Markpd on Feb 1, 2023 13:20:35 GMT -8
Good gerbil!  Shame to hear about the wheels quality going downhill though. When do you expect to get the tictac wheel? |
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Feb 1, 2023 14:02:37 GMT -8
Good gerbil! Shame to hear about the wheels quality going downhill though. When do you expect to get the tictac wheel? It was dispatched today so hopefully later this week or early next week. |
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Feb 2, 2023 7:13:44 GMT -8
Do you think it's big enough?  |
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Post by icecontroller2529 on Feb 2, 2023 9:18:15 GMT -8
Do you think it's big enough? Oh wow! Time for a review, I think! Do you have a link where to get it? |
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Feb 2, 2023 9:59:29 GMT -8
Do you think it's big enough? Oh wow! Time for a review, I think! Do you have a link where to get it? They ship worldwide! |
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Post by betty on Feb 3, 2023 12:56:13 GMT -8
Love it!
However, I will say that the Trixie plastic wheels have actually improved slightly with a few modifications. Just a better spin, lighter plastic and a thicker-coated base that isn't as tasty to chew as the original.
Interesting that the wooden ones have gone the other way seemingly...
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Post by Markpd on Feb 3, 2023 15:49:10 GMT -8
Do you think it's big enough? Looks good!  Are they managing to run in the same direction yet when on together?  |
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Feb 3, 2023 16:41:38 GMT -8
Do you think it's big enough? Looks good! Are they managing to run in the same direction yet when on together? Unfortunately they don't have the wheel at the moment due to being in the smaller tank (it won't fit). It would be cute to see them running together. The old wheel wasn't quite wide enough. |
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Post by icecontroller2529 on Feb 7, 2023 5:04:43 GMT -8
Thank you! Wow, those colour options! They have a size guide, recommending 10 - 12 inches for gerbils. I would go for 12 rather than 10. Which size is yours? It looks huge. Would be great to get a review once you have had it for a while. |
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Feb 7, 2023 5:30:35 GMT -8
Thank you! Wow, those colour options! They have a size guide, recommending 10 - 12 inches for gerbils. I would go for 12 rather than 10. Which size is yours? It looks huge. Would be great to get a review once you have had it for a while. Mine is 14 inches. In hindsight, 12 inches would have been fine. Twiglet is a big gerbil and the 14 inch wheel is more than big enough for her. They can turn it fine but it's just bigger than it really needs to be! |
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