Bearing, not a direction either!

[gm280]

For lack of any other forum to ask this question, I decided to ask here. If this isn't the correct forum, please fill free to move it, I won't be offended in the least.

When you buy bearings, yes, those ball and taper bearings we all use so often, how do you really know you are getting a quality bearing? I used to think buying Timken, SKF National-Federal, NACHI and Torrington (to list a few) were pretty much a guarantee, but I am now hearing those names are being forged from unscrupulous manufacturers in certain countries and sold as such, but are merely junk in the name brand forged boxes. So how do you know what is good now? :noidea:

I recently bought two new bearings for my lawn edger. And you could get one for $10 dollars or 10 for $20 dollars from some places. And the price would make you think you are getting a quality bearing, but there are so many copies being listed and the prices are all over the board. So how do you guys pick and choose? You would think a name brand would get you a quality bearing, but that isn't so anymore... Too many copied bearings listed with name brand manufacturers that are not so!

 

[MTboatguy]

Timken has bought so many companies around the world that these days you can see China, India and a host of other countries that they are made in.

For the most part, I look for bearings made in Japan or America, I have had good luck with both of them.

I did however have to change a bearing a while ago on the rear of my Chevy truck and the old bearing I pulled out, which was a factory installed bearing stated it was made in India.

Timken is a pretty good company, but like many others they have expanded a lot over the last few years and are making bearings everywhere these days.

 

[dingbat]

Every manufacturer you listed is an International company with manufacturing facilities worldwide.

Having spent a lot of time dealing with manufacturing facilities in Asia, I don't worry about where a product is made as much as who designed it. Most up to date manufacturing facilities in Asia have better / newer equipment than their US counter parts.

Remember when anything "Made in Japan" was considered junk?

https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/t...-manufacturers

Table 3 – Summary of top manufacturers of bearings

Rank by Revenue**	Manufacturer	Headquarters	Annual Revenue ($billion)**	Market Capitalization ($billion)***
1	Aisin Seiki	Japan	$35.84b	$17.39b
2	Schaeffler Group	Germany	$16.48b	$10.87b
3	JTEKT Corp.	Japan	$12.33b	$5.4b
4	SKF	Sweden	$9.56b	$9.86b
5	NSK	Japan	$9.34b	$8.37b
6	MinebeaMitsumi Inc.	Japan	$7.96b	$9.54b
7	NTN	Japan	$6.86b	$2.37b
8	THK	Japan	$3.34b	$5.85b
9	Timken	USA	$3.00b	$3.60b

 

[bigdee]

Stop worrying about where it is made. Stick with any major brands and you will be good to go. Remember all the great manufacturing plants that were once in the USA? They are now scattered all over the globe.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Dana-Spicer's biggest competition is the plants that they built in China..... to make Dana Spicer driveline parts.... however after 20 years, the relationship was severed, and now the biggest competition to the driveline maker is its own product coming from China.

same goes with bearings.

 

[dingbat]

Dana-Spicer's biggest competition is the plants that they built in China..... to make Dana Spicer driveline parts.... however after 20 years, the relationship was severed, and now the biggest competition to the driveline maker is its own product coming from China.

same goes with bearings.

Pretty common scenario.

Had a Chinese customer send me drawings of the line to fit equipment.

The drawings looked real familiar. Made a couple of calls and found out the Chinese built the line themselves using a "borrowed" design

Didn't bother to redraw. Changed the titles blocks and called it a good.

 

[bigdee]

Pretty common scenario.

Had a Chinese customer send me drawings of the line to fit equipment.

The drawings looked real familiar. Made a couple of calls and found out the Chinese built the line themselves using a "borrowed" design

Didn't bother to redraw. Changed the titles blocks and called it a good.

Yeah why bother with research and development when you can copy/steal a proven design. China is a clone empire.

 

[Harritwo]

We work directly with SKF through Motion Industries and have had several bearings designed for equipment we are building. As such, I use them personally when i can. If I cant use SKF for whatever reason, my go to choice is Timken. The thing i like about SKF is they are approved for fly-away parts, they will assist with any design requirements for custom bearings, and I have a local rep.