John sterling heavyweight track shelving.

[Garydoolin]

Hey guys I'm looking at getting some shelving for the walls in my attached garage. The biggest area will be my back wall which is 21' wide and 9' high. I've been looking over the different ideas and ways of building them and have came across the john sterling heavyweight track system. It looks great and has great weight limits. It will be for storage for my wife's seasonal decorations plus my tools and stuff. I'm gonna lay it out so I can have a workbench area in the middle. My questions is has anyone used or saw this shelving and what's your thoughts. I will try to add a link so you can see it. Thanks and looking forward to your thoughts.

KV - Knape & Vogt

www.knapeandvogt.com

 

[stroked93]

looks expensive.

 

[Garydoolin]

looks expensive.

I figured it up and it will cost me around $400 to get all that I need. With lumber cost still well up in price it I gonna be comparable in price. I'm just wondering if the sturdiness is good.

 

[JimH74]

Although it's not exactly the same, I've used the John Sterling Fast Mount system for years. The system has moved with me and I've also passed some of it to my SIL. I've used the hang track and the fast mounting hooks. Much prefer the hang track. Be aware the supported double brackets really eat into the flexibility of the shelf below. I have used several different lengths of the shelf brackets. Strong system. I have it on all four walls in my shop, and on one wall in the garage. Some of it is set up for shelving, and some of it has peg board attached to the standards. Love the flexibility of the system. Bought most of mine from Menards over a period of years. Now that I've moved far from a Menards, I've bought extra pieces through Zoro, using their coupons. I've used 3/4 inch plywood for my shelves. Overall, very pleased with the system and would buy again.

 

[Walkers]

I have had lots of that over the years. It is stout and works well. Lots of options. Screw the shelf to the bracket from underneath.

 

[rburke65]

It may appear to be expensiv, but usually you get what you pay for. The price only hurts once.

 

[Garydoolin]

Although it's not exactly the same, I've used the John Sterling Fast Mount system for years. The system has moved with me and I've also passed some of it to my SIL. I've used the hang track and the fast mounting hooks. Much prefer the hang track. Be aware the supported double brackets really eat into the flexibility of the shelf below. I have used several different lengths of the shelf brackets. Strong system. I have it on all four walls in my shop, and on one wall in the garage. Some of it is set up for shelving, and some of it has peg board attached to the standards. Love the flexibility of the system. Bought most of mine from Menards over a period of years. Now that I've moved far from a Menards, I've bought extra pieces through Zoro, using their coupons. I've used 3/4 inch plywood for my shelves. Overall, very pleased with the system and would buy again.

Thanks for the response. I plan on using the 3/4 plywood also. I think it will be a great system.

 

[Garydoolin]

I have had lots of that over the years. It is stout and works well. Lots of options. Screw the shelf to the bracket from underneath.

Thank you very much. I'm looking forward to getting it and installing. I love the options that come along with it. I was just wanting some feedback from actual users. I love the weight limits on it.

 

[Garydoolin]

It may appear to be expensiv, but usually you get what you pay for. The price only hurts once.

Exactly!!

 

[jptbay]

I've used it. Great stuff.

I like the 20" brackets. Rip a sheet of 3/4" plywood in half and you have a serious set of shelving.

Menards had good pricing on it.

 

[Garydoolin]

I've used it. Great stuff.

I like the 20" brackets. Rip a sheet of 3/4" plywood in half and you have a serious set of shelving.

Menards had good pricing on it.

That's where I'm getting mine at. I also am gonna get the 20" brackets as they say they can support a 24" shelf.

 

[M0E]

I have them along a back wall in my garage. No surprises really, they work well and the price is reasonable at Menards.

 

[240sxguy]

I used them as well, and will continue to do so. Good stuff.

 

[yugami]

I love the stuff, my old wood rack was made out of the lighter duty stuff and it held A LOT of hardwood lumber. When I redid the last garage (shortly before moving) I used the Heavy Duty with the shelf stiffener things (diamond plate pattern strips) screwed to the front of black faced shelves. They looked fantastic.

I'm in the final stages of building a new shop at the new house and I'll be mounting a fair amount of it for a new lumber rack and the autoshop storage.

 

[Garydoolin]

I have them along a back wall in my garage. No surprises really, they work well and the price is reasonable at Menards.

Thank you.

 

[Garydoolin]

I used them as well, and will continue to do so. Good stuff.

Thank you

 

[Garydoolin]

I used them as well, and will continue to do so. Good stuff.

I love the stuff, my old wood rack was made out of the lighter duty stuff and it held A LOT of hardwood lumber. When I redid the last garage (shortly before moving) I used the Heavy Duty with the shelf stiffener things (diamond plate pattern strips) screwed to the front of black faced shelves. They looked fantastic.

