so actual drawer depth
Blue Saber Cabinet Install / Review
- Thread starter bdamico
- Start date
so actual drawer depth
Just finished my saber cabinet install. Many thanks to bdamico and those in their threads which helped me in my planning. .
A quick review: (will add pics later)
Summary of install..
All in Red...
8 Upper cabinets
3 48" Cabinets
3 30" Cabinets
5 Base Cabinets (two 6 drawer, three 4 drawer) to create a 6 unit wide bench
Lumber liquidator maple Butcher block x 2 to cover the 6 wide bench area.
What I liked:
1) Reasonably good overall quality... the 19 AWG generally has a good feel (with exception noted later).
2) Finish on fronts of cabinets, based and storage lockers is pretty good. A garage full like mine definitely gets an "ohhh" from the neighbors
3) Good packaging for delivery, no damage suffered
4) Dealing with Saber was easy and Dean was very accommodating while I was futzing around with last minute changes.
5) Good value.
What I didn't like:
1) Tolerance stack-up seems to at time be a little lacking, mainly on the 30" and 48" lockers. In general it won't be much of a problem when you are doing singles, but things can get a little out of whack when you have 3 or 4 of these side by side and aligned with other bases and uppers. Part of it is simply walls and sills that aren't straight, but that isn't the entire problem...In general you can work with it if you are mechanically adept.
2) Another related problem was that I ended up with locker doors that simply didn't close perfectly flush.. A couple of cabinets I had I just endlessly struggled and it ended up being a combination of the tolerances and combination of things that puts a little "twist" in the structure. I'm pretty good at adjusting such things, but at times it was a challenge I think because of having several cabinets side by side. And then when you bolt them together things get tweaked a little.
3) The use of "captured nuts" in certain places (especially the bottoms of the lockers) would be a welcome enhancement.. Something that you notice and start to appreciate when you put lots of these together.
4) Each assembly item (upper / locker) comes with "exactly" the qty of hardware you need. But adding an extra nut or screw to each would have cost pennies and saved from scrounging. To be fair for the set of cabinets I was not shorted any hardware (which amazed me) but I did get a few defect sheet metal screws.. But these things are inexpensive enough it would have added pennies to add an extra nut and screw.. Saves a trip to home depot when that bolt rolls away never to be found again
5) Rollers/slides on drawers are "OK".. not great. But they start feeling a bit bogged down when you load up a 4" drawer with a full set of sockets (1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 in Metric and SAE, Shallow and Tall. I can tell I'm at max capacity. Thinking about replacing the slides on this drawer..
6) In-sides left and right vertical surfaces of 30" locker (where shelves attach and attachment to the front doors) seem a bit thin. Thinner than on the 48" and when you first put the doors on they "pop" a bit when flexing which makes it feel cheap. But it settles down a bit once you get the shelves in. . But this interior sidewalls look to be thinner than that of the 48" where i didn't experience that.
7) I don't really like the backs on the lockers or cabinets which get bolted together. It provides strength and I suppose is part of the rigid structure/load but it eats about 1/2" from the cabinet depth right in the center. That isn't terrible but the resulting gap on each side allows small stuff to roll off the back which is irritating since it falls all the way to the bottom.
8) Bottom/floor of both the 48" and 30" has a "cover" over the bottom piece which presumably functions as a bottom shelf. Unfortunately, the first time you put any spot weight on it it just bends and warps.. It can't take the weight that the normal shelves take. This is a design flaw in the panel design that reduces the load handling of the bottom "shelf" and could be easily fixed. Not a major problem but glaring and irritating. When I bent, it was definitely a WTF? moment. If there is one thing to improve, it is this. Lots of approaches to Jury-rigging this.. I'm thinking wood strips sandwiched between the cover and the bottom will help.
I find this especially annoying because it is on the bottom that I tend to want to put heavy things and as designed handles the least load.
Conclusion and final comments:
While it sounds like I have a long gripe list, but overall I'm very satisfied. I mention these items not to discourage buying but as a suggestion to Saber from someone who put a lot of these together. Some small enhancements that add virtually no cost could make a good product even better and easier to assemble.
