What is Reddit's opinion of Raising Electronics Server Rack Open Frame Rack 4 Post 19 inch Adjustable Server/Audio Rack Cold Rolled Steel(27U,31 Depth)?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

It's a bit pricier, coming in at $206, but here's what I bought a couple months back. It's listed as 27U despite having 29U useable.

There's a 15U version for $10 less and honestly, if I had known then what I know now, I probable would've gone that route considering how big 29 U is in a one-bedroom apartment but oh well. Live and learn.

I never published this as I should have taken photos and did not. YMMV as to usefulness. This is the deeper version of the rack that you reference with your link.

I think its a good value.

no assembly instructions. Works well, can feel a little unsteady if fully loaded but still seems solid. I will be purchasing another as I'm out of room and have limited ceiling headroom.

​

Raising Electronics

27U max 31” adjustable depth with 3 L-Rails

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076VQ8WZQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I call this a “value rack”.

By myself the assembly time, taking pictures and writing notes took about 2.5 hours.

Happy racking and stacking.

​

Pros

delineated U divider markings

centering notch in each U square hole.

Great construction, no sharp edges

Decent powder coat/paint

Great job with the flat packaging.

Shipping Box can be used to aid assembly.

Assembly is fairly simple and can be accomplished by 1 person.

Actually 29U base to bottom of the top caps.

includes M6 cage nuts and bolts

​

Cons

Don’t lose any screws or nuts. there are EXACTLY what are required to fully assemble the rack and install all three L-rails.

Minor nit: No assembly instructions or “tips”. Just a drawing.

Minor nit: U’s are not numbered.

Minor Nit: You may have challenges installing “quick rails” / “ready rails” in the bottom 3U. If you have the server device density for 3 x 1U at the bottom maybe you should not be purchasing a value rack (?)…

​

Notes

shipping and packaging (Amazon Prime)

Flat packed with an abundance of shipping straps around all circumferences.

packing size is accurate on website as is weight.

Box is essentially a coffin. Pick the top or bottom, cut the straps and remove the tape sealing the edges of the top to remove.

sides of box are ~ 1/2” corrugated cardboard and sturdy.

2 interior boxes, one small, one large,

plastic wrapped packages of L rails qty 3 - 28” long.

Plastic wrapped top and base component x 2

plastic wrapped long rails

small box contains a ziplock bag with assembly instructions, packing list, and a large quantity M8x16 screws in bag, Loose in the ziplock are M6x20 with washers

The contained bags are M6 cage nuts and bolts, M8 hex bolts a bag with expansion nuts for the M6x20

the large box contains the base rails with casters pre-attached. Two casters have wing nut brakes attached.

There is sufficient layers of packaging that a significant catastrophic injury to the package must occur to lose any parts.

The packing list and assembly instructions have the 27U-42U on one side and the 15U on the other (will assume the 20U rack is similar enough).

​

assembly instructions.

There really aren’t any.

the assembly instructions show a fully assembled rack with circled numbers pointing at components however that drawing refers to the Parts List or “Parts Description”.

Cage Nut rails have center notches and small indentations marking the start of each U. <- Nice touch on a value rack.

Make sure you have all your parts.

&#x200B;

An exploded drawing shows how pieces and parts fit together but no order is given. I’m not particularly mechanically inclined but I know the following:

&#x200B;

1. Don’t crank everything down tight at the beginning “loose fit assembly” for sections

2. tighten all incrementally at the end of a section to bring it into true

3. When in doubt measure.

I know that for my components a depth of 28 to 30” is ideal. the product description says the depth is up to 31” and I’m going to assume from square hole mount to square hole mount (front to back).

My server rails adjust from 26.5” to 31.5” and my largest server is 27.5” deep. We’ll go with 28”.

Servers can weigh a lot especially when they are pulled out on the rails from a rack. I’d like to the center of gravity as far back as possible on the casters. since you don’t usually pull servers out from the back I’ll have one vertical set of rails as far back as possible (that will be the back) and measure out the other set of rails to my desired depth and that will be the front.

The M6x20 screws and expansion nuts are for the top bars and the L-Rails. The M8x16 bots are for the base assembly.

If you don’t know what the M6 bolts and cage nuts are for you probably shouldn’t be reading this.

my instructions

Tools are not included, at a minimum you’ll need a stout phillips head screwdriver and allen key for the M8 bolts. an appropriate sized hex driver (m8 bolts) and an 10mm box wrench and ideally socket with about 1” or space in it *or* maybe some adjustable pliers. A hex driver will speed the up the base assembly process.

I recommend getting a cage nut insertion tool (cheap or expensive - depends on how much you do this and whether you want bloody fingers, fingernails and knuckles or not).

assemble the base first.

see drawing.

Note: Make sure you have the casters arranged how you want with the brakes front or back or diagonally across from each other.

Note: having a 3 three tier adjustable elevation will assist you in assembly, think work surface, shipping box, and maybe books of different thicknesses.

Note: You may want to pre-thread the M8x16 bolts in the base pieces and rails. I found the tolerances very close and I think some of the paint was throwing things off just a little bit and or making the bolts stick a bit when driving them.

Raising Electronics 27u 4 post.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076VQ8WZQ/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_fab_en5BFbDEGQEXH

I bought a 27U rack from amazon for about 200 bucks.