With all due respect to Camallison, maybe because they are not as reliable as expected? Besides what could be easer than screwing directly through the frame into a stud? Absolutely secured. And you don't necessarily need to be exact with your measurements as long as you hit that stud. I also add extra support into the ceiling joist when possible.
In Europe it is quite rare to have kitchen wall cabinets mounted on stud walls. In fact, most walls until recently are solid brick or blockwork. Hence, Ikea being a Swedish firm initially supplying only the European and Scandinavian markets, supplying fixings for solid walls. A batten fixed to the wall would have necessitated a cutout in the cabinet carcass with a step in the back to miss the batten. Only in the last 10 to 15 years have Ikea changed to a long shaped metal strip fastened to the wall, regardless of wall type, and then use a similar fitting as before, to fasten the cabinet to it.
Their designs are specifically for the home handyman to be able to fit them themselves. In fact, Ikea and others in Europe get over 75% of their business from the diy market. Professionally supplied and installed kitchen units also use similar fittings. The reason is that one man can put the cabinets up alone, only needing to hook the fitting over the part attached to the wall. Then, the 2 screws in the fitting come into play. One to tighten the cabinet against the wall and firmly hold it there. The other screw is to move the cabinet up and down, each side independently to true up the cabinet vertically.
So, it seems US practice and European practice are quite different to suit building construction type and level of training/capability of the person fitting them.
ColinA
