Premium Bearings?

[VicParticipant @vic]

I was looking at some bearings today and for any given size/type there can be dozens of options. What caught my eye though were the “Premium” brands. Which of these makes would you choose from the list?

FAG

Koyo

NSK

Nachi

SKF

 

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

For me it would be SKF but to be fair I’m not conversant with the other makes

H

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Their all good makes !Though I would go for FAG or SKF. Noel

[Neil LickfoldParticipant @neillickfold44316]

All those make a high spec bearing.

The best roundness bearing balls are ceramic grade3 balls.

Finally comes to price or availability.

FAG, NSK, Nachi, SKF, are all local for here in Hamilton.

Sometimes the only ones available are the cheapies , and have sometimes found them to be as good as the more name brand bearings. Where possible, I will go for one of the above 4 brands as my first choice.

I make up ceramic bearings for my model engines, and find that the FAG and SKF bearings have a very consistent outer race way diameter, as long as the bearings being used, come from the same plant. If they come from different plants, ie Japan for one batch and then Portugal, for another batch of the same brand, the outer race diameter can be as much as 30um different. The bearing will have the same clearance, but that does not help if you are trying to match an outer race with a shaft that already has the inner race groove ground in it.

 

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Any of those are going to be good. Nachi are a bit cheaper than SKF but are good. Koyo recently took over the section of Timken that makes Torrington needle rollers. They are good.

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

All of those brands are good but they all sell different grades of bearing.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

The main thing is avoid the cheap no-name Chinese bearings for anything critical. Some are ok, some are not. But there is no way to tell which you have until it fails. Bearings are cheap, buy the good ones. The work involved in replacing them invariably outweighs the cost.

The main bearing in my 5-year-old Chinese-made washing machine is making horrible noises already and is not long for this world. I will be replacing it with an SKF.  My previous washing machine, same brand but made in Australia, lasted 10 years before the same thing happened and I foolishly bought a new machine thinking it would last the same. My mother’s washing machine lasted 20 or more. Sign of the times. Just when sustainability is becoming critical for survival.

[JAParticipant @ja]

Just a comment. In the UK when buying bearings from a bearing supplier, ask for a discount. You will usually get one. If you are buying quite a few you may get better than 50%. Like car tyres, bearings are generally emergency purchaces and in such cases the buyer can pay a lot of money.

JA

[mgnbukParticipant @mgnbuk]

I would not have a problem with any of the brands listed, though I usually specify SKF if I have a choice.

Many SKF bearings are available in their “Explorer” specification, which are supposedly lower friction & higher spec than their normal range.

Nigel B.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

JA has a good point ! The list price is just a starting point, in most cases a hefty discount will be available – Just ask and yes 50% up is possible. Noel.

[VicParticipant @vic]

Some good info, glad I posted.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, well in my old maintenance job, I’ve fitted hundreds of all of them except Nachi, but they all last about the same amount of time, however, frequency of use and the environment conditions they are used in, do make a difference. But the old company used SKF mostly, especially where they would have a hard life, but they also used a lot of Cooper bearings as well.

Regards Nick.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Good old Cooper bearings still going strong and in Noels neck of the woods!

[Author]

Posts