Hi. You have a very detailed post so I hope you get some assistance. I highly recommend posting over in the Kitchen forum. I'd bet you'd get responses quickly. But beware, folks over there are likely not fond of Chinese cabinets...

I think thats why they haven't gotten a response here for much the same reason.

Thanks for the advice, I'll repost it in kitchens.

Cheepchinesegarbage bought directly does not improve either the quality or longevity of the product.

You get what you pay for. You can always check some of those resale places (like Habitat for Humanity Restore or thrift stores) for inexpensive cabinet sets. I see those all the time on their pages.

Folks, I am not arguing a conclusion, you may be right. I am running an experiment, and will report back on what happens and what I find. I fully appreciate that many folks have prior experiences and convictions that run counter to this being a good idea. But maybe (like Korean cars, which were quite bad in the 80's then competitively better in the intervening years), there could be a value proposition there today. For sure "Chinese cabinetry" is not one consistent thing (any more than local cabinet makers are consistently good or customer-focused), but a range of things from maybe really poor to . . . who knows? I'll share what I learn.

I've dealt with Chinese products at the Electrical Engineering level. They produce garbage, and if you have a problem, they lie.

Thanks for not supporting American cabinet manufacturers. We need a lot more cheap people like you, to really drive down the economy, for the sake of a couple of $100 dollars.

Who is your cabinet manufacturer? In the US Cabinets To Go sell Chinese cabs. They look good at purchase with good specs. But the finish appears to deteriorate more quickly. You end up with an old looking kitchen after a couple years. What finish specs do you have for your cabinets? For a high gloss finish this can be important.

What a foolish thing to do - you are completely on your own.

One last consideration: It's not uncommon when ordering any cabinet line to have a piece or two that has a problem. Typically this is something broken in transit or something not quite the right size, but it could also be faulty finish or colors from different dye lots or hardware problems. If you order a kitchen full of cabinets from China, how will you resolve these issues?

With great difficulty! :-)

I'm expecting them to be responsive in case of damage or some other problem, but that wouldn't solve the six+ weeks that I expect would be required to get the replacement pieces. I'm solving for that by not scheduling the tear-out of the existing kitchen until all cabinets are received, checked and built. I have the luxury of time and staging space to do so.

geoffrey_b - I think that's pretty inappropriate.

Good luck, post some pics when you get them unpacked.....

@schreibdave: "I think that's pretty inappropriate."

What's inappropriate about my comment? I consult (IT) with many firms that do business with China. China will cut costs anyway they can, and there is a lot of dishonesty. I've witnessed this many times. The OP dealing with a business 5,000 miles away, that doesn't speak English - he's truly on his own. Warranties / problems, pretty difficult to resolve.

I won't even mention not supporting workers in his own country.

Geoffrey, I can't speak for Dave, but I suspect had you said "To me, that's foolish" it would have come across more reasonable - expressing an opinion from your point of view versus judging someone else's actions without fully understanding their situation. Not a big deal/distinction probably, I understood your perspective and strength of feeling, and was happy to let it go.

I wasn't going to engage in the thrust of your posts - we each have our own experience and opinions. But since I'm stepping back into the water . . . in MY experience, the great majority of tech products I have purchased from China (e.g., my daughter's iPhone) work flawlessly and are sometimes brilliantly engineered. I am not nay-saying your experience -- I am sure there are tons of shoddy firms and products from China -- but my experiences have generally been pretty good. As for the language, the rep I have been dealing with has excellent English, comprehends very well and is clear in her replies and back-up information.

I do appreciate the point you are making about supporting workers in one's own country, but the only domestically-made affordable cabinets in the style we are seeking (high-gloss and frameless) are produced in a large, highly-automated factory. The labour component is quite low. All my other practical options (Ikea, Fabuwood, etc.) are all made off-shore as well. Hiring a local cabinet maker might be the right trade-off for you, but we couldn't find what we wanted at twice the price going that route. It truly was not a matter of saving "a couple of hundred dollars".

Your point about risk is bang on, and I have tried to acknowledge that explicitly in the reposted thread in the Kitchens forum. I am taking on some significant risks this way, but I am interested in the results, and have the time and flexibility to run the experiment.

I do appreciate that for you, the experiment is not interesting and you'd never do it. Believe me, I'm not pitching this as the answer for anyone else - I just thought that since there is so little written on this approach, I'd post my actions and share the results when I have them. Best regards!

My comment was about this ...

"Thanks for not supporting American cabinet manufacturers. We need a lot more cheap people like you, to really drive down the economy, for the sake of a couple of $100 dollars."

That's a pretty personal attack. In a thread about cabinets. More than a little over the top in my opinion.

FWIW buying Chinese made cabinets seems like a really bad idea to me too. But I'm not going to ridicule somebody who is thinking about doing it.

Who says there aren't domestically produced choices in high gloss modern frameless? Have you explored Omega Full Access? DuraSupreme? Local custom?

I stand by my original quote: Cheap people like you, not supporting domestic manufacturing - no matter what they pay. Rationalize this all you want, it comes out the same.

I have clients that get switches (seems like a little thing) but they are counterfeit in manufacture. Then the switches are installed in School Buses (this is my latest investigation). They switches don't perform - how is the vendor going to fix 5,000 school buses, all over the country? Do you know what that would cost?

I don't think you understand who/what you're dealing with.

It just ticks me off. I know I'm talking to the wind.

I was not commenting on your views of Chinese made goods. I agree with you on that. I was commenting on your aggressive and rude comments directed at somone who came here looking for help.

