Vision Bird Cage Model L02 - Large

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not real sharp about putting things together by myself, but this set-up was a breeze. The instructions were quite simple, and even though everything is plastic (as far as the connecting parts, but the main body of the cage is wire) it all snapped together without a problem and is a very sturdy unit when completed. This version is huge and quite wonderful and could easily hold ten parakeets with room to spare. I wanted something to cut down on the seed mess as parakeets are anything but tidy, and this provided exactly what I was after. I have four parakeets, and they can easily fly to various perches throughout the cage. I added a very large Booda perch on one end that they love to climb, plus a swing, a ladder on the other end that stretches from side to side and various favorite dangling toys for them to enjoy. There is still a lot of room available if I choose to add a nice private and cozy nap house or additional toys. What I really love are the extra large front openings on this unit. These openings are at both bottom and top levels with two doors each (where you can open one or both for more room for your hands when you add items inside). I actually opened both doors on the top and placed the old birdcage against it with the front door opened and the parakeets literally 'stepped' right into their new condo. No stress! It was so nice! It took them about half an hour to take in all the surroundings and realize they didn't die and go to birdie heaven before they began to explore their Disneyland and really have some fun. The only thing that took them a little time to adjust to was having the water and food below as the cage is so tall and spacious that they tend to cluster on the second half since I placed most of the toys there. I readjusted items which led them to the lower level with perches and they finally discovered their food and water on the floor. I also love the covers over the food and water dishes to prevent bird droppings from getting inside. This cage was clearly invented by a bird lover who thought like a bird because my birds adore this spacious unit and couldn't be happier. I will definitely buy another for my Cockatiels in the future.

People say it's easier to clean - sure but if you use the standard cage, all you need to do is to be careful when taking out the bottom paper. What's easy if you have to lift up this one ??BTW, I use it with the stand, making it acceptable - removing it from the stand to clean it would be too crazy."Easier then scraping the bottom grill?" Well, put paper on it so no ugly scraping in either case."Mess stays in the cage because of the wider base?" What a nonsense - the base is wider but whatever leaves the cage WILL NOT fall into that base since... well do I need to explain this for real ? Just see the pictures. What you need to avoid the mess is the cage with that wide collecting frame around the cage...Got it with a crack in the base - hagen didn't ask a question - just sent the replacement part.Overall was worrying about all these plastic tabs- however they don't give up at all even when moved harshly. As for the base - no it doesn't fall off - just need to properly tighten all four..Would I buy it again ? Never - would shell out money for a proper flight cage (more width less height, at least for two parakeets that I have). Would build the mits and dust collecting frame on my own as it's just too useful comparing to this one.

EDIT after approximately 11 months of use. Do note that, according to my conversation with the manufacturer, this model cage has been discontinued.I will be receiving a new cage, with an actual pull-out tray, and sturdier materials, on Friday. After using this cage for quite a while, the problems with it over-rode any benefits. First, the perches started snapping over normal use. After replacing many of them, I was unable to find replacements once the cage and perch model was discontinued. The cage is difficult to clean unless you are strong enough to lift it, and have the space to set the cage and the base down separately when doing so. It wasn't impossible, but a struggle, to get it clean, until I fractured my spine. Having to wait until someone else was home to move the cage for me became a real problem, and I look forward to having a regular cage with the old-fashioned slide-tray, so cleaning will be a one-person job again.Then, as I was unable to get the plastic replacement perches (which are expensive to start with), I put in what I prefer to use anyway: natural branch perches. That is how I discovered that the actual bars of the cage are not well-made. One of my birds (not large birds, not as heavy as a cockatiel, but very playful), jumped on one of the sturdier branch perches. Just that extra bit of weight forced the perch downward and that perfectly normal "bounce" caused one of the bars to snap right off where it joins the upright. Yes -- the metal bar broke, simply from the weight of a starling.That was strike three. This cage is being demoted to storage as soon as the new cage arrives.I will leave my original review below, so shoppers can see the difference almost a year of use makes in one's opinion of the product.=====I'm a wildlife rehabilitator, who specializes in assisting with baby songbirds. This year, I had a pair of starling(*) clutch-mates who, for several reasons, could not be released. They out grew their "baby cage" and needed a larger one, suitable for their size and activity level. Starlings are not large birds, but they aren't canary or finch sized, either. Their inquisitiveness and in-between size means that a cage that is a bit larger, but with bar spacing suitable for smaller birds, is best for them. Starlings have been known to hang themselves if the bars are spaced too widely.The Vision L02 fit the bill. It's a cage with plenty of space, but the bars are only about 1/2" apart, so very safe for these spunky and fun little feathered friends.The birds seem to be very happy in the cage. They have enough space to play (I also have a safe area to give them free-flight time for wing exercise and enrichment). However, I almost had to take a star or two off, when, only a couple of weeks after moving in, one of the included perches snapped!I have several types of perches in the cage, including the ones which came with it, so there were plenty of other options. I contacted Hagen/Vision, anyway, though, to let them know.Their customer service folks were great, and within a very short time, a two-pack of replacement perches arrived in the mail!I can easily recommend this company, and this cage. It's large enough for any birds from finch sized to lovebird sized, and would probably be a pretty good cage even for cockatiels (providing you are able to offer regular free flight exercise time; do note that the included documentation lists lovebirds as the largest species recommended, though).The biggest selling factor, of course, is that the birdies seem to love it!(* In my state, it is legal to keep starlings in captivity -- this is not true for all states, nor is it true for most species of wild bird. I do not generally recommend keeping wildlife as pets. These two birds presented a unique situation which meant that they would not be able to survive in the wild.)