Which is better??
- Thread starter Libren470
- Start date
rg for cages
Michael Ryan
New Member
DIY cages are known to rust because they are imported and not made as well as LLL's cages. LLL cages are made right here in socal
OldSkoolxReasons
New Member
Lll>diy
I have both type of cages. Well only 4 from DIY and 20 or so from LLL. I originally got my cages from LLL and then found the DIY site and decided to order a few from them because I had new chams coming in and likes the stainless steel aspect and the latches for the doors seemed easier to use than lll's in the pic on DIY site. They have been nothing but a nightmare. The top latch for 3 or the 4 cages has fallen out and now all my doors are bending and i have to use a piece of tape to close the tops of my doors on those four cages so the roaches and mantids don't squeeze out during feeing time for my meller's. I have never had that problem with any of my LLL cages and I've had most of my LLL cages two to three times as long as my DIY cages. They are about to be replaced with the cages I'm about to order and they are going to turn into spare pieces for my LLL cages that have any tears in the screen from my small monitors or heavy chams crawling up them all the time when they see me with the food. I'd go with LLL cages but thats just me.
Justin
I have both type of cages. Well only 4 from DIY and 20 or so from LLL. I originally got my cages from LLL and then found the DIY site and decided to order a few from them because I had new chams coming in and likes the stainless steel aspect and the latches for the doors seemed easier to use than lll's in the pic on DIY site. They have been nothing but a nightmare. The top latch for 3 or the 4 cages has fallen out and now all my doors are bending and i have to use a piece of tape to close the tops of my doors on those four cages so the roaches and mantids don't squeeze out during feeing time for my meller's. I have never had that problem with any of my LLL cages and I've had most of my LLL cages two to three times as long as my DIY cages. They are about to be replaced with the cages I'm about to order and they are going to turn into spare pieces for my LLL cages that have any tears in the screen from my small monitors or heavy chams crawling up them all the time when they see me with the food. I'd go with LLL cages but thats just me.
Justin
steelheadchaser
Member
I have both LLL and DIY enclosures in the 2'x2'x4' size.
The front of the LLL is divided into three sections; a fixed upper panel, the door section and a lower panel.
The lower panel can be opened by pivoting it on the pair of screws which hold it in place. It is held closed by two rotating plastic catches, as is the door. This makes for convenient access to the bottom of the cage, especially if your chameleon is like mine and comes to the front of the enclosure to crawl on your arm at every opportunity. However, I find that the combination of top panel and a shorter door makes moving taller plants in and out tricky. Also, the top panel seems to always be in the way when photographing Feldman, as it covers the elevation where he spends much of his time. The cage is held together by stainless steel sheet metal screws. Hinges are plated steel. The frame and screen material is aluminum.
The LLL has available at extra cost a shallow, fitted tray to catch small amounts of overflow from misting or a dripper. One could install a petcock or other device to drain this shallow pan into a larger container. It's a nice option to have if needed.
The front of the DIY cage has two two sections, consisting of a large door that extend approximately 36" from the top of the cage where it meets the fixed 12" tall bottom panel.
The DIY door has a metal handle and two metal latches. The latches appear to be stainless steel but the handle on mine clearly magnetic, as are the hinges and screws, indicating plated steel. The frame and screen material is aluminum. I find the handle useful and the two hasps contribute to the solid feel of the cage when secured. The hasps can be a bit "grabby" at times when engaging or disengaging them. The lower front panel is attached by seven sheet metal screws, two on each side and three across the bottom front. This solidly mounted panel contributes to the DIY cages more solid feel, in my opinion. It also makes access to the bottom of the cage more problematic. It would be a simple matter to remove one screw on each side and the three across the to make the bottom section pivot as on the LLL. The small plastic closures similar to the those used on the LLL are available at most hardware stores and could easily be fitted to the DIY cage. However, if one removes five of the seven screws to allow the panel to tilt open, much of what makes the DIY feel so rigid would likely be lost. There is no fixed top panel on the DIY to help compensate as the rest of the front is all door.
There is no drip tray available for the DIY cage and the one made for the LLL is too short in one dimension to fit the DIY cage.
Both cages have their share of pros and cons. Both cages are a good value for the money. Neither is perfect. If you want a black cage the choice is simpler - you are limited to the LLL, the DIY currently comes only in gray.
I can't really recommend one cage over the other. For me, there is no clear winner. One will need to decide for ones self which combination of features are the most important for their application.
The front of the LLL is divided into three sections; a fixed upper panel, the door section and a lower panel.
The lower panel can be opened by pivoting it on the pair of screws which hold it in place. It is held closed by two rotating plastic catches, as is the door. This makes for convenient access to the bottom of the cage, especially if your chameleon is like mine and comes to the front of the enclosure to crawl on your arm at every opportunity. However, I find that the combination of top panel and a shorter door makes moving taller plants in and out tricky. Also, the top panel seems to always be in the way when photographing Feldman, as it covers the elevation where he spends much of his time. The cage is held together by stainless steel sheet metal screws. Hinges are plated steel. The frame and screen material is aluminum.
The LLL has available at extra cost a shallow, fitted tray to catch small amounts of overflow from misting or a dripper. One could install a petcock or other device to drain this shallow pan into a larger container. It's a nice option to have if needed.
The front of the DIY cage has two two sections, consisting of a large door that extend approximately 36" from the top of the cage where it meets the fixed 12" tall bottom panel.
The DIY door has a metal handle and two metal latches. The latches appear to be stainless steel but the handle on mine clearly magnetic, as are the hinges and screws, indicating plated steel. The frame and screen material is aluminum. I find the handle useful and the two hasps contribute to the solid feel of the cage when secured. The hasps can be a bit "grabby" at times when engaging or disengaging them. The lower front panel is attached by seven sheet metal screws, two on each side and three across the bottom front. This solidly mounted panel contributes to the DIY cages more solid feel, in my opinion. It also makes access to the bottom of the cage more problematic. It would be a simple matter to remove one screw on each side and the three across the to make the bottom section pivot as on the LLL. The small plastic closures similar to the those used on the LLL are available at most hardware stores and could easily be fitted to the DIY cage. However, if one removes five of the seven screws to allow the panel to tilt open, much of what makes the DIY feel so rigid would likely be lost. There is no fixed top panel on the DIY to help compensate as the rest of the front is all door.
There is no drip tray available for the DIY cage and the one made for the LLL is too short in one dimension to fit the DIY cage.
Both cages have their share of pros and cons. Both cages are a good value for the money. Neither is perfect. If you want a black cage the choice is simpler - you are limited to the LLL, the DIY currently comes only in gray.
I can't really recommend one cage over the other. For me, there is no clear winner. One will need to decide for ones self which combination of features are the most important for their application.
Last edited:
chamkid0288
New Member
just got a 2x2x4 today...love it, and its on sale right now...
Phoenixguy77
New Member
I Just got the LLL one and it was easy to put together, and my Cham loves it. Ive heard of problems with the DIY latching systems.
steelheadchaser
Member
Or the photo on their site isn't actually of a 48" tall cage. They are using the same photo in the description of all five sizes. I now have another LLL and it has a three panel front as well. LLL sent it to me only a couple of weeks ago. The photo in the instruction sheet shows three panels also.
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