Flying Saucer Wheels

Hello! I apologize for the tardiness of this post; I was experiencing some technical difficulties.

Flying saucers are a very common wheel used for small pets, but are they really okay to use? Are they superior to traditional wheels, or should they be avoided at all cost?

Today we’ll be looking through the pros and cons of using flying saucer wheels for hamsters, as well as my personal experience, and linking some input from other people who’ve used this wheel for their pets at the end.

My Experiences With The Flying Saucer

I purchased a collection of hamster supplies from a Buy’n’Sell website some months ago, and with it came a purple 7″ flying saucer.

When I brought my precious little Stew (a Roborovski) home, I discovered he couldn’t run in his rather heavy 6″ Silent Spinner (which I was planning to upgrade when he was bigger). The flying saucer was a wonderful replacement to have on hand, as it’s a very lightweight wheel even my young Robo could push it easily.

This wheel was great for about a week until the clattering started.

This wheel would make a dreadful clattering noise, and nothing stopped it (oiling, tying yarn around the axle, attempting to tighten it… nada).

It was then when I ordered the replacement wheel (the flawless, orange, 8″ Nite Angel wheel).

I don’t know if I’d use or buy a flying saucer again, however, and had it not been so noisy, I would’ve used it until Stew outgrew it.

Cons

• Noise

This wheel was sleep-depriving, and nothing could silence it.

• Space

When it is the correct size for your hamster, this wheel takes up a lot of space.

Pros

• Lightweight

This wheel worked great for my baby Roborovski; no trouble pushing it.

Overall…

I only talked about things that make this wheel different from a traditional wheel, and as you can see, there’s not a lot there.

It takes up a lot of space, is noisy, and lightweight. That works for some people and their hamsters, I’m just not one of them.

Conclusion

There’s no reason not to use a flying saucer wheel (as long as it’s the correct size, of course), but I would tell anyone considering it not to waste their money.

There are plenty of awesome traditional wheels that are nicer than a saucer, and are definitely worth investing in (Nite Angel comes to mind).

#notsponsoredbyniteangel

In the end, it’s your decision. Please let me know in the Reply section below what wheel you use and if you like it! You know the drill; if you’re interested in more hamster-related content be sure to like this post and follow the blog, and I’ll be back on Tuesday with more small pet care, DIYs, recipes, cage setups, stories and more, have a ham-tastic day!

Sources

Hamster Hideout Forum – Wheel or flying saucer?

Hamster Central Forum – Flying Saucer Wheel Warning!!

-Check out my other posts to learn more about hamster wheels!-