Another interesting nuance (that at first I didn't like) was that under the upper cabinets (e.g. the bottom exterior surface) there is a wasted area resulting from the bottom structure (e.g. bottom of uppers is not smooth).. But in reality this works out very well for mounting lighting, running power etc. So what initially surprised me turned out to be a good thing.
I would definitely recommend the product and wouldn't hesitate to go with them again.
Wish list of new items for product line:
1) Full depth uppers (same as lockers) that are 24" deep and not the shorter 17".. This is sort of what the two door base is, but would be taller (eg 42" or half of the lockers).
2) Corner units for both base and uppers. - This is sorely lacking and prevents installing around corners of garage effectively. Most manufactures have these.
3) 8 Drawer Base - all with smaller 2" drawers.
A quick review: (will add pics later)
Summary of install..
All in Red...
8 Upper cabinets
3 48" Cabinets
3 30" Cabinets
5 Base Cabinets (two 6 drawer, three 4 drawer) to create a 6 unit wide bench
Lumber liquidator maple Butcher block x 2 to cover the 6 wide bench area.
What I liked:
1) Reasonably good overall quality... the 19 AWG generally has a good feel (with exception noted later).
2) Finish on fronts of cabinets, based and storage lockers is pretty good. A garage full like mine definitely gets an "ohhh" from the neighbors
3) Good packaging for delivery, no damage suffered
4) Dealing with Saber was easy and Dean was very accommodating while I was futzing around with last minute changes.
5) Good value.
What I didn't like:
1) Tolerance stack-up seems to at time be a little lacking, mainly on the 30" and 48" lockers. In general it won't be much of a problem when you are doing singles, but things can get a little out of whack when you have 3 or 4 of these side by side and aligned with other bases and uppers. Part of it is simply walls and sills that aren't straight, but that isn't the entire problem...In general you can work with it if you are mechanically adept.
2) Another related problem was that I ended up with locker doors that simply didn't close perfectly flush.. A couple of cabinets I had I just endlessly struggled and it ended up being a combination of the tolerances and combination of things that puts a little "twist" in the structure. I'm pretty good at adjusting such things, but at times it was a challenge I think because of having several cabinets side by side. And then when you bolt them together things get tweaked a little.
3) The use of "captured nuts" in certain places (especially the bottoms of the lockers) would be a welcome enhancement.. Something that you notice and start to appreciate when you put lots of these together.
4) Each assembly item (upper / locker) comes with "exactly" the qty of hardware you need. But adding an extra nut or screw to each would have cost pennies and saved from scrounging. To be fair for the set of cabinets I was not shorted any hardware (which amazed me) but I did get a few defect sheet metal screws.. But these things are inexpensive enough it would have added pennies to add an extra nut and screw.. Saves a trip to home depot when that bolt rolls away never to be found again
5) Rollers/slides on drawers are "OK".. not great. But they start feeling a bit bogged down when you load up a 4" drawer with a full set of sockets (1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 in Metric and SAE, Shallow and Tall. I can tell I'm at max capacity. Thinking about replacing the slides on this drawer..
6) In-sides left and right vertical surfaces of 30" locker (where shelves attach and attachment to the front doors) seem a bit thin. Thinner than on the 48" and when you first put the doors on they "pop" a bit when flexing which makes it feel cheap. But it settles down a bit once you get the shelves in. . But this interior sidewalls look to be thinner than that of the 48" where i didn't experience that.
7) I don't really like the backs on the lockers or cabinets which get bolted together. It provides strength and I suppose is part of the rigid structure/load but it eats about 1/2" from the cabinet depth right in the center. That isn't terrible but the resulting gap on each side allows small stuff to roll off the back which is irritating since it falls all the way to the bottom.
8) Bottom/floor of both the 48" and 30" has a "cover" over the bottom piece which presumably functions as a bottom shelf. Unfortunately, the first time you put any spot weight on it it just bends and warps.. It can't take the weight that the normal shelves take. This is a design flaw in the panel design that reduces the load handling of the bottom "shelf" and could be easily fixed. Not a major problem but glaring and irritating. When I bent, it was definitely a WTF? moment. If there is one thing to improve, it is this. Lots of approaches to Jury-rigging this.. I'm thinking wood strips sandwiched between the cover and the bottom will help.
