IMO, they are unacceptable. Get the best of both worlds with a kitchen that can hide or be in plain sight, thanks to doors, curtains and savvy design. Anti-rust zinc-plated coating protects the sliders from rust and corrosion. Hettich makes high quality cabinetry hardware - a bit more up soft close drawer slides troubleshooting game than Blum as I understand it. Remove the existing worn-out runners and follow the instructions above on how to install new soft-close drawer slides.

Or just something you're not used to yet? I talked to the cabinet maker. They are definitely not made by blum. I was basically told this is how these are and if I wanted something that opens and closes easier then I would need to change them out for the blum and they would need to make all new drawer boxes. The cabinet guy said we should have known they would have resistance and would be alot harder to open and close.

Should we have known this? I mean everything I've read and all the drawers I've tested did not have this problem. Are we really at fault? Should he not have told us the pro and cons? Needless to say the cabinet maker is not very happy with me right now. I'm so stressed as majority of my base cabinets are drawers with the exception of the two corners.

I had to basically tug at the drawer the entire time to get it to open and push extremely hard to close. It almost felt there there was a resistance band on it when I try to open and then something resisting me closing it. I thought I was being wimpy so I had my husband try - he has found that it was really, really hard to open AND close.

Does your cabinetmaker have any displays in his shop that you can go check out to compare with what you have? Any "references" he can give for you to check out to make sure that they're "supposed" to be like that? I doubt it. There's a problem with the glides most likely and he doesn't want to waste his time fixing it. But thats just my opinion. Look for the 'made in china' stamp. Please post photos so that we can debunk the cabinet maker's claim of 'resistance'. This is becoming a recurring problem.

One more comment- our blum self close, soft close with 50 lbs worth of stuff inside can be opened with the pull of a finger. Travisalfrey, could you share with us some of the other brands that are as good as, or better than blum?

That doesn't sound like they're working correctly at all. I have Kraftmaid cabinets, so I don't have Blum brand glides - but my drawers open and close fine. Perhaps not as nicely as Blums I've never used Blums, so I can't compare , but they open easily, and close themselves after I give them a reasonable "push".

Now, this is only after my cabinets were replaced. The carpenter had originally installed the cabinets badly, putting the boxes out of square - then the drawers didn't work well at all.

Once the cabs were replaced we had to reorder them! That makes no sense. When you test out cabinets at a store or display, there is nothing in them! The soft-close drawers I've seen are still soft-close when there's nothing in them.

Cabinet maker has agreed to replace all the drawer slides to blum. He said he will need to remake all the drawer boxes to accommodate the new slides. Does this sound right? Can anyone tell me if the blum slides are bottom mounted or side mounted? The current crappy slides are side mounted and they take up alot of space, therefore making my drawer boxes smaller.

BTW, thanks for everyones support on this. All the information that was provided in response to my post helped my case when I had to talk to my cabinet maker today. My newly installed cabinets have bottom-mounted Blum glides.

There is an initial resistance when opening the drawer, but my 6 and 8 year old daughters can do it without a problem. You do have to give them a little tug, so it feels a little strange never having had this kind of glide before , but not difficult. Hettich makes high quality cabinetry hardware - a bit more up market than Blum as I understand it. Side mount full extension and soft close are different than Blumotion which are undermounted ball bearing glides if I have my terminology right.

With undermounted ball bearing glides your drawers will be wider and it will have a very different feel. How deep are your cabinets? I think hettich is the best made. I also like the motion of the Accuride but Accuride has a difference clearance than blum or hettich so they are not interchangable.

I use the accurides on inset jobs because they are the most adjustable. How can I tell if the Blum soft close, self close will fit? This is the wrong question to be asking. You simply TELL the custom cabinetry maker what you want an he goes and makes it in the size necessary to fit your space. This should be part of the specifications that are given to the cabinet shop. This is the glide that's mounted inside the cabinet.

They are the only kind I use and work get when installed properly. The drawers have to be made to specific specifications. You can't change out cheap side-mounted slides without making all new drawers. May I join in on this discussion with my dilemma?

My cabinets were installed this week and Accuride slides are totally dis-functional! If you push the drawers softly, they don't close; if you push them with enough force to close completely they bounce open.

IMO, they are unacceptable. They are really easy to open, and pretty much close themselves without banging if I get them close enough they kind of "suck themselves in".

The side-mount glides on the Rev A Shelf? One more voice in the discussion. We are building out our kitchen and have many Blum Tandem soft close units.

They work smooth and correctly. BUT, we have had 3 of the catches as pictured above but with a small white plastic tab for bottom screw install break. They have all broken in the same spot, on the plastic that I described My vendor did replace 2 so far, waiting on the third.

Here is a link that might be useful: our kitchen project. I just renovated my Kitchen and got the same story from my cabinet maker.

My drawer slides are Hardware Concept Inc from Florida. I am in Jupiter FL. I contacted the company and they said that I should not be having these issues with the drawers and that it was my cabinet maker who has installed the product incorrectly. The company has done nothing to help correct the problem and my cabinet maker insists that people in Florida don't use soft close because they are hard to open and need to be loaded in order to work properly. I never have heard such crap before.

