Buy it! You may not use all the time but it's very useful to have when you do have a need for it. I don't think I'd like the homemade one at all. The pvc you buy is thicker and heavier then the kind used for the frame.The joints are bigger and there is all those markings on the regular plumbing pvc pipe. The home store pvc is heavier and thicker then the pvc used for the frame.