Handle free trash pull outs
Push to open trash pull out drawers: SERVO-DRIVE, TIP-ON or a handle
A trash pull out gets opened with both hands full, which makes a door that opens with a nudge of the knee the most used convenience hardware in a kitchen. This guide is for the homeowner planning a handleless kitchen and the shop specifying the hardware: the three ways to open a trash pull out without a pull, what each needs from the cabinet, the power and the box, and how to order our box so the hardware fits.
Quick answer. There are three ways to open a trash pull out without a handle. Blum SERVO-DRIVE uno is electric: a light touch on the door, even with a knee, and a drive unit behind the drawer pushes it open; it needs a power outlet in or behind the cabinet, at least 22 23/32 in of inside cabinet depth with a 21 in runner, and a 12 in minimum opening. Blum TIP-ON BLUMOTION on MOVENTO runners is mechanical: press the door in and a spring unit pushes the drawer out, with soft close on the way back; it needs no power, but the drawer back needs a 4 15/16 in wide notch instead of the standard one, and it suits our 15 in and wider setups. A handle is the third way and needs nothing. We build the box for all three; the hardware is sold separately.
Ready to build it? The configurator prices every choice live and draws your box in 3D, notch and all, before you order.
The three ways to open a trash pull out without a handle
Two of the three are Blum hardware on the same 21 in undermount runners our boxes are notched for; the third is a plain pull. What separates them is power, the runner, and whether the box changes.
| SERVO-DRIVE uno (Blum) | TIP-ON BLUMOTION (Blum) | A handle or finger pull | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HOW IT OPENS | A light touch on the front, knee included, and a motor pushes the drawer out | Press the front in a little and a spring unit pushes the drawer out | You pull |
| POWER | Yes, a plug in power supply in an outlet in or behind the cabinet | None | None |
| SOFT CLOSE | Yes, BLUMOTION on the runner | Yes, built into the unit | Yes, on any BLUMOTION runner |
| RUNNER | TANDEM 563H, MOVENTO, or Blum’s waste/recycle sets | MOVENTO only: 763, 769R or Blum’s MOVENTO waste/recycle set | Any of them |
| CHANGE TO THE BOX | None, the standard notch | Rear notch widens to 4 15/16 in; inside width at least 281 mm, just over 11 in | None |
| CABINET | 22 23/32 in inside depth with a 21 in runner; 12 in opening or wider | Our 15 in setup and wider | Any of our six setups |
| IN OUR SHOP | No | Yes, in our Blum accessories category | Runners only |
SERVO-DRIVE uno: tap it, even with a knee, and it opens itself
SERVO-DRIVE uno (also written Servo Drive) is Blum’s electric opener for a single pull out, made for the waste cabinet. A drive unit mounts behind the drawer and a touch on the front, Blum says even with your knee, starts it; the drawer glides out and the BLUMOTION on the runner closes it softly when you push it home. Blum builds in lean protection, so leaning on the front does not fire it, drip protection for the cabinet under a sink, and the drive stops if something blocks the drawer.
What it needs: an outlet. Blum’s set comes with a plug in power supply and its cable, so have an electrician put a receptacle inside the back of the cabinet or the one next door. It also needs room behind the drawer, at least 22 23/32 in of inside cabinet depth with a 21 in runner against 21 15/16 in for a 21 in TANDEM alone, and a 12 in minimum opening width. It works on a TANDEM 563H, on MOVENTO, and on Blum’s TANDEM plus BLUMOTION waste/recycle sets (568R series, 21 in), the pre assembled floor mount sets for 12, 15 and 18 in minimum openings, rated by Blum at 125 lb static. The box does not change: our standard TANDEM notch and hook holes are what the set wants. We do not sell SERVO-DRIVE; the runners are in undermount slides.
TIP-ON BLUMOTION: push to open on MOVENTO, no power
TIP-ON BLUMOTION is Blum’s mechanical push to open for MOVENTO runners, and in Blum’s US program the only unpowered touch to open option for a wood drawer box. A unit clips onto each runner at the back and a trigger plate screws to the drawer. Press the front in a little past closed and the unit pushes the drawer out far enough to grip; push it home and the BLUMOTION in the same unit pulls it closed softly.
