Easy pull / Soft close drawer slides?

[DGersic]

I know that to some degree, I’m looking for a unicorn here. I understand that part of how soft close drawer works is that opening the drawer pulls the spring and ***** the mechanism that later catches and closes the drawer.

Over the winter, I installed the retrofit soft closer mechanisms like these on most of my kitchen drawers



They work fine, but ever since I’ve been getting complaints from SWMBO about how hard the drawers are to open now and how she doesn’t like them. They do have a harder pull, which bothers me less than the bang/crash of her hip-closing the drawers, but pointing that out is Not Helpful (tm).

I’m about to make some new drawers for the cabinets in the hallway, and they need new slides. So, I’m looking for some new slides that are soft close, but that don’t have (as much) of the hard pull penalty. Google says that there are some slides advertising an easier pull, like these



but they don’t really define or quantify “effortless”.

Any real world experience with a particular set of slides? Are there any that are likely to work better than what I have now?

I’m making three drawers, so the price isn’t all that important for this project. If she likes them, though, I’ll probably need enough to re-do the kitchen, which could get expensive.

 

[PopcornSutton]

I personally don't see the infatuation of soft close drawers. I redid one of our bathrooms, and the new vanity has them. Yes you can give them a bump and they usually will go closed, but closing drawers isn't that hard to do.

 

[PCustoms]

I have the KV slides in my kitchen, I think that exact model. Edit: yep, 8450 in 22"

Very smooth in/out when properly adjusted. In general soft close require square boxes and tighter width tolerances then standard slides, so keep that in mind.

 

[jar944]

The side mount soft close slides are not great, I used those kv soft close once and though the same thing (excessive force needed to open)

If you step up to the world of undermount slides, that extra opening force requirement is less noticeable.

They are also cheaper

Blum 563H5330B 21 Tandem plus BLUMOTION 563H Full Ext Drawer Slide for 5/8 Drawer

 

[jar944]

I personally don't see the infatuation of soft close drawers. I redid one of our bathrooms, and the new vanity has them. Yes you can give them a bump and they usually will go closed, but closing drawers isn't that hard to do.

It's the soft close that people want, the self close is just an requirement to make the damper function. With soft closed installed there can be no more slamming of drawers and shifting of contents from the slam.

It's the same with soft close hinges

 

[kevost]

I personally don't see the infatuation of soft close drawers. I redid one of our bathrooms, and the new vanity has them. Yes you can give them a bump and they usually will go closed, but closing drawers isn't that hard to do.

I like them because the banging of drawers/cupboards, etc. closing is enough to drive me insane. My wife just throws all kinds of doors shut and it triggers my misophonia something terrible. I push/pull doors on the house, car, and kitchen closed where she just gives them a toss and loud bangs make me go nuts. So, it's more to keep the noise down for us.

 

[DGersic]

The side mount soft close slides are not great, I used those kv soft close once and though the same thing (excessive force needed to open)

If you step up to the world of undermount slides, that extra opening force requirement is less noticeable.

They are also cheaper

Blum 563H5330B 21 Tandem plus BLUMOTION 563H Full Ext Drawer Slide for 5/8 Drawer

Since I’m making the drawers, I can go side, or undermount, it’s all the same to me at this stage.

What makes the undermount better? I always assumed that it was essentially the same mechanism, just rotated 90*.

 

[DGersic]

I personally don't see the infatuation of soft close drawers. I redid one of our bathrooms, and the new vanity has them. Yes you can give them a bump and they usually will go closed, but closing drawers isn't that hard to do.

You need to live with someone that hip checks them closed. Then you’ll understand the allure.

Yeah, if it was just me, I can close a door or a drawer by just closing it. No big deal.

I don’t care much about the “self close” part, I‘d be happy with any design that prevented the Slam! effect.

 

[wssix99]

Unless you are using Blum sliders, you are going to have one problem or another. We had some cabinets installed by a company that refused to offer Blum and we ended up having to trash what they sent us and retrofit for Blum. (Life has been fine and effortless ever since.)

BTW - Your pulls will also make a difference on how you feel the effort to open the drawers.

 

[cosmokenney]

Strange. I piked up some soft pulls for the Jeep storage drawer I built. Just generic ones from HD and I don't feel like they are not any harder to pull than normal ones.

 

[Hephaestus29]

If someone is up in the middle of the night munching and they don't have the simple common courtesy to not slam the drawers then, the soft close mech. is nice because they aren't going to wake someone up as easily.