Mark, experiment all you want- and let us know. You have, however, engaged in a "comparison" that isn't even close to what you're suggesting, within the car argument. CAVEAT- if, really, you're ok with sub par crap- go for it. But

An imported car comes into the US and ends up in a US retail dealership, of many sorts. There are many regulatory agreements, in this arena- perhaps you are unaware. Even in the era of the first Korean cars...

Those US retail companies are "on the hook" for what they sell, no matter the origination. You get a "lemon", you have close, local help and actual recourse.

Not even close to the cabinet thing, unless you are bringing it in from an importer who has something near the warranty/guarantee of a car dealership.

I mention this only because I'd really like you to tell us all, within an "experiment" what you'll do if the quality isn't what you expect, if the sizing is wrong for the area planned.

Not saying this can't work, but please do educate us. And perhaps stop with the non-comp comparisons.

Thanks 902 Juanita for your thoughts and input. I take your point that the Korean car metaphor is a stretch - for the reasons you identify, and also for the complexity and risk associated. Happy to let go of it. All I was seeking to do was to share what's inside my head as I was thinking about the possibility. not make an argument about "the truth".

To answer your question, if the quality or sizing are all wrong, then I'll have to write off the costs incurred, and replace it with option "B". And smile all the while, because I will have done it to myself (and those who see this as a foolish enterprise will be proven correct!).

Anyway, all I can do is report transparently and accurately what happens, share pictures and answer any questions others have about what went right or wrong.

Put another way, I have always since my first post been really clear that the risk profile of this 'experiment' is way worse than buying from a local brand name supplier. No argument. But from the products and prices that I was looking at, that risk appeared to be worth taking - the differences were that great, and I won't go bankrupt if I'm wrong.

And I have also been struck by the many posts one sees online about customer dissatisfaction with locally-sourced cabinetry, and the difficulty those folks experience trying to get things rectified on time and budget, or sometimes at all. Internet posts of course have a lot of "noise" in them, but given enough different people reporting, one gets the impression that there are some risks in any approach that one might take. The infrequent cabinet buyer faces lots of confusion. Well, at least this one did.

I wish you well. I will also say it is good of you to post this experiment. We would love to see the photos and hear when they come in. I deal with many Chinese companies daily, none of the people I deal with daily are dishonest. It sounds like you did what homework you could. I hope it works out.

@kalind615: Yes, the can copy, but the copy is a POS.

Mark-

Is it possible to go with your first choice, Ikea, and hire a cabinetmaker to modify their corner cabinet to end up with a layout that works? A little more expense to end up with known quality and a manufacturer that will stand behind its product is what I would want.

It's just ironic that someone on a ''limited budget'' would go to the length and expense of a potential full loss of that budget to complete and total crapola. Having a limited budget means choosing lower risk, readily available choices. Your taste and pace needs to learn to match your budget contains. And to learn the life lesson of delayed gratification. Save more.

Buy quality once, and then you don't have to buy it again. The quality $50 tool is much cheaper over 20 years time than is the $15 tool that breaks 4 times and gets rebought.

Folks, why so much juice in judging me? All I am doing is reporting, not pitching a conclusion.

Fiberboard cabinets = gross and unreliable. Have little strength and deteriorate quickly. Also great at warping.

Get real cabinetry made of plywood. (not OSB)

Here is another reality that will probably occur. Cabinetry often is damaged in shipping so buying local will allow you to return what was damaged easily. If you have a cabinet shipped to you from CHINA what are the chances it will get damaged (high) and then what are you going to do about it?

Hi, Vith, I think all of your points have been addressed in earlier posts. The carcasses of the cabinets I am ordering are made of 9-ply E1-rated waterproof plywood, not fibreboard (as would be the Ikea and Fabritec/Eurostyle cabinets, or the Fabuwood Primo Bianco cabinets). There are lots of conflicting opinions out there about the relative merits of fibreboard vs plywood, and I have built two Ikea kitchens and another from a (now discontinued) Home Depot line made of fibreboard, and all have stood up very well. My existing kitchen is probably 40 years old and made of fibreboard - it has been plenty strong and has not warped, even if it's no longer very beautiful. But I like the plywood alternative.

My vendor is very confident of being able to ship without damage - they may have put more thought to palletizing and containerizing knocked down cabinetry than many domestic makers have to or do (Ikea seems to have this pretty well figured out also). But we'll see, the proof will be in the unboxing. I have written in prior posts about the delays that would be associated with damage in shipment.

I feel compelled to say this again: I am not recommending this approach, simply reporting in detail on one person's actual experience trying it. I get that your preferences (and those of other posters also) may be very different than mine, and I respect that.

Mark-

Thanks for your useful posts. Good luck, and please report back on how this works out.

I also wanted to thank you, Mark, not only for sharing your experiences honestly, but also for your patience in responding so patiently and constructively to what is obviously a topic that people feel passionately about. Most would have run away from this thread ages ago!

Mark-

I agree with wacokid and backyardfeast. Diverse opinions are welcome, but some tongues have been particularly sharp in this thread. If you're new here, please don't let it discourage you from seeking advice in the future.

I didnt read all the posts but I am interested how it turns out. Instead of being inflammatory, I prefer to just point out some things and leave it at that. Seems a gamble to do this without local service/support.

It's like bridge jumping.

I survived the bridge jump.

If you are interested, pick up the story in the Kitchens forum, under "Ordering kitchen cabinets direct from China (repost)" - that's where I have been posting updates. This weekend I'll provide a debrief, post some pictures, and share what I think I learned from the experience, for anyone else thinking of this approach.

Just FYI, for anyone who had followed this thread and not made the leap to the "repost" thread in the Kitchens forum, I made a final post including before and after pictures, along with a summary of our design goals that drove this modest project. See [the "Repost" thread.[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/ordering-cabinets-direct-from-china-repost-dsvw-vd~4602278)