All soft close drawer sides hard to open

4 years ago

The 3 different side mount drawer slides I've tried require force to open. My gal hates it. I realize the cause is that pulling the drawer open stretches the soft close springs activating the soft closure.
I don't get it, is this a problem everyone simply accepts? In reviews there aren't many complaints about it, but some.
A pair of Richelieu slides I put in a year ago has gotten easier to open, but still there's resistance. It's a heavily used drawer.
What am I missing here?
I can switch to bottom mount slides (they will fit my drawers) if undermount don't have this problem. Or de-activate the self close mechanism on the side mount.
Anybody know what I'm talking about?

Featured Answer

iroll

4 years ago

Our Ikea kitchen drawers do not have this problem, they use Blum soft close hinges. But our two bathroom vanities, Home Decorators Collection from Home Depot, do. Five years in, they have barely gotten any easier to open. I guess we've gotten used to them. But it would really get annoying in a kitchen.

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Comments (8)

User
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you. May I ask you if your Blum's are side mount or undermount?
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HALLETT & Co.
4 years ago
Are you looking at a display in a showroom or in actual use? With no weight they are very hard to open, with a normal load in them they work much more smoothly.
User
Original Author
3 years ago
The 3 different ones I've tried I had installed in my kitchen. The slides were all smooth, no problem there. It was the jerk required to open them that was so bothersome. As I read more on the subject, it sounds like all lower cost slides have hard to open problem. I'm going to either remove the soft close mechanism, which is easy, or buy Blum's which I read everyone is happy with. What I want most is the full extension, soft close is a problem and something that eventually break.
Buehl
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Blum bottom slides here. Other than a slight tug, the drawers are NOT difficult to open. In fact, it's really not that much more than a drawer without soft-close. I love the soft-close as does my DH. While it's not technically a "must have", it's going to be a "must have" for me if/when we build/remodel again.

My soft-close have been in use for 14 years and no issues with any of them.

I agree that full-extension is a "must have".

Ditto soft-close doors -- although I recommend installing the soft-close mechanisms on the doors yourself b/c they are a lot cheaper and easy to install.
Ally De
3 years ago
My experience is the exact same as Buehl's. I love my soft close (Blum) drawers.

I guess if I stop and think about it, there is a tiny little tug to pull the drawer open. It is almost imperceptible though. I often use a pinky or an index finger to pull them open if my hands are dirty, so obviously they're not too hard to open.

It's so nice to be able to bump them closed with a hip, and they slide silently and effortlessly closed.

10 years of use here, zero issues. Highly recommend. :) If you've never had them it's one of those things that sound silly....until you start using them and then wonder how you lived without them.
iroll
3 years ago
My Ikea kitchen drawer slides are undermounted. I have the older Akurum Romsjo cabinet style.
User
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks all. I'll leaning toward the Blum undermount. Might install 1 to see if we like it.