Bearings off ebay...

[fitzhugh]

TLDR: bearings of ebay really is hit or miss after all. Duh.

Bearings off ebay: I purchased new drive shaft bearings for both my greenie and my whatever you call them when they're ugly grey. Greyie? I hope not. Anyhow, of the four I put on, one felt like it had too much play. I used the HF bearing puller instead of a press to, well, pull the bearings on but the one I had trouble with was the last one, and it went on without noticeable issues. I only put pressure on the inside race and it went on nice and straight. I emailed the company saying I was more interested in hearing how likely it was that I damaged it when putting it on that in getting a replacement, as I don't have prior experience doing this. Within a minute or two I got a reply saying it was possible the bearing was bad to start with and that a replacement was shipping out right away. It did arrive two days later. I was impressed with the customer service, only when I got the new bearing on it was actually rough feeling - felt like a single piece of something was in the grease. I had checked it for play more carefully than the earlier ones before putting it on but I must not have given it a proper rotating feel. Or the contaminant was in the grease and only worked its way into contact when I had put it on.

I'd purchased sealed instead of shielded after seeing how nasty the grease was in the shielded bearings I pulled off (popped the shields off to see since they weren't going to be used again). So, I pulled the seals off the new ones and at first thought they were completely dry. However, I turned the two over and pulled the other seals... all the grease was on one side. ALL the grease. Maybe that is normal or maybe it means they were old stock?

I gave the one that felt like it had some grit a nice day at the spa, re-greased it, and it now feels nice. I did order a better Nachi bearing from vbx bearings in the end - seems a silly place to cut corners after all.

[everettdavis]

There are quite a number of posts dealing with bearings and I know MickyD, Jacob Anderson, JPG, Dusty and others are quite expert in helping identify the various configurations we encounter.

I have seen the various manufacturers out there. Sealed vs Shielded is often a question we see discussed. Shielded are not going to have the contact surfaces in contact with the ball bearings themselves while the Sealed have the bearing actually in physical contact with the shied, and due to that contact have a bit of heat develop from that.

NTN Bearings are what I think Jacob Anderson uses pretty much exclusively, but the devil is always in the details as it is dimension of the bearings and the shafts they run on that is critical, and they vary.

Some here gently heat the new bearings while freezing the shaft before pressing them on. Even with a press, one can damage a new bearing if the race is not properly supported during pressing it on.

Like everything, they're are eBay sellers, and then there are eBay sellers.

Search through the posts and you will find a wealth of knowledge here, and even some folks who will perform those services for you for a modest fee.

I can't imagine why a new bearing would be rough with a contaminant, but depending on the place something was warehoused, I can see the grease moving to one side of the bearing laid flat on a shelf, in Arizona or Texas for a brief time in the heat.


Everett

[fitzhugh]

Yeah, I actually have read a lot here about bearings and could not have managed without that. You are absolutely correct about the great detailed information folks have shared on the topic. I should have been more clear... I really meant to say to trust the stated opinions by those in the know here wrt who to buy bearings from and not discount the risk of going against it to save a few dollars, like I did. I did not mention the seller's name because I don't have enough if a sample to judge and they were so quick to provide a replacement, but I would go with one of the recommended sellers instead. It's what I ended up doing in the end.

The grit surprised me. They were still in original sealed plastic bags. I cleaned it out and greased it again more our of curiosity than hope of using it.

I went with sealed over shielded after reading here and sawmill creek about the difference, figured these won't run at near the max speed for sealed, won't often run for really long periods (unless I get into turning) and the original ones were such a mess, filled w with crusty thick sawdust/grease mix (I assume). I cleaned a couple of them up as well and greased them and they feel surprisingly fine, though I certainly won't run them in a machine... Also just curious. I have no idea how long they were abused. Probably decades.

Any future searchers on bearongs: don't take the above as advice, read the stickies and go from there and do what the experts say.

[garys]

Bearings are one of those little items I would never consider buying on the internet, let alone Ebay.
Go to a local bearing and seal shop and get them so you can see what you are buying. And, as an added bonus, you don't have to wait for delivery.

[pieceseeker]

I personally have had excellent experiences buying bearings online. Not necessarily on Ebay, but a few reputable bearing suppliers. All the used SPT's I have acquired, I've treated to new bearings. Use a well known bearing brand and you can't go wrong no matter where you buy it.

Many SS users may not be lucky enough to live reasonably close to a bearing supply house. I would much rather have my parts delivered to my door than using my gas and time otherwise.

[fitzhugh]

I ordered nachi bearings this latest time after the problems I had off eBay. Just the fact I could feel different amounts of play in each of the previous ones though all the same model seems to be a problem, plus I just realized they aren't marked with any origin information... On well.

I now think I need to replace the sheave button bearing and maybe the idler bearing assembly. This is my free-if-you-haul-it greenie that didn't work that came with my other and I've only run it on a 2wthp* Dc motor. The motor sets the base and tubes humming so loud the way I had it mounted for testing (bolted to a board that was firmly attached to the tubes) that I didn't realize how bad the headstock sounds. I changed the mount and the motor is much much quieter. I either have to replace more bearings or make the motor noisy again

*wishful thinking horsepower. It runs the planer and jointer with no problem though.

[dusty]

There are many options (and opinions) but I am still confused as to what is really needed (especially for the bandsaw).

Shielded or Sealed. My frugal tendencies get in the way of really making a decision. Sealed are typically much more expensive. What do I really gain for that extra money? If I buy from Shopsmith, what will I receive?

http://www.astbearings.com/bearing-closures.html

What found really interesting in this white paper was the discussion on lubrication-shelf life. Apparently, grease is not forever.

http://www.astbearings.com/bearing-lubrication.html scroll down to the discussion on shelf like.

[fitzhugh]

I was surprised to read similar stuff about grease and about how storage environment can cause problems, though I believe it was on another companies site.

I only can say what I've understood from recent readings and an far from being any sort of expert. Others will probably reply with more knowledge:
Shielded have less friction so they heat up less. They can be used at higher speeds, all other things being the same. However, they have a very small gap on the edge of the shield that can let dust and other fine contaminants in. The sealed bearings have more friction because the seal contacts both races so it must rub on one. They are better for dusty environments but not as high rpms. The manufacturer will have the specifics. I don't know what Shopsmith provides.

[dusty]

I was surprised to read similar stuff about grease and about how storage environment can cause problems, though I believe it was on another companies site.

I only can say what I've understood from recent readings and an far from being any sort of expert. Others will probably reply with more knowledge:
Shielded have less friction so they heat up less. They can be used at higher speeds, all other things being the same. However, they have a very small gap on the edge of the shield that can let dust and other fine contaminants in. The sealed bearings have more friction because the seal contacts both races so it must rub on one. They are better for dusty environments but not as high rpms. The manufacturer will have the specifics. I don't know what Shopsmith provides.

Here's hoping that someone who has just purchased bearings from Shopsmith will hop in here and tell us.