Slat wall compatability are they all interchangeable?

I was at Sears the other day and saw they carried a couple of slatwall systems. I know this kind of wall system has been available for quite some time, but I've now decided I want to use the slatwall system, floor to ceiling on one 30'x12' wall in my shop.

They have Gladiator and the next isle over they have 'Craftsman' branded slatwall. I really haven't checked the home centers yet, and didn't get chance to closely examine them (was headed elsewhere) but I figured there's more knowledge here then I can find out myself or from salesmen anyway.

My concern is that they are not compatible systems, in other words the Gladiator brand only accepts Gladiator accessories the Craftsman only

Craftsman accessories. Also the Craftsman slatwall looked to be made of MDF, I'm not really a fan of MDF for durability reasons. A big plus is that the Gladiator brand has cabinets(!), I didn't see any Craftsman cabinets, but I may have just overlooked them.

So my questions are; What's the deal with compatibility? And are there better made brands out there? Also, what should I stay away from (like MDF?)? Thanks!

They aren't all compatible (Gladiator being one of the "oddballs"). The "standard is the grooves being 3" on center and this is how about 8 out of 10 of the manufacturers do it. FYI, if you're planning on more than one sheet and buying a lot of hooks and such, it is WAY cheaper to use the standard 3" versions since this is what all the retail stores use so there is a ton of used hooks floating around on CL, eBay, etc. I just got done doing a 22 ft long wall of this stuff (6 sheets) in my attached garage.

Some slat wall accessories are interchangeable; some are not. I cannot tell you which brands work with which system. You have go trial and error. What I can tell you is that your best bet would be to use the slat wall used in retail stores. It is the most standard and has the most common used fixtures and accessories. And yes, it's MDF 95% of the time. However it is very strong and comes in 4'x8' sheets making it easy to cover the 30'x12' wall. Look for the sheets that are laminated with melamine. And look for the ones that have the aluminum lined slots. Check CL for stores that are closing....you can get it way cheaper than retail. I bought 4x8 sheets in grey melamine with aluminum slots for $30/sheet. I did my entire garage wall to wall, floor to ceiling. Sure beats fixing the drywall and painting and it looks awesome. I can now organize in an infinite number of ways and change things up whenever the need arises.