The last cattle panels I bought at McCoys were about $16. You can probably get them at Lowe's or home depot for about the same price. I ordered 6 Texas Tomato Cages earlier this year to try them out. Shipping and everything cost me about $140. They will last a life time and as you say they fold up for storage. I think I will be happy with them. Good Luck

tammysf

Go to Google and type in "Garden Web Texas Cages" or "Garden Web Tomato Supports" and you can get to dozens of discussions about them.

Somebody needs to ask tech support to fix the Search Function. The only problem is that in the Garden Web search feature, it produces a URL that has a "2" after "forum", and that isn't the URL for the threads. If you remove the "2", the thread loads.

Thanks

I couldn't find any cattle panel at our HD. I tried calling around and only found the $56 one and that is an hour drive away.

Anney thanks for tip. Ill try to take out the 2 to see if it works. I tried googling and got 2 threads but I want to read the others on here even more now that links are broken.

Tammy

Just a quick word about how to get to the threads through the GW Search. The Search function will bring up the threads. You'll need to right-click on the one you want to see and copy its location. Then paste it in the URL window and remove that "2". Press return.

That should do it.

I did contact GW about the problem and they told me they were working on it.

2 of my Texas tomato cages broke after one year of use.

I have 12 Texas cages. None ever "broke" like the person above claims. How on earth could you break one? I also have 8 CRW homeade cages. The Texas are far superior. Twice the thickness, a foot taller, never rust and fold flat for easy use and easy storage. No nicks, cuts, scrapes, assembly and delivered right to your door. Well worth the money IMO. The CRW are good. The Texas are GREAT!

Seems like bigdaddyj and I are always promoting Texas Tomato Cage. Maybe I should write to Carolyn (Texas Tomato Cage) lady and get some referral fee.

The Texas Tomato cage is so awesome. The extension are a must unless you are like a relative of mine who ask how he can keep it short.

Johnny, I hadn't thought of that. In this economy, we could all use a little extra cash...:)

Seriously, once you own them, you wonder how you ever managed without them. For me it would be like giving your microwave oven away and insisting to cook and heat everything the old way...:)

Johnny so you really think extensions are a must. Also 18 or 24 or mix?

Get the 24" diameter. And when I was doing my own research on TTCages, the consensus was that the extensions are not needed. That has been my experience, and I am glad I didn't get them.

These cages are a great product, and I never have to stress about tomato support again. That, in itself, is worth the money to me.

LOVE the Texas Tomato Cages!!! They don't fall over, are nice and tall, and fold up at the end of the year. I've been ordering a set or two a year for the past several years, and now have 36, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. I, too, was wondering about now maybe starting to order a set of extensions every year, but, really, the tomatoes just reach the top and start to grow back down again. My neighbor had me order a set for him this year, he liked mine so much.

I've had a dozen for several years (with the extensions) and absolutely love them. The fold-up thing is wonderful.

I've also started using a couple of them during winter. I wrap some string or twine through them and they make great towers for sweet peas to climb.

they are having a 6-pack sale right now where the 18 & 24 are $99.95 plus shipping and handling...usually i was seeing them for $109-119 for 6 plus shipping and handling.

they still come to $22 each though :( but making my own just was not going to happen...also, i like how these store flat.

A note on your cattle panel search It may be a terminoligy thing a Cattle panel is tubes welded together 10 ft long used to make pens or gates
A hog panel is welded wire approx 4 inch sqares I would think that is what you are looking for

Tammy:

I would say if I had a choice I would have gone with 24" cages. But living in Bay Area with a retaining wall I didn't have a choice. My did reach about 9 feet tall, but it wasn't as bushy on top as the heat came in by then. So I probably could have done without the extension. You can decide for yourself after a year growing. The vets here can probably make better suggestion if you post pictures of your yard.

They actually have 20" cages which I found at Yamagami's for a whopping $27 a piece. I contacted Carolyn who told me that those comes in one piece so only sold by the pallet. If I can only

hi johnny,

i order a dozen of the 24...it will be a tight squeeze but i'll make it work.

jonas: hmm...still might need the hog panel for trelissing of beans and squash, melons...didn't know that is what they are called.

I just ordered a dozen of the 24 inch Texas cages as well. I was planning on putting 3 cages per 3x10 foot raised bed. For those who use the Texas cages, does that sound like an ok spacing? I'm growing all determinates - Opalka, Amish Paste, Polish Linguisa, Mtg Lifter, SuperSweet 100, Sun Gold, Early Girl, Brandywine, Pruden's Purple and Stupice. I had to stake the heck out of my cheap cages last year and lots of them still fell over. After reading the reviews of the Texas cages here I decided to splurge.