What it needs is room in the box. The units sit where the standard rear notch would be, so the notch in the drawer back widens from Blum’s 1 15/16 in (50 mm) for a plain MOVENTO to 4 15/16 in (125 mm) minimum, and Blum asks for an inside drawer width of at least 281 mm, just over 11 in: that rules out our 12 in setup, 10 3/8 in inside, and suits the 15 in setup (13 3/8 in inside) and wider. Blum also says no rear brackets, no 298.7600 depth adjuster and no bumpers with TIP-ON, and the front needs a small gap, set with Blum’s template, so it can travel in when pressed. The unit is chosen by runner length and loaded drawer weight, the L3 or the heavier L5 for a 21 in trash pull out, and Blum’s MOVENTO waste/recycle set has a matched TIP-ON set; all of them, with the synchronization rod that links the two units, are in our Blum accessories category, and the MOVENTO runners in undermount slides. The TANDEM 563H has no TIP-ON option, so push to open without power means MOVENTO.
| Our setup | Inside width | TIP-ON BLUMOTION on MOVENTO | SERVO-DRIVE uno |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 in, one can | 10 3/8 in | No, under Blum’s 281 mm minimum | Yes |
| 15 in, two compact 35 qt | 13 3/8 in | Yes | Yes |
| 18 in, two 50 qt | 16 3/8 in | Yes | Yes |
| 21 in, two 35 qt | 19 3/8 in | Yes | Yes |
| 22 1/2 in, two 50 qt | 20 7/8 in | Yes | Yes |
A handle is still a good answer
A bar pull or a finger pull along the top edge of the door needs no outlet, no wider notch and no minimum width, works on every runner, and costs the least. A trash pull out on a BLUMOTION runner still closes with a nudge of the knee, which is the half of the job people do with a knee anyway. Choose a handle when there is no power nearby, when the opening is 12 in, or when the rest of the kitchen has pulls; our installation guide covers mounting it.
How soft close and push to open work together
They are not in conflict, because each owns a different end of the travel. With SERVO-DRIVE the motor opens and the BLUMOTION on the runner closes. With TIP-ON BLUMOTION both live in one unit: the spring pushes out, the damper pulls in. The one thing to avoid is an older plain TIP-ON unit on a BLUMOTION runner, where the damper would swallow the push; Blum’s answer for MOVENTO is the combined unit, and those are the ones we stock.
Drawer front weight and the load on the runner
Push to open hardware moves the whole loaded drawer: box, door, cans and contents. TIP-ON units are sized by that weight, so a trash pull out with a heavy hardwood door and two full cans belongs on the heavier unit. SERVO-DRIVE has a motor behind it and is less fussy about the door, but every setup still lives inside the runner’s rating, and we never rate the box: Blum rates the TANDEM 563H at 100 lb static, the MOVENTO 763 at 125 lb, the MOVENTO 769 at 170 lb and its waste/recycle sets at 125 lb static. The trash pull out slides guide compares the runners.
What to pick in the configurator for push to open
The box has to be cut for the hardware before it ships, and the notch is the whole difference. In the trash pull out configurator, the “Slides” field decides it.
| You want | Choose in “Slides” | Type in “Your slide brand and model” | “Locking clips” |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERVO-DRIVE uno on a TANDEM 563H | “Blum TANDEM, 21″ (our standard)” | Nothing; the field stays hidden | “Install the matching Blum locking clips” |
| SERVO-DRIVE uno on a Blum waste/recycle set | “Other undermount slide (name it below)” | The set’s part number from its box | Hidden; the set includes its locking devices |
| TIP-ON BLUMOTION on MOVENTO | “Other undermount slide (name it below)” | “Blum MOVENTO 763, 21 in, with TIP-ON BLUMOTION” so we cut the 4 15/16 in notch | Hidden; buy the T51.7601 devices in clips and brackets |
| A handle | “Blum TANDEM, 21″ (our standard)” or “Blum MOVENTO, 21″” | Nothing | “Install the matching Blum locking clips” |
For TIP-ON, pick a setup from the 15 in one up, since “Trash can setup” fixes the inside width. The live 3D preview’s Back view shows the notch and hook holes you ordered, and Add to cart is held while the preview shows a red warning, so a box we cannot build never gets ordered; our configurator guide covers every field.
