Unpopular opinion: Ball-bearing slides are overrated for most cabinet jobs

I used to swear by those soft-close undermount slides on every kitchen remodel I did. But after a job in a historic home near Portland last spring where the client wanted full-extension side-mounts, I started paying attention to the difference. Those ball-bearing slides with the side clips just felt more solid over time, especially on heavy drawers that get loaded with cast iron pans. The undermount ones I pulled out after 5 years had slop in the mechanism and the plastic tabs were cracked. I'm not saying ball-bearing slides are better for every situation, but for utility drawers and shop cabinets they definitely hold up better. Has anyone else gone back to side-mounts after using undermount for years?

2 comments

2 Comments

wren_carr6d ago

What kind of weight were those undermount slides actually rated for before they started slopping out?

reese865d ago

Soft close ones I had held up fine until about 45 pounds then started sagging lol.