Drawer slides, why the different prices???

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I've used Blum tandems for most of the projects for years and fell behind on side mount slide tech and costs. Needing some for a parts cabinet caused a question to come up, why the huge price difference??? For instance:

KV 100# full extension 24" on amazon, $8.09
Shopfox 100# full extension, on amazon, $19.44
Accuride 3832C, full extension 100#, amazon for $24.84

I know the Accuride has a bumper, and a cam adjuster but why is the KV so much cheaper?

Another question, I guess I haven't used slides at near weight capacity, these will be. Are the manufactures 100# ratings legit?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Could the place of manufacturer be causing the difference in pricing? Could the retailer just be setting their own price?

I buy the cheap KV side slides, full extension from Woodworkers Hardware. I have them in all the drawers in my shop cabinets, some of them loaded pretty heavily. I haven't had a failure yet. The only thing I have noticed is that they require a lot of attention to accuracy of construction. The cabinet and boxes must be square, sides parallel and have a dimensional fit as published in the specs. They seem to work well.

[Ralph Boumenot]

Some drawer guides have plastic balls in the slides rather than metal ones.

[Art Mann]

My experience with KV slides is exactly the same as Ken's. I have never been dissatisfied nor have I seen a single failure in several custom furniture pieces and cabinet sets. I don't know why the name brands cost double or triple and don't look or perform any better. I have also received very good customer service from Woodworker's Hardware.

I don't know that I would tax the slides all the way to 100lb but I have several heavily loaded shop drawers that use these slides. One big deep drawer has two complete 2.5 hp plunge routers in it along with a lot of auxiliary hardware like custom bases. I found it necessary to go to 1/2 inch bottoms. I would guess the contents weigh 60+ pounds and those slides have been in service for at least 5 years with no problems. I think the slides are 21 inches and I pull them all the way out a few times a week.

[Reinis Kanders]

I always wonder why more woodworkers do not use wood slides for their shop drawers. They are cheap and if they wear out so be it. Why spend all this money on metal slides. I have a pine drawers under my workbench, 40" wide and 22" deep and they are filled with planes and other stuff and has been working fine. Tallest drawer needed sliding dovetail divider in the middle because it is filled with planes. Also wood on wood action is pretty smooth, shellac also makes them slide nicely, and installation is simple enough.

[Jim Andrew]

I have ordered the side guides from Liberty Hardwoods at KC, seem like good guides to me, price is right. But asked my buddies at the cabinet shop, and they said they do not last, and only buy Blum. They do not like callbacks.

[Jim Dwight]

I always wonder why more woodworkers do not use wood slides for their shop drawers. They are cheap and if they wear out so be it. Why spend all this money on metal slides. I have a pine drawers under my workbench, 40" wide and 22" deep and they are filled with planes and other stuff and has been working fine. Tallest drawer needed sliding dovetail divider in the middle because it is filled with planes. Also wood on wood action is pretty smooth, shellac also makes them slide nicely, and installation is simple enough.

I'm with you. My shop stuff is wood on wood. I even built an island that way in my last house. It gave more drawer space so my late wife was on board. Dressers are wood on wood. If my current wife OK's me building the next kitchen I will use whatever she wants, however. She isn't sure she is willing to wait for me to get cabinets made. I will have a lot of other work tearing out drywall, then old pine siding, so I can insulate, and then drywalling.

[roger wiegand]

I always wonder why more woodworkers do not use wood slides for their shop drawers.

Can you recommend a good design for a full extension wood slide that will carry the weight of tools? I haven't really run across one. Whatever I want always seems to be at the back of the drawer where I can't see or reach it.

[Alan Schwabacher]

The simplest design with wood runners that allows full access is to make the cabinet so the drawers pull out from either side, appropriate for under workbench cabinets, but not wall cabinets. To get at something in the back, you walk around to the other side of the cabinet, and now it's in the front. Another option is to pull the drawer all the way out, and set it on the bench.

