http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2457034/everything-i-wanted-to-know-about-drawers

http://ahturf.com/store/download/BLUMTANDEM2014.pdf.024bef6a5bad406cde9fa2b0e2df6269

I've linked above to a great thread about drawers. The second link is a Blum Tandem Blumotion Drawer Glides PDF.

I can tell you that Fulterer makes a great drawer glide. Tons of different types and mountings. I needed side mount soft close glides in several different 'strengths' and lengths and fulterer had every kind that I needed. At the time no one else had soft close glides that weren't undermount.

I do not work for Fulterer, btw. I think I ordered from a couple different sites to get the best price.

I know that Blum has the top spot but honestly I can't see how much better they could be than these. I can highly recommend them after a year of use, no problems at all.

Nick,

In our last house 10 years ago, we did a down to bare walls whole house reno, and had to be very cost-conscious. We therefore purchased Ikea boxes and doors and my husband, a hobbyist woodworker, trimmed them with legs to match the white oak, and did a custom hood, etc. I was quite happy with the quality, even if our previous kitchen was all 3/4" plywood boxes, etc. Everything functioned as if it were new 10 years down the road when we sold. Since then, we haven't found door styles that we like for the house we are building.

But my point is: Ikea has quality ready-to-assemble boxes and uses Blum's metal drawers (made for Ikea). I read in Fine Homebuilding that Handmade Cabinetry of LA launched a line of doors and drawer faces specifically to go with IKEA's boxes and drawers, to tap into this market. I'm sure this will be useful to someone, if not you. Best of luck.

( semihandmadedoors.com )

I only use Blum. Grass is the other top of the line and there's several others but not a lot of price difference on the top tier. Most all slide manufactures make soft close at this point. I just don't have any experience with other brands but see them at the trade shows. You only need the regular locking devices (2.95) unless you are doing inset doors then the other more expensive ones can be used for more adjustments. The drawers have to be made a certain way for the Blum's to work. Any drawer manufacturer knows this and you should be ordering drawers from a company that just makes drawers anyway. As far as an "assist" to open, Blum has what they call "tip-on". Which is a touch-latch mechanism either external or a more expensive version built into the slide itself. This didn't have the soft close feature with this system but just saw a working prototype a few weeks ago at a trade show Vegas. I think they said it will be out in a few months. The thing I would be concerned about the most is that you say this guy thinks soft close is like the "latest thing." We are on to just lightly touching a door and having it lift up above your head automatically. Check out "servo-drive for Aventos." Soft close is like old school. Servo might send him over the edge.

I don't know what components you should buy but, I can tell you that I've been using Blum softclose in my kitchen for more than 3 years, and I'm very happy with it. I think for drawers push open is a good choice and for trash drawer you can consider the "tip-on" mechanism the previous poster mentioned. As I understand, you can't have them both in a single drawer, since one mechanism tries to close, while the other tries to open the drawer, but I may be totally wrong.

What the heck is that last post? Would have never happened or stayed in the old forum.

In any event, I had Blum soft close in last kitchen--custom build 8 years ago they worked like a dream never had a single issue I'm now wrapping up a kitchen renovation in a different house same custom cabinet maker early in the planning process he asked about drawer slides. I wanted full extension and soft close everywhere. He said we could go w Blum again or a less expensive brand that wasn't available 8 years ago and functions the same. I asked tons of questions about how they have performed for other customers ... Are they really the same ... Etc I didn't ask what brand so I could do any research

I'm hating them I still don't know the brand so I cannot give you specific advice of what to avoid. Not a single issue in 8 years w Blum. Not even in the new kitchen yet and several drawers are crazy hard to open. Can force them to full extension but w Blum, could tug the drawer open w one finger and it would beautifully glide out all the way. Now I'm having to wrestle w drawers. Also, the soft close isn't working on a couple drawers. It's just not catching and pulling it closed. The cabinet guy is replacing the problem ones as I discover them. (We aren't even moved in yet and I'm having all these problems).

I can tell you though, I totally regret not going w Blum this time

You've got more question to ask than just hardware. There's all of the rest of the construction specs, and specifically finishes, and where those finishes will be applied.

If your ''custom'' guy hasn't dealt with Blum or soft close before, be VERY wary about everything else too. He's not a customcabinet maker. He's just some uninformed woodworker.

You might be better of ordering from a major cabinet line, even if it's a trip for you. Bugs and dust in site finished cabinets is not part of the added ''custom'' details. It's the sign of hackery stealing that label.

A H Turf has good prices for tandem slides. 21" slides are $17.99 per pair. You need both a left and a right locking device, for $.73 each. If you're attaching the slides to the face frame and back of cabinet (as opposed to the sides of the cabinet), you will need a rear mount socket for each side, at $.49 each.

Thank y'all for all the informative replies. Yes, I know our cabinet guy isn't what MOST people would consider a "Custom cabinet maker" but out here, he's as close as it gets. Seriously, we're so far out that there are only about 3 builders and ours is considered the "best." Still, it's the builder's dad that's the cabinet maker and YES, cabinets are made out of plywood with hardwood face. He's been making them the same way for many years and even the most wealthy ranchers around here use him. In any case, it is what it is. He's what we have to work with; so we've got to go from there. I'm just trying to figure out a way to get some soft closing drawers and doors.

He wants to use side mount glides but I'm going to talk with him today about making the drawers to suit undermount slides, If he can't do it, I'm going to go look at Fulterer, to see if I can find some slides that'll work.

I hope that y'all will let me come back and ask more questions after I meet with him again. Again, thank y'all SO much for the kind replies!