Which Blum drawer slides to get?

[Sam Layton]

I am going to order Blum drawer slides for my kitchen. They have a lot of different models. I want the Blum under mount with the soft close Blumotion. My drawers are going to be 3/4" maple. Some of the drawers are large for pots and pans. I was thinking of the heavy duty slides for the big drawers.

First question. Is there much of a difference between the regular and heavy duty slides?

They have new models now, 563, and 569. Are they better than the 562, and 568?

Also, my cabinet doors will be a little thicker than 3/4", maybe between 3/4" and 7/8". Will the regular 120 deg clip top hinge work, or do I need the thick door hinge? Also, I don't understand the, full cranked, half cranked, etc. Does that mean 1/2 overlay etc?

Thanks for any help, Sam

[Brett Bobo]

Sam,
I recently went through a similar situation on trying to decide which Blum slides to purchase and Blum's brochures, in my opinion, are not the most user-friendly to manage. If you're using 3/4" material for your drawers, you need the "F Series" slides in both the standard and heavy duty type slides, i.e. the 563 and 569, for drawer lengths up to 21". In fact, 21" is the maximum drawer length for the 563's. Therefore, anything longer bumps you to the heavy duty slide category and then you'll need the "A Series".

It's probably best if you download Blum's brochure for reference (if you haven't already done so) and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to call their customer service, which I've found is always very helpful.

[Erik Christensen]

one thing I learned recently is that the heavy duty under-mounts have a longer cabinet mounting bracket - not much but enough to cause problems if you are not aware of it. I built a mobile kitchen cart with the design calling for inset drawer fronts - I decided to use the heavier slides without checking dimensions... time came to install and I could not get them in the case far enough for inset - lucky I had not cut the drawer fronts to size so i switched to partial overlay which worked but it was a painful discovery

door cup hinges - I dunno - all my doors have been 3/4" inset

[Jeff Monson]

I used the 563 with soft close and 3/4" solid woods side on my last kitchen, they are a nice mount. I checked pricing with a current supplier I use and the 563's were less money than the 562's, so no brainer.

What type of doors are you building? Inset, overlay and the amount of overlay will determine what hinge and plate you will need. I dont think you will have an issue with a "thicker than 3/4" door and a 120 clip top.

[Jeff Duncan]

My advice for what it's worth....use your supplier to help in picking out what you need, they deal with this stuff everyday and can, (or should), offer some good advice.

Second, unless your using lead pots I'd skip the heavy duty slides. The light duty IIRC are rated for about 80 lbs and the heavy 100 lbs. Your going to need a really, really, big drawer to get close to 80 lbs of pans. Think of it like throwing a bag of quickrete in your drawers!

I haven't got the new models yet but they're supposed to be mostly the same with the benefit of side to side adjustment as well now. However if you bought the jig for drilling all the holes your going to need a new one as the holes are oriented differently......thanks Blum:mad:

good luck,
JeffD

[Dave Zellers]

Second, unless your using lead pots I'd skip the heavy duty slides. The light duty IIRC are rated for about 80 lbs and the heavy 100 lbs. Your going to need a really, really, big drawer to get close to 80 lbs of pans. Think of it like throwing a bag of quickrete in your drawers!JeffD

Don't disagree, but also don't forget that the weight of the drawer itself needs to be counted.

[Zach Callum]

The difference between the 562 series, and the new 563 series glides, is that there is now a side to side adjustment. Also, I second Jeff, you probably don't need the heavy duty guides.

[Sam Layton]

Thanks everyone for your response. It seems that there are so many types to choose from. I have never seen the heavy duty ones. Is there much difference between the two, to warrant the extra cost?

Brett, I am going to purchase the 21" slides.

Eric, good to know. That is one reason I want to purchase the slides prior to building the drawer.

Jeff M, my doors will be full overlay. I also noticed the 563's were less expensive. That was one of my concerns. If they were less expensive, is the quality less.

Jeff D, putting the bag of quickrete helps put it in perspective..

Dave, I was also thinking of the weight of the drawer. 3/4' sides plus the drawer front does add weight.

Zack, side adjustments would ge good as well.

Sam

[John Petsche]

great info.

[Todd Burch]

FWIW....

I haven't researched the heavy duty blum undermount mounting requirements (to be able to accept the full rated drawer weight), but for KV slides, you can't just use wood screws and obtain the full weight capabilities. You have to use machine screws (AKA nuts and bolts) to achieve full weight capacity.

[Mark W Pugh]

Jeff M, my doors will be full overlay. I also noticed the 563's were less expensive. That was one of my concerns. If they were less expensive, is the quality less.



Are these FF or Euro cabinets? If FF, how much overlay do you need. I'm in the same boat, just looking at what you are trying to do.

Thanks

[Ole Anderson]

I used the 653's on my recent kitchen remodel and am very happy with them. The money I saved by getting them from a local supplier rather than Rockler (almost $20 a pair) I used to get the Blum template and drills for the holes you drill to mount the adjuster and the rear drawer catch hole. I went with 5/8" drawers. Blum gives you plenty of holes to screw the mount to the side frame, so unless you are using balsa for your cabs, no need for machine screws. The quality of the slides is unbeatable. Made in Austria I believe.