I find this especially annoying because it is on the bottom that I tend to want to put heavy things and as designed handles the least load.
Conclusion and final comments:
While it sounds like I have a long gripe list, but overall I'm very satisfied. I mention these items not to discourage buying but as a suggestion to Saber from someone who put a lot of these together. Some small enhancements that add virtually no cost could make a good product even better and easier to assemble.
Another interesting nuance (that at first I didn't like) was that under the upper cabinets (e.g. the bottom exterior surface) there is a wasted area resulting from the bottom structure (e.g. bottom of uppers is not smooth).. But in reality this works out very well for mounting lighting, running power etc. So what initially surprised me turned out to be a good thing.
I would definitely recommend the product and wouldn't hesitate to go with them again.
Wish list of new items for product line:
1) Full depth uppers (same as lockers) that are 24" deep and not the shorter 17".. This is sort of what the two door base is, but would be taller (eg 42" or half of the lockers).
2) Corner units for both base and uppers. - This is sorely lacking and prevents installing around corners of garage effectively. Most manufactures have these.
3) 8 Drawer Base - all with smaller 2" drawers.
Last edited:
Sounds like the locker style is the weakest link? I am working on my layout and you're right the lack of a corner cabinet is a problem. Dead space for sure.
I would like to see an 8 drawer unit too but I have a nice lista box I got and that thing is great for hardware.
I was thinking of using a couple base cabinets with doors as intermediate or upper style that is full depth?
I would like to see an 8 drawer unit too but I have a nice lista box I got and that thing is great for hardware.
I was thinking of using a couple base cabinets with doors as intermediate or upper style that is full depth?
dittle fart around
Well-known member
NewAge is offering a corner cabinet in it's lines of cabinets. Worth a check?
I think I am going to go New Age. They were nice to deal with and I think I'd rather spend 2k for cabinets instead of shipping the 24 I need. Also the newage is shorter height which might work best for my situation!
Back from the dead. Trying to figure out which cabinets to get for my garage and have narrowed it down to saber or newage pro. Saber is going to cost more and I have to build them but would consider it if the quality is better. Would love to hear feedback on your cabinets and how they are holding up. Not many reviews on saber but have seen YouTube videos where the hinges and screws are said to be cheap, which would bother me.
68rustang
Well-known member
No complaints at all with my Saber cabinets. Paint, hinges, slides... everything is holding up great. I do like the look of the legs on the Newage Pro series cabinets.
frugalguido
Active member
I have both, not sure if the Newage are pro though. The Saber's are at the shop/mancave, the Newage's are in the house garage. I like the Sabers better. The hinges are way better on the Saber's and are adjustable.
So coming up on 8 years. No problems. No rust or anything. All the slides and hinges are fine. No dents. No dings. Totally durable. Paint looks great although I would be careful about rubbing it hard or with chemicals. There have been a couple spots over the years where i was trying to rub a spot and it lightened the paint.
But jeez. 8 years in a humid south florida environment less than a 1000 feet from the water and no problems. One of the best purchases I've made.
But jeez. 8 years in a humid south florida environment less than a 1000 feet from the water and no problems. One of the best purchases I've made.
Long thread I know... I did my review in 2017. I've relocated and am planning a new garage.
Very disappointed at how overpriced Saber has become. Looks like the price has gone up about 40% from when I did my garage in 2017. I considered them a good value at the time, but not so much anymore. They weren't the best quality as they definitely had some "under thought" in them that made assembly a little tough and had you scratching your head as to why?. The pre-assembled base units have pretty cheap rollers and the 4" high drawers are really easy to overload and they bog down. Definitely could use double rollers on them. But all in all they were a good cost / product for a Chinese built product. But I don't believe that now and am exploring other alternatives.
Here was the comparison from 2017 to now:
Base 2 Door $235 -> $459
Base 6 Drawer $445 -> $624
Upper $175 -> $294
48" Cabinet $585 -> $834
Delivery $650 -> Free if over $1000 order
I compared my configuration which had 5 base cabinets, 6 uppers, 3 wide cabinets and 3 narrow cabinets. Price including shipping was $6985 in 2017.. Current price, $9713 (with free shipping). . That is an overall increase of 39% if I had ordered today.
