Budget Ball Races

[ronan]

$950 for a PTO bearing on my tractor from SKF. I shopped around though and found this one for £45, genuine nos R&M. Searching eBay and other auctions has bailed me out many a time.

View attachment 329683

Result !

 

[Kram]

I've been using Simply Bearings too and it was their 'budget' I was considering.

I dont like SB, the phone sales know less about bearings than I do, which is not much! Messed about once so wont use then unless much cheaper.

Ive used this shop before. No brand listed but be worth asking them.

Pardon our interruption...

 

[bricol]

No one to beat them. Pity brexit is messing things up for me. buying bearings from them. There used to be a good bearing stockists in Dublin, loads of old boys in it who knew bearings inside out, sizes, clearances, alternatives, they really knew their stuff, and they stocked bearings in Imperial sizes too, and a good range of QUALITY tools.

The usual story, they moved to a tin shed in the middle of the back of beyond, the old boys were pensioned off, a load of thick kids taken on who didn't know squat about anything let alone bearings, the quality tools were ditched for Chinese tat, the imperial bearings - history. I used to look forward to going to it on the triumph when i was an apprentice, now wild horses wouldn't drag me into it.

I think the usual story is the old boys wanted to retire . . . sold up and did, and the new guys simply haven't had the years to build up the knowledge as yet, and due to everyone going to ebay/Amazon first for prices, there is only one place they are going to have buy stuff from to stay afloat . . .

 

[ronan]

I think the usual story is the old boys wanted to retire . . . sold up and did, and the new guys simply haven't had the years to build up the knowledge as yet, and due to everyone going to ebay/Amazon first for prices, there is only one place they are going to have buy stuff from to stay afloat . . .

No, they only worked there.

 

[bricol]

Give your local bearing stockist a call and ask what they recommend.

Exactly that - remember they were there before the internet, and if you keep being a customer, they will be there after all the cheap crap internet suppliers have gone - and will more often get you what you want at a price you are okay with.

My local is Spen Bearings - the lads and lasses in the Cleckheaton branch knew my dad by sight and name back in the late 70's/early 80s, so it was the place I went to too. I've moved, but they have local place to me where I am now, and they too know their stuff.
When they apologise in the morning for not having a Japanese bearing, from a German gearbox, bolted to an Australian engine, in an Italian car, in stock and they will have to get it in . . . the same afternoon . . .

 

[bricol]

No, they only worked there.

Someone employed 'em But they too were young once and had to gain the knowledge . . .

 

[ronan]

Someone employed 'em But they too were young once and had to gain the knowledge . . .

The thing is, you go in now and you never see the same twit twice. Hard to gain experience when you only work their 6 months.

 

[Martin-Sy]

I'll check my old stock when I'm back at the workshop but I doubt I've got anything thin wall as big as 52mm.

Thanks Brad, that's very kind of you.

I got a bit more time on the apron strip down today. Is there interest in starting a thread on it?
I know Fizzy has a CVA. Anyone else here got one?

This is the apron hand-wheel shaft inner bearing...

And this is the shaft & other end...

I suspect that it's had manky coolant in it at some point.

 

[Martin-Sy]

SIRA had something to do with Optics to start off with,they did a lot of R and D work, had calibration services and had something to do with Digital measurement systems,I think. My grandfather had something to do with them,but I am not exactly sure what. I think they moved to the Chislehurst site after their original premises in London was bombed during the war.

Thanks for the info. They must have been regarded as a prestigious customer as they're mentioned in old CVA sales blurb.

 

[Ubique]

Bearings seem to have shot up in price in the past few months! I've needed bearings for a pillar drill I'm refurbishing & I was shocked at the prices for branded bearings. A common bearing that was around £7 for a SKF last year is now over £14!

I use Simply Bearings & they do a Codex branded bearing which are good quality but relatively cheap. They also do cheaper unbranded EU manufactured bearings which are still good quality. I've used both brands for a few things with no problems.

I had a look at them for some SKF 7202BEP, they were about £3 +vat more expensive than my usual second-line (i.e. non-local) supplier, I use Derby Bearings for most stuff, two of the guys who worked there in the 1980's when I first started using them are still there, if they don't have it in stock and can't get next-day then on a recommendation from a good friend, I use Bolton Engineering Products, again, some of the staff have decades of experience and being in Lancashire, love a chat about anything....

 

[Turbo]

I had a look at them for some SKF 7202BEP, they were about £3 +vat more expensive than my usual second-line (i.e. non-local) supplier, I use Derby Bearings for most stuff, two of the guys who worked there in the 1980's when I first started using them are still there, if they don't have it in stock and can't get next-day then on a recommendation from a good friend, I use Bolton Engineering Products, again, some of the staff have decades of experience and being in Lancashire, love a chat about anything....

In this neck of the woods there isn't a proper bearing stockist, just a couple of places that can order them in for you & by the time they add their bit onto the price the bearings get expensive!

The reason I use Simply Bearings is that they are the only place that don't charge a silly price for posting to NI. My other supplier is Henderson Bearings who have free postage on their ebay shop.