Decided on the hardware? Build your trash pull out and see the price as you choose, built to order in our Las Vegas shop with a lifetime warranty on the wood box and free retail shipping. Runner you cannot find in the list? Send us a photo of it and your measurements on the instant quote.
Push to open questions
Does a push to open trash pull out need electricity?
Only the electric kind. Blum SERVO-DRIVE uno runs on a plug in power supply, so it needs an outlet in or behind the cabinet. Blum TIP-ON BLUMOTION is a spring unit on a MOVENTO runner and needs no power; what it needs instead is the 4 15/16 in rear notch and an inside width of at least 281 mm, just over 11 in.
Can I add push to open to a trash pull out later?
SERVO-DRIVE, yes: it mounts behind the drawer and does not change the box, as long as the cabinet has 22 23/32 in of inside depth and power. TIP-ON only if the box already has the 4 15/16 in notch, because the units sit where a standard notch would be. If you might want it one day, name “MOVENTO with TIP-ON BLUMOTION” in the configurator now and fit the units whenever you like.
Does push to open work with soft close?
Yes. SERVO-DRIVE opens the drawer and the BLUMOTION on the runner closes it. TIP-ON BLUMOTION has the spring and the damper in one unit, so it pushes out and pulls in softly. Just do not pair an older plain TIP-ON unit with a BLUMOTION runner; the damper would absorb the push.
What happens to a SERVO-DRIVE trash pull out when the power goes out?
It becomes an ordinary drawer on BLUMOTION runners: grip the top edge of the door and pull, and it rolls out and closes softly as before. A slight lip or finger grip along the top edge of the door makes that easier, so plan the door profile with the occasional outage in mind.
Can kids open a push to open trash drawer?
Yes. A tap opens SERVO-DRIVE and a firm press opens TIP-ON, and neither has a lock. With a toddler in the house, lid the can, keep sharp things out of it, or choose a handle and add a cabinet latch. Blum’s lean protection ignores someone leaning on the front, but cannot tell a child from an adult.
Will a push to open trash drawer open by itself?
No. SERVO-DRIVE fires on a short tap and Blum’s lean protection ignores a body leaning on the front. TIP-ON only releases when the front is pressed in past closed. A TIP-ON drawer that creeps open has its front gap set wrong or is overloaded for the unit; reset the gap with Blum’s template and check the unit’s rating.
Which is better for a trash pull out, SERVO-DRIVE or TIP-ON?
SERVO-DRIVE if you want the knee tap with both hands full and can get power to the cabinet; it works from our 12 in setup up and needs 22 23/32 in of depth. TIP-ON if there is no outlet and a firm press suits you; it needs MOVENTO, the wider notch and a 15 in or wider setup. A handle if you want the simplest answer. We build the box for all three.
Related reading
- Best drawer slides for a trash pull out: TANDEM, MOVENTO and the waste/recycle sets.
- Drawer boxes for Blum undermount slides: every Blum runner, locking device and the TIP-ON notch.
- How to install a pull out trash can drawer: runners, clips, the door and the retainer panel.
- How much a pull out trash drawer costs: the box, the setups and what else to budget.
- Pull out trash under the sink: where SERVO-DRIVE’s drip protection earns its keep.
- Trash pull out drawers: the six setups, what is included and the warranty.
Tap it open, built for the hardware you chose
Name your runner, with TIP-ON if you want it, and we cut the notch for it in our Las Vegas shop, with a lifetime warranty on the wood box. Build yours in the configurator; every option shows its price as you build it.