Blum 110 Degrees Knock In Self Closing Compact 33 Hinge

by Blum

Product Description

Blum Compact 33 Series concealed hinge with dowels for knock-in application

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B0006HF8Z4
• Item model number: BL-33.3630
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,733 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #4 in Home Improvement > Hardware > Cabinet Hardware > Hinges

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

135 of 135 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Consider Blum Compact 38N or 39C as replacements, September 22, 2006

By 

C. Radmer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blum 110 Degrees Knock In Self Closing Compact 33 Hinge (Misc.)

Based on my personal experience, I would not choose Compact 33 hinges for cabinets that get daily use because the hinges contain a plastic part that tends to break. In the 10 years since new cabinets with these hinges were installed in my house, the plastic part has broken in 32 hinges out of 58 installed. The cabinet doors still swing after the plastic part breaks, but they will not stay fully open, they will not self-close and they often make a loud cracking sound when opening or closing. If you are looking for hinges for a new installation, I would recommend choosing an all-metal 2-piece hinge instead.

If you already have broken Compact 33 hinges installed and need to replace them, I recommend considering Blum Compact 38N or 39C hinges as replacements. The 38N and 39C are 1-piece rather than 2-piece but they use the same door cutouts as the 33 and they are all-metal. If your existing 33 hinges were installed with wrap-around mounting plates you can probably replace them with 38N or 39C hinges without drilling any new holes. I was able to replace most of my broken 33 hinges with new 39C hinges in a few hours using only screwdrivers and a level. Note that if your cabinet face frames were painted with the original 33 mounting plates in place, then a small area of unpainted face frame will be exposed after you install 38N or 39C replacement hinges, because the area covered by the replacement hinges will not exactly match the area covered by the 33 mounting plates.

If your existing 33 hinges were installed with edge-mount or face-mount plates, 38N or 39C hinges might not fit on your cabinet face frames at all, or they might fit but require that you drill new screw holes in the face frames. On my few cabinets where 39C hinges will not fit, I have left the original 33 mounting plates in place and replaced the original 33 hinges with new 33 hinges. I am also keeping some spare 33 hinges on hand in case the plastic parts in the replacement hinges break in the future.

To determine which specific 38N or 39C model (if any) will fit your cabinets, you have to measure your cabinet door overlay. Blum's USA website includes a brochure about their concealed hinges that shows all the dimensions and model numbers. I used screw-on hinges as replacements even though my originals were press-in hinges, because the press-in dowel parts stayed in place when I unscrewed the original hinges.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blum replacing defective batch - EXCELLENT SERVICE!, July 24, 2009

By 

V. Cusumano (Fairfax, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blum 110 Degrees Knock In Self Closing Compact 33 Hinge (Misc.)

My cabinets were installed with these about 12 years ago and about 40% of these hinges have failed as described in other reviews. I contacted Blum USA [phone] (USA only) and they immediately offered to send replacements for the ones I currently have broken... and let me know to call if more fail. They said they had a bad run of those with a defective mechanism that caused the plastic part to crack - back around the time mine were installed. That has been fixed and the replacements should be fine. AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great hinge -- while it works, November 26, 2005

By 

J. N. Wilson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blum 110 Degrees Knock In Self Closing Compact 33 Hinge (Misc.)

The Blum Compact 33 110 degree hinge is a great hinge,
at least while it works. It operates smoothly, adjusts
easily, and installs quickly: a cabinet-maker's dream.
Unfortunately, that's about where the beauty of the
hinge ends. The mean-time-to-failure of this hinge
is about six years. Thus, I'd rate this item
as a replacement-only piece of hardware and avoid it
for new cabinet construction.