[LizPf]

My first post ... I came here for kitchen planning, but I realize I can get help for a different problem.

We bought white 6-drawer dressers (Avatar?) for my kids when they were little. The slide hardware on my son's started dropping ball bearings after about 6 months. Though my daughter's dresser is about 5 years older, her dresser slides lasted a lot longer, but they are kaput now too. They are currently keeping their clothing in the drawers scattered on their floor

My DH is talking about replacing the dressers, but they have a lot of life left — if we can replace the slides. Can anyone help me with specs or a source for new slides?

(And tell me the kitchen slides won't have this problem ... DH is soured on IKEA case goods because of the dressers)

--Liz

[_mike_]

I can't help you on the drawer slides, but I can speak to your DH's concerns about the kitchen line since I had similar concerns when Ikea was suggested to me by a friend.

Having been in the store many, many times over the years and having purchased countless bookcases, beds, desks, wardrobes and knick-knacks, I never considered Ikea for a kitchen because a lot of the really-cheap bookcases and dressers I bought proved that you get what you pay for.

When our friend made reference to a consumer report comparing kitchen cabinet quality that ranked Ikea quite high, I was surprised, and we made the trip to the local store to see that section we always walked past. I was impressed, especially after getting ballpark pricing from several other cabinet makes and seeing what their cabinets looked like.

Financially, Ikea gave us a lot more kitchen for the buck than the other manufacturer's solutions. We were not looking for a high-end, glossy-magazine kitchen, but we also didn't want to settle for the lumber-store DIY special. The Ikea cabinets were solid -- thicker than their usual bookcase materials -- and they have a very extensive line of accessories that you can buy over time to get the kitchen you always wanted.

Having now installed a full Ikea kitchen, I am still impressed with their quality, and have a new respect for the Ikea brand. You can tell by the unmoderated comments here on IKEAFANS -- people are generally happy with their purchases. The big support base here was what convinced me...

Sit DH in front of the computer; surf the forums to get a feel for the comments and responses; take a tour of the kitchen aisles in your local store and see for yourself. You're going to spend a lot of money on a kitchen, so get comfortable with your decision. Don't base it on an old dresser you probably got for a good price.

[_mike_]

Oh...and Welcome to Ikeafans, Liz!

(I should of started with that! )

[Narf]

Welcome!

Bring the drawer slides to your local Ikea customer service to see if they have something that'll work. Amongst dressers, they vary in several styles and lengths.

The kitchen drawers, which are Blum Tandembox drawers, are drastically different. It's all high-end quality, with the Blumotion self-closing drawer dampners too.