I expected costs to go 20% or so because of the Chinese import tariffs. but looks like saber has gone up disproportionately as to the increased costs.
What I'm finding is that I can buy a bunch of harbor freight 42" or 56" boxes, bolt them together and use them as base cabinets for much cheaper.. So for qty 6 base cabinets which are about $3800 and cover 15'. I could do qty 3 56" HF boxes for $2337 (without coupons, With coupons about $2000). And you have a much nicer drawer configuration.
I also liked the Saber 48" cabinets but now they are $840... which puts them in a price range where a lot of other alternatives look better. I liked the deep configuration of the saber cabinets (24") but there was about an inch of waste in the back with the "seam" and stuff always fell down the back. The bottom of the cabinet is kind of a joke, it easily buckled if you put much weight on it. There was a lot of tolerance in the design, so that once you got them assembled and 2 or 3 bolted together, the doors didn't close right. A flawed but usable cabinet, but not for $840.. I can buy all kinds of other things from granger or uline instead.
And at this point I can't really justify the massive increase in cost.
Very disappointed at how overpriced Saber has become. Looks like the price has gone up about 40% from when I did my garage in 2017. I considered them a good value at the time, but not so much anymore. They weren't the best quality as they definitely had some "under thought" in them that made assembly a little tough and had you scratching your head as to why?. The pre-assembled base units have pretty cheap rollers and the 4" high drawers are really easy to overload and they bog down. Definitely could use double rollers on them. But all in all they were a good cost / product for a Chinese built product. But I don't believe that now and am exploring other alternatives.
Here was the comparison from 2017 to now:
Base 2 Door $235 -> $459
Base 6 Drawer $445 -> $624
Upper $175 -> $294
48" Cabinet $585 -> $834
Delivery $650 -> Free if over $1000 order
I compared my configuration which had 5 base cabinets, 6 uppers, 3 wide cabinets and 3 narrow cabinets. Price including shipping was $6985 in 2017.. Current price, $9713 (with free shipping). . That is an overall increase of 39% if I had ordered today.
I expected costs to go 20% or so because of the Chinese import tariffs. but looks like saber has gone up disproportionately as to the increased costs.
What I'm finding is that I can buy a bunch of harbor freight 42" or 56" boxes, bolt them together and use them as base cabinets for much cheaper.. So for qty 6 base cabinets which are about $3800 and cover 15'. I could do qty 3 56" HF boxes for $2337 (without coupons, With coupons about $2000). And you have a much nicer drawer configuration.
I also liked the Saber 48" cabinets but now they are $840... which puts them in a price range where a lot of other alternatives look better. I liked the deep configuration of the saber cabinets (24") but there was about an inch of waste in the back with the "seam" and stuff always fell down the back. The bottom of the cabinet is kind of a joke, it easily buckled if you put much weight on it. There was a lot of tolerance in the design, so that once you got them assembled and 2 or 3 bolted together, the doors didn't close right. A flawed but usable cabinet, but not for $840.. I can buy all kinds of other things from granger or uline instead.
And at this point I can't really justify the massive increase in cost.
Last edited:
JP Chestnut
Well-known member
It ***** when things get more expensive. The current prices don't look too crazy compared to New Age Pro:
Base 2 Door $470
Base 6 Drawer $550
Upper $235
36" Cabinet $780
Delivery Free if over $500 order
Saber was a great value at the older prices.
nadogail
Well-known member
May you get many years of service from them while enjoying good health.
Yeah, I was never a huge fan of New Age...
Probably the thing I liked best abut saber was that the cabinets and lowers were designed to be mounted on a ledge and you had a nice space underneath and got them off the ground without feet/support. It made for a very clean garage design. You can't really do that with any of the other cabinets as you have to design them to do that. I saw somebody try to do that with New age pro but it didn't work out well.
That is the problem I don't . I got the other garage completed and it looked fantastic. Everyone who saw it was envious. Then we had to move across country... so I didn't really get to enjoy it for long. That said, it helped sell the house quickly, as the guy who bought my house said it is what convinced him.
JP Chestnut
Well-known member
That's my concern with adding a bunch of nice stuff in my garage. I might be out of this house in five years and moving big heavy stuff like that is pretty tough.