I've not made full extension wooden runners, but have seen articles on making them in Fine Woodworking. If I recall correctly, the idea is to make two nesting slides of dovetail cross section, with grooves and dowel stops to allow them to extend but not disassemble on pulling.

[Reinis Kanders]

Can you recommend a good design for a full extension wood slide that will carry the weight of tools? I haven't really run across one. Whatever I want always seems to be at the back of the drawer where I can't see or reach it.

Not really. FWW #226 has a story about full extension wood slides, but it seemed too fussy for me. I guess it is a tradeoff, I usually just take drawer out if I need something in the very back, or make it shallower with drawer sides longer then needed to work as a stop.

[Jim Dwight]

I don't think you need a full extension drawer slide. My dressers do not have them. I can get clothes out just fine. Many drawer slides are 75%, not full extension.

The drawers in my current shop cabinet (8 feet long, 11 drawers done, 5 to come) are supported by 1 inch wide pieces of 3/4 plywood screwed to the uprights with 1 5/8 screws. The support of the drawer above keeps the lower drawer from tipping. You can't pull them all the way out unless you want to hold them but you can pull the out far enough to get things. And if you need to pull the drawer you can. A steel ruler on top of the lower drawer is used to position the runner for the next drawer high enough up. Simple, cheap, and works. Drawers are 3/4 plywood pocket screwed together. I've had similar drawers last decades. I need storage, not more projects.

I have other drawers on shop cabinets I've dovetailed together too. I had the time then, I don't have much now. Too many projects. But even my dovetailed drawers are supported by wood. A little paraffin on the runners and door bottom makes them move more smoothly.

For furniture I like full dust frames, often with a 1/4 plywood center. It doesn't support a drawer better but it keeps things from falling to the lower drawer. But for the shop, I just want function at the lowest cost in time and materials.

Jim

[Justin Ludwig]

People always worry if the weight rating is acceptable. Pick up a 100lb dumbdell. Now ask yourself if you think you'd cram that much stuff in one drawer.

Shop drawers get the KV 1800 series for me. Don't care about the 2" left inside the cabinet, dust doesn't bother them, and the 75# rating is more than enough. I add drawers to the shop as people change cabinets late in the game or want a rebuild. I'll retrofit the cabinet to accept a drawer in the shop

[Bill Graham]

I've used Blum tandems for most of the projects for years and fell behind on side mount slide tech and costs. Needing some for a parts cabinet caused a question to come up, why the huge price difference??? For instance:

KV 100# full extension 24" on amazon, $8.09
Shopfox 100# full extension, on amazon, $19.44
Accuride 3832C, full extension 100#, amazon for $24.84

I know the Accuride has a bumper, and a cam adjuster but why is the KV so much cheaper?

Another question, I guess I haven't used slides at near weight capacity, these will be. Are the manufactures 100# ratings legit?

Because you're buying them in the wrong place, check a real cabinet supplier. There's a current thread on where to buy stuff like this.

[jack duren]

I have ordered the side guides from Liberty Hardwoods at KC, seem like good guides to me, price is right. But asked my buddies at the cabinet shop, and they said they do not last, and only buy Blum. They do not like callbacks.

I never saw one come back from Liberty and I installed many...

[jack duren]

Because you're buying them in the wrong place, check a real cabinet supplier. There's a current thread on where to buy stuff like this.

Sometimes it helps and they might give you a deal to get started but if your not purchasing enough the prices aren't going to be that great...

[Art Mann]

I always wonder why more woodworkers do not use wood slides for their shop drawers. They are cheap and if they wear out so be it. Why spend all this money on metal slides. I have a pine drawers under my workbench, 40" wide and 22" deep and they are filled with planes and other stuff and has been working fine. Tallest drawer needed sliding dovetail divider in the middle because it is filled with planes. Also wood on wood action is pretty smooth, shellac also makes them slide nicely, and installation is simple enough.

I recently completed a new router table similar to the one Norm Abrams sells plans for. It has several drawers made with wooden slides. That is the one thing about the design that I absolutely hate. All my other cabinets are built using ball bearing full extension drawer slides and they work so very much better. I will never build anything with wooden slides again except maybe a reproduction of a period piece.