I'm in the final stages of building a new shop at the new house and I'll be mounting a fair amount of it for a new lumber rack and the autoshop storage.

Thank you

 

[Garydoolin]

Thank you all for the feedback. I feel confident now in the decision to buy this product. It will be a great help to my garage and maybe help me get some room. I plan on building a detached garage in the future and will come back for info. I really enjoy this site. It's not like others where you never get a reply to your questions. Thank you all again.

 

[hans109h]

Started using it in my garage, now got it in the basement and some closets. No issues with it.

 

[Garydoolin]

Started using it in my garage, now got it in the basement and some closets. No issues with it.

I like the weight limits. Seems to be a really strong system. My wife's seasonal decorations ways a ton so I should be good to go.

 

[yugami]

You'll have trouble hitting the weight limits if you install directly through the screw holes in the standards. The other mounting systems they sell lower the weight limits.

I doubled up on shelf board and stored a 350 engine with the transmission still mounted on one.

 

[Garydoolin]

You'll have trouble hitting the weight limits if you install directly through the screw holes in the standards. The other mounting systems they sell lower the weight limits.

I doubled up on shelf board and stored a 350 engine with the transmission still mounted on one.

"You'll have trouble hitting the weight limits if you install directly through the screw holes in the standards"

Did you mean it would take a lot to get to the weight limit if installed correctly?

Wow!!! They must be unrealistic in the shelf capacity for a 350 and the Trans to sit on one.

Tell me if I'm going overboard on this. I was planning on putting a standard every 16" as that is the layout of my studs and putting a 20" shelf bracket on each standard. Is that over kill and how would you do it. Like I said the majority is gonna be totes weighing less than 50lbs each but will probably be 30-35 totes total.

 

[yugami]

They've changed the information they have available since I last looked (many years ago) but I'm pretty sure its rated at 500 lbs per screw in the standard. (and I misspoke earlier its a 2 1/2" mounting screw not 2 1/4).

Each shelf bracket is rated to hold upto 500 lbs. So by spanning 2 brackets the ~700lbs or engine and transmission was well under the rated capacity.

I went with one every stud because that minimized shelf board flex. But I also used the diamond plate front piece because it looks cool. so that also minimized bow.

edit: The supported shelf bracket is rated for 500 which is what I was using.

 

[Garydoolin]

The hang track has a weight limit of 2000lbs per 40" when mounted to studs. Ill have 7 of them across the wall. I also will be using the supported shelf brackets that are rated for 500lbs. I should be in great shape.

 

[yugami]

The hang track actually lowers the capacity vs screwing the standard directly to the wall. Even so that's a ton of capacity for home storage. But the hang track is just another expense (which is probably why they went to only advertising the capacity with it).

I'm not far from where these are manufactured, the company changed hands from a Family run business to a PE owner, that's probably when the information they publish changed.

 

[Garydoolin]

The hang track actually lowers the capacity vs screwing the standard directly to the wall. Even so that's a ton of capacity for home storage. But the hang track is just another expense (which is probably why they went to only advertising the capacity with it).

I'm not far from where these are manufactured, the company changed hands from a Family run business to a PE owner, that's probably when the information they publish changed.

Oh I didn't know that. What I plan to do is use the hang track plus mount the standards to the studs. That should be sufficient enough. I would think that way it would increase the capacity. What would you do?

 

[jptbay]

Oh I didn't know that. What I plan to do is use the hang track plus mount the standards to the studs. That should be sufficient enough. I would think that way it would increase the capacity. What would you do?

If mounting to the studs, I don't think the hang track is necessary.

On an 8 foot shelf I used 3 20" brackets with 16" OC studs, skipping every other stud.

 

[Garydoolin]

If mounting to the studs, I don't think the hang track is necessary.

On an 8 foot shelf I used 3 20" brackets with 16" OC studs, skipping every other stud.

I had never thought of that. I see how that could work and save some money. I'm gonna have 2 shelves 21' long and then some shorter ones underneath. Do you think I could skip every other stud and still be ok with out the track? I only need 7 tracks to cover the area I'm gonna do. I just looked at it for added strength.

 

[jptbay]

I think you are good without the hang track, and one bracket every 32".

Bracket is good for 500 lbs per - so 1500 lbs over 8 feet with 3 brackets. 16" unsupported overhang at each end of the 8' shelf.

This was my setup with 24" deep 3/4" ply shelves and was more than solid for me. I didn't use it for storing engine blocks though, so keep that in mind. I have some pallet racking for really heavy stuff.