SmithBuilt 36" Medium Heavy-Duty Dog Crate Cage - Two-Door Indoor Outdoor Pet & Animal Kennel with Tray - Black

OK, as per usual my M.O. for reviews, I am going to give "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly" of this product:1) The Good:a. This cage/crate IS INDEED "Heavy Duty" - every one of my huge German Shepherds doesn't even TRY to break out or chew on the bars - while my last steel crate (with thinner steel wire) my Shepherds slowly tore it apart (bar by bar) - the "welds" were just not strong enough on that [other] crate. But with THIS product the bars are absolutely HUGE! (and the welds VERY sturdy!)b. The latches on this are also very sturdy. I like there are one (1) on top, and two (2) on the front, not just one, like with/on 80% of all other heavy-duty crates. Another reviewer noted they had issues with the latch, but it's only a problem if you DON'T know how to "properly" operate them - the KEY is to close the latch, and then SLIDE it backwards, till it LOCKS into place (when locked, it is almost IMPOSSIBLE for an animal to un-latch it, since it is a TWO way action [but see "UPDATE" (below)]).c. I LOVE the top door opening, which is VERY handy for popping-the-top to feed your dog (without letting the dog out, the front part). There is one MAJOR weakness though (listed in the up-coming bad/ugly [#3] section).d. Lastly, the price is Definitely RIGHT on this (over HUNDREDS $$ lower than other "premium" heavy-duty crates).2) The Bad:a. One of the bars was bent (minor). Looks like a shipment issue (this isn't surprising, as the crate wasn't/didn't ship with much insulation/foam (To manufacturer: If you want LESS "damage" on your stuff then you had better add MORE foam to these in the future).b. Two (2) screws were totally USELESS (being cheap/striped). The screws, in particular, were/was one of the 12 that secured the latches. It was OK since I easily found them at the local hardware store (I could have contacted the vendor but I felt it was faster just to get it locally). - (To manufacturer: Please think about providing an "extra" screw or two, for possible problems/defects [like this]).c. The lower trays are not really "secured" much. I was afraid that the dog would be able to "scoot" [or slide] the grate tray out the backside, but so far, it hasn't happened. I'll probably have to get some self-drilling screws to secure these on the back-side a little better. The crate does come with a "support" bar (in the center), but it is somewhat useless since a welded piece came off during shipping (so it may still "support" but not "secure" much) - but it hasn't diminished the crates overall effectiveness much, so this is NOT a major mark against.d. I am "concerned" [a little] with the "plastic" wheels, since these may not last (I hope I can find/and modify some more [sturdy] steel wheels, in the future).3) The UGLY:a. The most "ugly" thing with this item is the design of the TOP door. When I first tried to use (open) it, it surprisingly SWUNG open [backwards]...so FAST, that I couldn't catch it in time. In the process, it damaged [greatly] the steel mounts - so bad, that they bent (and almost broke). For better (or worst) the top door is VERY heavy, so be VERY careful when you [first] open it. In fact, if you don't want to damage it then I would suggest you "modify" it, like I did, by adding a thick rubber door stop (on the back) and/or screwing in two "support" cables, on both sides of the top door (so that it can't swing all the way back [wards]), as found [again] at the local hardware store - (To manufacturer: I feel this is a design "flaw" - How about adding this [door stop/protector], or cable, on ALL future crates).Overall, believe it or not, even though I SOUNDED more critical - there really wasn't much "bad" and/or "ugly" with this product. I would say, as a percentage, that there was about 70% good and 30% bad/ugly - so to sum it up, I can say I'm VERY HAPPY with this purchase/product.There was/is a competing product in  Pro Select Empire Cage - LARGE  - but cost A LOT more then this one (with that kind of money, I'd rather buy an ENTIRE Kennel [at Costco] ;-)So for the PRICE, it is the BEST "Bang-For-The-Buck!"PS/FYI - If you'd like to get a really GREAT laugh then please check out the YouTube Video (titled: Pitbull Escapes From Steel Crate - by Tristan Smith). It shows a HILARIOUS pit bull, tearing apart a "heavy duty" cage (that looks VERY similar to this one! -- [only KIDDING! - This product is GREAT!]) - the video is FUNNY Nevertheless!)>>>>> UPDATE: Well!!! It HAPPENED!!! - Surprisingly one of my dogs was able to UN-LOCK the front door latches. I must admit, that I was somewhat SURPRISED by this, as I always "heard" about/from other reviewers [A LOT] about the latches being a problem, but for Months NONE of my [5] (other) dogs could figure out how to un-latch the doors, but then recently [as of Nov 17th, 2014] my SMART female Shepherd escaped from the front entrance (un-locking BOTH front latches).In the short-term, I used some standard tie-wraps to properly secure the door, but this is a PAIN cause you have to cut/add these constantly/daily, so needed a more permanent solution.I tried to find some large "climbing/climbers" metal latches (as others had mentioned) as double-locks, to support the original door latches, but NOTHING is/was big enough.Then I found these clamps (which worked PERFECTLY!) -  IRWIN Tools QUICK-GRIP Handi-Clamp, 2-Inch (59200CD) (There is ONE drawback to using this clamp - since it's Plastic the [smart] dog will try to "Chew" this off - but if you use some HOT sauce on it then this should "discourage" chewing.)So LISTEN UP ALL!! - LEARN from me, and my experiences!!! (The latches WILL [eventually] be "figured out" by a SMART dog, but you can use "Clamps" (like the ones I suggested), or, steel chains (as others have suggested) to easily have as a "back up" security/lock.Lastly, the metal grate [floor] so far is also a PAIN [still], but have found that placing a blanket within the crate does minimize (somewhat) the grate "shifting" around.Other than that, I hope this helps (the People Mad over the latch, that is). --- Again, even with the few shortcomings, it's STILL my opinion that this is [still] the very BEST heavy duty crate out there, for the money$$$)).

It's very sturdy and strong. Easy to move. The problems I see with it are that some holes don't match with the screw placement, so the top of the cage doesn't fit correctly. You have to push it down so it will fit in place and close and it will definitely end up scratching the paint of the cage. Another thing is the that the grill floor doesn't fit all the way to the sides of the cage, my puppy which is 3 months and weights 12 pounds was able to lift it up on one side. We bought 2 cages and have the same problem with them. Other than that, they are pretty good, great size and very durable. Good for any dog to feel comfortable and secure and peace of mind for the owner knowing that his/her dog is comfortable and safe.

Great cage . This is my second purchase . My only complaint is the way they pack this in the box. There is literally no padding to protect the cage during shipping so it’s not uncommon to receive these damaged with torn up boxes. The damage on my second purchase was the top of the cage was slightly bent. I just applied a lot of pressure to bend it back so it sat flush when I closed the door. Other than the shipping/padding issue , this cage is doggy Fort Knox .

I have bought my Pit Bull about 7 cages over the last 10 years. Prior to this one that last cage I bought he was broken within hours of us setting it up. 1st and foremost my dog literally loves this cage. He wants to go into it on his own. Which he has never ever done . 2nd he tried to break out of it but wasn't able to compromise the bars so he gave up. Occasionally he tries again but I guess he remembers it wont work. It is easy to clean the board at the bottom slides out. A nice space for a medium large dog to feel comfy . My dog has no clue the top opens and if you have a dog who is a professional escape artist make sure you don't let him know or he will try and get out from the top. My dog doesn't know the top opens. I learned that particular lesson with the last cage. The only thing " bad " that happen is on of the silver thingies that lock the cage bent but, i bent it back .