[Jim Dwight]

I never heard of the brands but Amazon had some good prices (like $10 each if you buy 10 (with soft close)). Reviews on at least one of the brands were pretty good too.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Because you're buying them in the wrong place, check a real cabinet supplier. There's a current thread on where to buy stuff like this.

The "local" cabinet makers supply store, an hour away, wants more for the KV, and a little less for the Accurides. THey don't carry the Shopfox. I just used Amazon as a comparison source.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Good to hear no bad responses about those KV I listed. These are for drawers for hardware, bolts, screws and the like. I want to weigh a mockup and see what exactly I end up with before ordering.

[Phil Thien]

I know some cabinet guys insist on Blum and I think the reason is that they build kitchens and kitchen drawers get used more than any other drawer in the house. Wear does become an issue. In fact, when I purchased our house, it had the original kitchen with site-made cabinets with wood slides for the drawers. And they had worn considerably, so much so that none of the drawer fronts lined up.

Wouldn't be a problem in a shop or elsewhere in the house, but in the kitchen I imagine the choice of premium slides is warranted.

[Justin Ludwig]

Good to hear no bad responses about those KV I listed. These are for drawers for hardware, bolts, screws and the like. I want to weigh a mockup and see what exactly I end up with before ordering.

The KV's are made in the US and are good slides. If your really concerned about the dynamic load of the drawer, you can always upgrade from 8400 series to a 8800 heavy duty. For folks that want a side mount guide to save money - I use the 8400 for standard drawers and an 8800 for trash cans. If they break an 8800 for packing the trash with drawer fully extended, I make them buy a new one (I learned pretty quick people can't remember my tips so I upgraded the hardware on trashcans). I warn everyone of packing the trash in the pullout. If you get a 250-300# male packing the trash can, it will give pretty quick, especially at full extension.

I should mention - the 8800's don't have a quick disconnect rail, which can be a PITA.

[Jim Andrew]

About packing the trash, I used to put one of my grandkids on top of the trash to pack it down. Told them to jump.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I should mention - the 8800's don't have a quick disconnect rail, which can be a PITA.

I have not used the 8000's..... So, do they still disconnect?

[Justin Ludwig]

I'm assuming you mean "8800", not 8000. I stand corrected. My catalog is a few years old.

https://www.knapeandvogt.com/sites/default/files/custom_search/OL2041_CAB_HDW_Catalog_0314.pdf

Go to page 42. The 8800 needs 3/4" clearance and it states that there IS a lever disconnect. My catalog says it didn't. They must have updated.

[Jeff Qualmann]

The KV 8800 (200 lbs.) slide has had a lever release for about 3 years now, the extra heavy-duty KV 8900 (up to 500 lbs.) does not have a release lever to separate the members as it is intended for industrial applications where a quick release could be problematic.

The KV 8000 (130 lbs.) is a specialty slide intended for use in pantry applications, and has removable mounting flanges.

[William Young]

Can you recommend a good design for a full extension wood slide that will carry the weight of tools? I haven't really run across one. Whatever I want always seems to be at the back of the drawer where I can't see or reach it.
This doesn't answer Steve''s original question, but to those recommending wood slides I suggest you look up FWW issue 143, August 2000. I have used those slides in my shop for years and they work great. They are full extension and you can make them to carry any load you want. They are not beautiful and a little fussy to make and install, but well worth it considering the cost of metal slides.

[Kent A Bathurst]

About packing the trash, I used to put one of my grandkids on top of the trash to pack it down. Told them to jump.


Bwahhhhh!! Cleaning IPA off the monitor.

[Larry Edgerton]

KV has two lines of slides, import and made in Grand Rapids. The imports are a little less quality, and a little less money.

Baer Supply carries the complete line.

[Justin Ludwig]

The KV 8800 (200 lbs.) slide has had a lever release for about 3 years now,

My catalog was from 2011. :rolleyes: