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mills pride cabinets

eli222 | Posted in General Discussion on February 27, 2005 01:14am

I was just wondering how durable the mills pride line of kitchen cabinets is from homedepot. I have two young children and a limited budget. Are there other cabinets out there of better quality at a little higher cost. Thank you.

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  1. Hooker | Feb 27, 2005 02:05am | #1

    I installed a kitchen this winter of Mills Pride.  After install, I think they will be satisfactory.  They were a pain to assemble, more tedious than anything.  Once they are in, however, probably suitable for a limited budget.  You may want to do just a little more checking, though.  You may be surprised at some of the less expensive prefabbed lines available.

    Bottom line from me, if you want a new kitchen easy and cheap, go with the easily accessable route.  However, you doo get what you pay for.  The next time I leave the cabinet plans in a customer's hands and they come back with those cabs, I'll walk away.  Great people, but they wanted the cheapest kitchen to look like a million bucks.  I won't do it again.

    Something to consider:  My local HD also offers unfinished oak cabinets in just about every standard size.  I've seen several places where they were able to make due with what's available and did the finishing themselves.  Might take some creativity, but it all depends on how much time you want to spend on the project.

    Good Luck.

    Hook

    ADH Carpentry & Woodwork

    Quality, Craftsmanship, Detail

  2. TrimButcher | Feb 27, 2005 02:09am | #2

    I can't speak to their durability, but I can say that you get what you pay for.  My one experience with them was that the doors wouldn't shut properly. The hinges didn't have enough adjustment to compensate for crappy manufacturing.

    Regards,

    Tim Ruttan-

  3. blue_eyed_devil | Feb 27, 2005 03:16am | #3

    I had to put some toghether for my daughter once. I cursed her unmercifully. If your budget is tight, go ahead, but don't ask me to help...I hate putting anything together.

    blue

    Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!

    Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!

  4. firedude | Feb 27, 2005 03:50am | #4

    check out this site -http://www.scherrs.com/ - don't know how the prices would compare to MillsPride but consider that once those cabinets are on the wall - they're staying - a little more money now might keep you happier in the long run (unless you're going to get out of the house fairly soon)

  5. USAnigel | Feb 27, 2005 05:35am | #5

    Installed my first set about 9 years ago, still look fine and still work fine. Not tough to assemble and life time warranty! I've seen much worse pre-assembled.

  6. Mitremike | Feb 27, 2005 07:38am | #6

    If you have time and patience and some forgivness for RTA percision then they are the way to go. Just don't expect to much and don't kid yourself that any of the above three can just be ignored. that said----For what they cost they are not to bad for what you get. These can not be installed by one person because they are just not rigid enough until they are attached to the wall and each other. If you can stretch the time and get a bigger budget you may be happier in the end. Mike

  7. ponytl | Feb 27, 2005 08:05am | #7

    i have em in my house (was over 10yrs ago when they went in) and they still look good... they are a pain... time wise to put together but at the time i had alot more time than money (not much has changed)   but i found if i took my time added glue to all joints screwed em tight... and placed em level they have worked well i even used their pantry in my master bath for a bath closet... i cut a few apart and made em custom for my needs... i used their doors for the surround around the whirlpool tub held in place with velcro... i added my own crown (no soffits) i do need to ck to see how well they stand behind em i have a few drawer fronts that have "yellowed" where the ones all around em are fine... so don't think it's anything  we've done...

    for a 16 x 20ft kitchen with alot of cabinets and pantry with the slide out shelfs ect... i think at the time i spent maybe 2k  vs the 26k i was quoted on the same design custom...  oh yeah... those boxes are heavy... real heavy... some thing you remember...

    pony

    i'd use em again if i had the time and the need... what i wouldn't do is let anyone but me put em together if they were going in my house...

  8. andybuildz | Feb 27, 2005 08:47am | #8

    Theyre a pain to install the first time but after you get the hang of it it goes together fast.I think that theyre junk cabs but, hey...you get what you pay for and if thats what you want then knock yourself out.

    I've used em' in some low end spec houses I've done for myself and the buyers were fine with them. Thats what I believe they're for.
    Everything has its place and its good to have the options.
    Be KD'd
    a...

    The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!

    When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..

      I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,

    I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.

    I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you

    and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.

     

     


     

     

  9. Karrl | Feb 27, 2005 09:15am | #9

    I agree most with Ponytl. I have used them and would use them again. Definitely agree that I wouldn't let anyone else assemble them. I think they are the best and most accessible of the low end cabinets. A friend bought the low end unfinished preassembled cabs at HD and they were far worse quality.

    The best thing about these is you can always get a replacement cab if they ever get damaged. I think the hardware is great (contrary to another poster's opinion). If your kids tear a door off, just run down to home depot and grab another one for 30 bucks or so and the kitchen is good as before.

    Another tip is rather than using the sink base as the directions advised I only used the floor and front panel. I mounted them to the sides of the cabinet that flanked it on either side. I had to drill some holes to do it but gained 1 1/2 inches of additional interior space (which was quite lacking in this kitchen.)

    I also have only used their basic boxes. The accesories and trim items seem poor quality and don't seem to add much aesthetically. I use real wood for the toe kick rather than the melamine they try to sell with them.

    Don't let anyone fool you into thinking these are cabinets that will stand up to a cabinet snobs scrutiny but if you start comparing their quality to the midrange special order cabinets at home depot I dont find them much different. Ultimately I think they are best suited to a rental unit/house as damaged cabinets can be easily fixed with a quick trip to HD.

    My vote is to use them. I like the maple doors the best. The melamine maple end panels are the most convincing. The oak is ugly and white melamine or thermofoil doors look too cheap. On a few application I made my own doors out of either mdf or #2 pine with good (but not so cost effective results).

    karl

  10. User avater
    RichColumbus | Feb 27, 2005 09:36am | #10

    Depending on where you are located (you might want to complete your profile)... you may be able to get good cabs at a reasonable price.  There are many outlets that sell good quality cabs that have only a scratch on the back or are from a cab order that was canceled.  There are also plants that have regularly scheduled tag sales for their overstocks.

    I'm definitely not a fan of Mills Pride.  If it weren't for HD... they couldn't survive on their own, IMHO.  Quality leaves a LOT to be desired.  The assembly and installation is a pain in the behind.  When you input the value of your time into the equation... the cost exceeds that of better cabs.  Let alone the time that it would take away from those two younguns.... and them hearing you uttering bad words as you attempt to assemble! 

  11. User avater
    JeffBuck | Feb 27, 2005 11:48am | #11

    I hate them.

    find a Legacy dealer.

    call and ask then to refer an installer.

    ak that installer how much for the job.

    I know I can beat HD's prices for materals. My customers pay more in the end ... as it's my labor and not theirs on the cab install ... but for a basic kitchen ... the labor's not that much.

    be honest .. find someone willing to work with bargain hunters. At this moment ... I'd pass ... but I got to this point by helping out bargain hunters. 5 years ago ... I would have matched HD's price and given U a set of cab's that were 20 times better.

    be cheap ... be realistic. Where's ya at?

    Jeff

      Buck Construction 

       Artistry in Carpentry

            Pgh, PA

  12. Coz | Feb 27, 2005 02:32pm | #12

    Check out the rta cabinets from CSHardware. All wood construction and prices competitive with Mills Pride.

  13. BillW | Feb 27, 2005 02:49pm | #13

    I just removed the kitchen from my house and re-installed it in a rental - I think it was Millspride (White thermofoil), since I was able to go to HD and get a couple replacement doors that were absolutely identical.  My only complaint is the thermofoil doors & drawers - they tended to delaminate and crack over time (2-3 doors in 8 years) and some of the doors yellowed dramatically - just a couple, which was kinda bizarre (they were not subject to sunlight at all).

    One final warning:  the day we moved them it was sub-zero outside - we just brought them a couple miles across town on an open flatbed truck.  Several more doors delaminated - the white coating shattered, no doubt from the cold, so be aware that they don't like extreme temperature changes.

    Bill.

  14. earl06 | Feb 27, 2005 04:11pm | #14

    I've assembled and installed what seems like a mile of Mills Pride. You get in a rhythm after the first couple carcasses and it goes pretty quick after that. Definitely go with the maple, they're the only ones that look decent. All the others look like someone's laundry room cabs.

    P.S. - Don't tighten the cam bolts too tight or else...

    DCS Inc.

    "He who xxxxs nuns will later join the church." -The Clash

     

    1. firedude | Feb 27, 2005 05:52pm | #15

      if you do go with MP (or any RTA cabinets), as previously mentioned, glue everything together, and check things for square. Use a glue that's gives you some setup time - you might have to "adjust" some things - and then let it dry before you install the cabinets - makes the job a "two-day" job but the cabinets will be a lot stronger and easier to work with

      1. hlechat | Feb 27, 2005 06:25pm | #16

        the Home Depot in my neck of the woods is discontinuing this line -- they're going with (i think<) American Pride.

        anyway,

        that is something to think about, too. if they aren't selling that line anymore, who ya gonna turn to for satisfaction/warranty issues, etc.

         

        i would also think about going to salvage yards and see what they have.

        ask your lumber yards what to they do with the "dings".

         

        think about going with higher quality lowers and open shelves instead of uppers.

         

        best solution: a pantry, if you have the space at all. even a tiny pantry will work wonders, not only in terms of functionality, but in how open and welcoming the kitchen feels. many cupboards are just for canned goods and pots and pans. see if you can find another place for those items.

        you can get a wonderful hutch at a second hand store/flea market/yard sale. paint it and put the dishes in that!

        with a pantry and a hutch, you have tackled 99% of your kitchen's storage, for less money. it is also going to be more attractive and feel warmer.

        you can then spend the money in your buget for extra windows to let all the light and trees and sky in! (now that you don't have all those nasty upper cabinets taking up your precious wall space!!)

        Think about this:

        almost ALL of the ads you see for kitchens were paid for or subsidized by................... cabinet makers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yes!! so................................................. most of the pictures you see have SO MANY cabinets!!!! why -- to sell the cabinets.

        in fact, though, cabinets to not make 1) the prettiest kitchens nor 2) the most functional cabinets.

        there's something to ponder!!!

        :-)

        have fun!

         

        tango on over to the "House Chat" http://forums.taunton.com/tp-housechat/ board and see if anyone there has any ideas for you, too

         

        p.p.s. i agree with everyone here -- you get what you pay for, and the Mills Pride may be ok for a bathroom (what i was considering it for) but you know yourself, deep down inside, you ain't gonna be happy with it .   you're gonna end up throwing good money after bad, and in the span of 10 years end up buying two kitchens.  go slowly and do it the best you can the first time.  keep asking and keep exploring. :-)

         

         

        1. WorkshopJon | Feb 27, 2005 08:38pm | #18

          the Home Depot in my neck of the woods is discontinuing this line -- they're going with (i think<) American Pride."

          Hector,

          Mill's Pride and "American Pride"?????  are probably both HD house brands.  I doubt there's a difference beside the names and spec's.

          Jon

          1. Isamemon | Feb 27, 2005 09:22pm | #19

            Mills pride and american pride

            IMHO home depot will supply whatever they can get the cheepest and make a buck. they are known for telling the supplier what they will pay. then go to the nezxt and say, hey this guy will supply it for this...........I know as a friend is a slesman for a cedar mill. They played that game with HD. Im sure cabinets are no different.

            As far as quality. I have done two houses with owner supplying own form HD. Both of them the owners assembled before we installed. I thought they were junk as the cases wer made of what seemed like a lighter duty mdf or . screws pulled or stripped easily. One family had a 16 month old kid and he pulled a set of hinges right off the case with his body weight

            those that are using them in rentals, I hope they hold up, as renters are great for trashing stuff.

            maybe the quality has improved, those two were maybe 6 and 7 yeras ago.

            However, last year we installed some cabinets that an owner got form IKEO. I was impressed, and we have a 3 bed 2 bath going up now, that the owners are gettign theri cabinets from IKEO and we are going to asssemble and install. We did not suggest IKEO and tried to go local. Thier friends had recently done a kitchen with IKEO. a 10x10 kitchen in a U shape, a 5 foot bath an a 3 foot bath. Not including counter tops, This family spent under 4k. We are assembling and installing at T&M with no quarantees of qulaity or no handling of any warranty, except our work.

             

            and again , if it is for your home, never count out the local guys. we have a shop in town that can build the cases out of real plywood with a veneer, and the drawers out of multi  ply baltic birch. He orders the doors and drawer fronts from another shop. in that house that is going IKEO, he was about 3k higher. Yeah thats money, but the cabinets are built after framing, so they fit exactly making use of every inch, ( no fillers) he is local to warranty and service it, he included full extension drawer slides, and in his service, he comes back after the first year and readjusts any doors and drawers.

             

            good luck with your mills pride, wil be curious how it goes.

            Edited 2/27/2005 1:36 pm ET by Isamemon

          2. andybuildz | Feb 27, 2005 10:37pm | #20

            54758.19 in reply to 54758.17 the Home Depot in my neck of the woods is discontinuing this line -- they're going with (i think<) American Pride."Hector,Mill's Pride and "American Pride"????? are probably both HD house brands. I doubt there's a difference beside the names and spec's.>>>>>They also support Bush....but they probably mean the beans.
            Be too complicated....I'm so confused
            a...
            The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!

            When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..

              I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,

            I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.

            I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you

            and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.

             

             

             

             

    2. Piffin | Feb 27, 2005 10:39pm | #21

      I tend to think she is less interested in how many miles of them you have installed and more interested in how they look two or three years later.
      Got any knowledge of that? 

       

      Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

  15. WorkshopJon | Feb 27, 2005 08:34pm | #17

     Are there other cabinets out there of better quality at a little higher cost. Thank you."

    E,

    Probably not much better.  You get what you pay for, and as others have stated, the first one will take you a while to build, but after that one, it goes pretty quick.

    I personally wouldn't use 'um for anything other than a laundry room or a workshop,........or a rental, but that's me (this is a site sponsored by FINE Homebuilding, and that's why we're here,).

    That much said, they are a good value for what you get compared to the "fully assembled" option.  Probably cheaper than IKEA, not much.

    If money is tight use them.

    Jon

  16. User avater
    basswood | Feb 28, 2005 03:13am | #22

    Obviously there are some strong & contradictory opinions offered here.

    I have installed five Mills Pride kitchens (out of about 70), during the past five years, and years later none of the owners have had anything negative to say (I checked).

    I thought the MP cabinets were marginally better than some other low end cabinets (Merillat) that actually cost more. Consumer Reports rated them among the best of the cheap stuff, though IKEA was better rated for about the same $ and recieved "Best Value" (some here consider them junk too).

    Nice cabinets that are charged @ 21% aren't as nice as cheapos within your budget. Buy cheap and DIY or save and wait (or do both--MP or IKEA now & save for nice stuff later and move the cheap stuff to the laundy room or garage.

    I once saved on MP cabinets in my own house before selling, so I could put in other extras I thought people would like better than expensive cabinets. It worked, the house sold for more than I thought possible and the buyers are still happy. Maybe I should feel guilty for making this kind of compromise, but here it is, my fancy--but cheap, Mills Pride kitchen (some are cringing now).

    1. Hooker | Feb 28, 2005 04:39am | #23

      Basswood-

      From my seat ;) that kitchen looks really nice!  I'm sure it looked and worked perfectly fine for the money.

      My largest concern for the cheaper cabinet lines is that the purchaser doesn't expect tooo much for their money.  We've all run into these people.  Some people just don't realize we sometimes need to charge more for working with lesser quality materials.  Always consider and allow for the PITA factor.  How much is "it" worth, to you or the client.ADH Carpentry & Woodwork

      Quality, Craftsmanship, Detail

      1. User avater
        basswood | Feb 28, 2005 05:58am | #24

        I'm glad you liked it. You are right. That kitchen looked good and worked fine. When I did that kitchen I had some time on my hands, but not much money. So I got creative and experimented with steping out the sink-base and adding the rosettes and fluted columns, plate racks, arched pass-through (open feeling and less wall cabinets to buy). Buying cheap cabinets afforded me the chance to try a few new things. I have to admit I was and still am a bit conflicted about it. Especially the tile work over the top of MP cabinets, but the tile was cheap field tile too (except the bullnose o/s corner tiles). As far as expectations go, I would be sure people know what they are getting, which is basic storage boxes (albeit with nice doors and ok hardware).And yes you should charge more to install (maybe $75each + $35 to assemble) or if the owner assembled them ($80 each--extra $5 for out of square cabinet wrestling).

        1. Hooker | Feb 28, 2005 06:20am | #25

          In all fairness, the one kitchen that I did, which was last December, didn' turn out too badly.  Problem was a way out of square and level house with inexpensive cabinets with little or no play.  Made for some creative but testing times.  It looked good.  I did run into a problem with a corner lazy S cab that came without half the parts neede for assembly.  Hadda use a few extra screws & glue. 

          These homeowners are friends, and they went out of town for 5 days.  He was supposed to have everything assembled so I wouldn't have to.  Well, my side job time crunch became much worse having to deal with other problems.  Finally got it done and things do look good.ADH Carpentry & Woodwork

          Quality, Craftsmanship, Detail

          1. User avater
            basswood | Feb 28, 2005 06:43am | #26

            Some of the MP cabinet kits are missing parts but most have a few extras. I learned to keep a collection of spare parts, sooner or later I'll probably end up doing another MP kitchen. The kitchen in the photo had a pretty out of level floor (I used a real maple 1x6, scribed to the floor, for a combination toekick &floor leveler).It can be tough pulling those boxes together (no face frames & only 3/4" of particle board to grab with an 1-1/4" scew). I would rather put in Omega for sure or even Schrock, Medallion, etc, but I've been in over my head before & I honor people for sticking to their budgets.

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