Mountain Biking - Building 29er wheelset

I'm pondering the idea of putting together a 29er bike and was wondering about wheels.

Are the Alex dm18 rims in a 29in size going to be strong enough for MTB use? I ask because they are half the price of Salsa Delgado which is the alternative. I am trying to save a little cash by building the wheels myself. Would I be better off just getting a prebuilt wheelset? The best I can afford seems to be a WTB dual duty with Deore hubs for $140. The Delgado setup would be little more, the Alex setup about $30 less. the other problem with prebuilt 29er wheels is most of them are disc specific, and I would like to stick to V-brakes for price reasons. I wouldn't mind spending a little more on the wheelset to save from not buying a set of disc brakes.
Any other rims for <$40 that would be decent?

Thanks for the help.

i suggest presenting this same question to the 29er forum at mtbr.com the guys over there are very into their 29ers.

i didn't look up the rim in question, but i think other factors are worth consideration...possibly more so than the rim.

1) have you investigated dishless wheels? the downside is hub price.

2) what style spoke?

3) what is your body weight? are you huge like maelstrom or gastro? super fast like dminor? or do you hardly ever ride like mx_599?

4) have you ever built a wheel before? if you haven't, i highly suggest you do. you will feel very good about your accomplishment.

i would not be surprised if by the time you choose your nipples, spokes, hubs, and rims you will no longer have saved money. but like i alluded to already, it is a great feeling to do it yourself even if you spend a bit more.

Yes the 29er forum at MTBR is full of freks about there bikes. Very good info :)