Bearings

[JasonGotaProblem]

I want better bearings for my SS builds. But ordering online is a crapshoot. I want nice free spinning bearings, but I have no idea what they're gonna be like til they arrive. Like, you'll see a 10 pack for $6 next to what looks like a single piece of that same pack for $15. But I have no way of knowing if that $15 single bearing is a better bearing or a seller looking to capitalize on idiots. So i tend to go for the better deals only to be frequently disappointed.

How do you pick out quality bearings?

[thorhammer]

buy boca bearings and stop sweating it.

[nelz]

Jason, I can garantee you that $6 for a ten pack isn't going to get you quality! As for the pricier ones, look at the specs; ABEC rating, materials used, load capacity, etc.

I'm looking for a pair of 5x8x2.5mm stainless but don't want to buy ten at a time or pay $15+ each, so far no luck.

[Wompus Cat]

https://www.qualitybearingsonline.com/626-nsk-miniature-deep-groove-6x19x6mm/?setCurrencyId=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI27fAib-e7AIVN__jBx0hgQ5REAQYCCABEgJIGPD_BwE

they are in England and ship world wide . I get stuff from them all the time and usually within 3 to 5 days here in Texas
Quality at fair prices shipping rates are good also .

[JasonGotaProblem]

Ok so I guess I should be more clear that I dont wanna spend a ton if I can avoid it. I've bought used penn bearings on fleabay for $2 a pop for my 8500ss that are fairly decent. But i was wondering if there was a better option. Maybe an economically priced new bearing?

It seems that UK site doesn't have my size (and yes i know how to convert inches to mm)

For reference I'm looking for 3/8"x7/8"x9/32" (aka R6 size) for my 750SS and 8500SS and each reel requires 3 of that size.

[oc1]

You usually get what you pay for.  The ABEC system is largely bogus for what we are trying to do.
-steve

[nelz]

You usually get what you pay for.  The ABEC system is largely bogus for what we are trying to do.-steve

Huh? Please explain...

[Wompus Cat]

Ok so I guess I should be more clear that I dont wanna spend a ton if I can avoid it. I've bought used penn bearings on fleabay for $2 a pop for my 8500ss that are fairly decent. But i was wondering if there was a better option. Maybe an economically priced new bearing?

It seems that UK site doesn't have my size (and yes i know how to convert inches to mm)

For reference I'm looking for 3/8"x7/8"x9/32" (aka R6 size) for my 750SS and 8500SS and each reel requires 3 of that size.

Do you have one of the bearings out where you might find a name brand and some number on it ? 7/8 is a good sized bearing 22mm and is that the o/d?

[philaroman]

You usually get what you pay for.  The ABEC system is largely bogus for what we are trying to do.-steve

Huh? Please explain...

ABEC-3 functional RPM range covers pretty much all of fishing
higher precision USED to imply better materials/workmanship
nowadays -- who knows

[philaroman]

https://www.qualitybearingsonline.com/626-nsk-miniature-deep-groove-6x19x6mm/?setCurrencyId=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI27fAib-e7AIVN__jBx0hgQ5REAQYCCABEgJIGPD_BwE

they are in England and ship world wide . I get stuff from them all the time and usually within 3 to 5 days here in Texas
Quality at fair prices shipping rates are good also .

sorry, I'm seeng $3.75 for "steel cage"; NO "stainless"!!!; no mention of balls at all    and no "Made in..."

[Wompus Cat]

https://www.qualitybearingsonline.com/626-nsk-miniature-deep-groove-6x19x6mm/?setCurrencyId=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI27fAib-e7AIVN__jBx0hgQ5REAQYCCABEgJIGPD_BwE

they are in England and ship world wide . I get stuff from them all the time and usually within 3 to 5 days here in Texas
Quality at fair prices shipping rates are good also .

sorry, I'm seeng $3.75 for "steel cage"; NO "stainless"!!!; no mention of balls at all    and no "Made in..."

The site is a bit hard to really get some things .You might contact or e-mail them with you actual needs and wants and let them sort it out.

[jurelometer]

You usually get what you pay for.  The ABEC system is largely bogus for what we are trying to do.-steve

Huh? Please explain...

ABEC specifies dimensional tolerances, nothing more.  If you have a assembly that needs to spin at very high RPMs (not a fishing reel)  then you might need a high ABEC rating (but that won't be enough).  ABEC does not specify anything regarding load capacity, max RPMs, ball roundness, etc. 

I buy super-cheap ball bearings from time to time for 3D printed projects where I just need a bearing, but do not need much in terms of performance.  The dirt-cheap ABEC 5s are usually terrible, the cheap ABEC 3's are often better bearings.

I would expect that pretty much any halfway decent ball bearing will work for a spinning reel if you keep them well greased to avoid corrosion.   All stainless is better for salt, but the hardenable 440c stainless that is used for bearings is still not very saltwater resistant.

For conventional reels, having higher quality bearings is supposed to help casting a bit, but the most important thing is to to keep the spool bearings properly lubricated with the right light oil (folks here prefer TSI 321), and re-lube frequently. Realistically, the bearing cups on the two sidelplates are never going to be very accurately aligned.  This is why the machined sideplates and frames contribute to castability.  It is funny that there is a lot more information online about bearing choices then how to align the bearing cups.


Most lever drags put an axial load on a couple of the main shaft bearings,  so bearings with greater axial load capacity will allow for higher drag settings without binding.  This is where digging a bit deeper into your your wallet might pay off.

None of the above qualities are affected by the ABEC rating.   It may have been true in the past that a higher ABEC rating was a good indication of a quality bearing, but that is not the case today.

-J

[thrasher]

Are the old ones completely shot? Pulling the shields and soaking can do wonders 

[JasonGotaProblem]

None of the above qualities are affected by the ABEC rating.   It may have been true in the past that a higher ABEC rating was a good indication of a quality bearing, but that is not the case today.

-J

So then how does one choose a high quality bearing? I just think of the hybrid ceramics in my spheros. If you put a pencil in the inner race and give the outer race a spin they'll go for like 30 seconds. And the difference it made when those went in is remarkable. Thats what i want in a bearing.

To me, and lets be clear that I'm an idiot, one of several measures of a quality reel is when you give the handle a good throw, how many times will it go round before stopping? To me how free spinning a reel is, is a measure of how well every component works together. By that metric my BG is good, a van staal is terrible. (I dont particularly like VS in general and that's one of the reasons but thats a tangent for another thread).

Are the old ones completely shot? Pulling the shields and soaking can do wonders 

Yeah they're shot. Don't even turn.

[Pro Reel]

most bearings you find will be from China. Even Boca bearings is just an importer dealer, they don't make bearings, they buy from China. The best bearings generally come from Germany or Japan. A good and affordable Japanese brand available here is EZO Bearings. Dads Ol Tackle in Texas is a dealer with good prices.

If you want competition quality ceramics the best I know of come from the rocket reel company in the UK.