I asked the cabinet maker to use Blumotion because it is a fabulous product I have in my other home. All drawer sizes work beautifully and have for 4 years. He said the Hardware Concept product was as good if not better so I agreed to go with the product he wanted. Little did I know he had no idea how to install the product. They have been installed twice and still do not work properly. I am left with with drawers that do not work the way they are suppose to work.

Your cabinet maker is giving you the run-around! I am in the Jupiter area also and have had soft close drawers and cabinets for 5 plus years and they work perfectly. We just renovated our kitchen and my new Blumotion work flawlessly also. If the cabinet maker has tried to install your glides correctly twice, and they still don't work properly, I would call the manufacturer and have them recommend a competent installer to fix them for you.

I just picked up a coffee table that I had made from a customer to fix this very problem- I had used self closing side mount slides due to the fact that the drawers are so small in height Blumotion wouldn't work.

It is being used by an older person and I agree that it is hard to pull the drawer open. The work great the other way. This is the first time this has happened to my in over 35 years and thousands of drawer installs. No one should have to fight to get their drawer open. Yes and it is our responsibility as pros to communicate and do a great show and tell with the customer.

Note: Although the home owner is the final customer--I did this for a designer here in Scottsdale Arizona-she being a pro has given me time to fix before the home owner sees it and moves in.

That is a great designer to plan in her project management risks and small fixes in her timeline. I have just had them installed came from Lowes and have the same issue.

But I DO have a solution for you. In the very back of the mounted guide rail on each side of the drawer you will see a gray plastic mechanism. Do this on both guide rails both sides. Now, with the gray mechanisms released, the drawers will slide smoothly and easily back and forth on the rails.

BUT, do not push the drawer back hard enough to make then re-engage with the gray mechanisms - just let them come to rest at the back. If you push too hard, you will re-engage the gray mechanisms. This solves the hard pulling problem, but you lose the soft-close feature.

Try it and see! But maybe your advice will help someone else finding the thread I just got new drawers and some feel a little hard to open. How exactly should I clean the tracks?

Damp cloth? Sign In. Join as a Pro. Send a Houzz Gift Card! Chandeliers With Free Shipping. Flush-Mount Lighting. Ultimate Lighting Sale. Chandeliers and Pendants. Email Save Comment Featured Answer. Like 3 Save. Sort by: Oldest. Newest Oldest. Like 1 Save. Like Save. Ironwood Builders, I know this is an old conversation, but I just had new kitchen cabinetry installed with soft close hinges on cabinets and drawers.

For everyday use, you need a slide rated to hold at least pounds. Everyone ends up sticking more in their drawers than they thought they originally would. Overweight drawers will wear out quickly or collapse entirely. Avoid the mess and buy a better-quality drawer slide to start with.

Extension: This refers to how far you will be able to pull the drawer from the drawer cavity. Full-extension slides allow you to pull the drawer all the way out. They give you the greatest flexibility for loading and unloading the drawer.

They also allow you to see the entire drawer contents at once. This indicates a cheaper product. Adjusting soft close drawers are easy. Adjust your under mount soft close drawer by moving the adjustment knob in the corner of the drawer clip. Use this knob to fine-tune the space between the drawer fronts. This can be done while the drawer is installed. You do not have to remove it. Each side can be adjusted separately. This allows you to get rid of any appearance that the drawer is crocked.

Your drawers should open and close nicely after completing these simple adjustments. To shut a soft close drawer, all you need to do is give the drawer a gentle push. If you are still having problems after completing these adjustments, there is probably something wrong with the drawer slides themselves and they should be replaced. For example, if your drawer resists closing and then bangs, the slides are probably shot. You will have to remove the drawer s and replace the slides.

Assuming you went with the under-mount soft close drawers, you remove the drawer by releasing the clip on the bottom of the drawer. First, open the drawer as far as it will go. The drawer can then be easily lifted out of the system. Remove the existing worn-out runners and follow the instructions above on how to install new soft-close drawer slides.

Under mount drawers with soft-close technology have become one of the hallmarks of high-quality cabinetry and closet systems.

For this reason, they are standard on many custom cabinets and high-end closets. They are more expensive than other types of drawers. However, they are fairly easy for someone who is handy to install on their own. This DIY friendliness puts them within reach for most homeowners, even those on a budget. If you are going to put in new drawers or simply want an upgrade on your current drawers, go soft-close. View all posts by Cathy Rabeler. Skip to content Menu.

How to Choose Soft Close Drawer Slides Drawers that utilize soft-close technology are one of the hallmarks of high-quality cabinetry and closet systems. This is essential to the proper alignment and function of the drawers. Mark the location of where each runner will be placed. If you are installing multiple drawers one above the other, the spacing between each runner will depend on the size of the drawer. Secure the first drawer slide to the system panel using screws.

Install one set of slides at Soft Close Drawer Slides Vs Regular Game a time starting with the right side. Use the pre-drilled shelf holes in your panel and line them up with the pre-drilled holes in your slide. Screw in the front of the runner, then the back.

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