Whats the no BS answer on low and mid ranged bearings?

[zozu]

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Quantum bearings might be worth a look from what people have been saying but I won't be buying them until they are in my local shop.

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Where are you located?

I live in New Zealand  I dont usually like to buy stuff from overseas unless I know its exactly what I want.

[LebowskisRug]

They’re not necessarily all the same. Reds seem to have slightly better tolerances and last a bit longer and the cages seem to be higher quality. They likely have them made in extremely large numbers to get the price down whereas some other bearings might be made cheaper and in lower numbers.

I’ve had just about every low quality bearing made in the last 20 years and they’ve definitely improved a shitload. I remember easily blowing our bearings in the early 2000’s skating low impact stuff and the tolerances being so bad the bearings would rock laterally when new. My grandfather worked on high performance cars and we used to take apart my bearings and the cages on Reds were a stiffer plastic and the races were machined better.

[moonordie]

I've been skating some Mosaic super 0 and so far I'm pleased.

[rocklobster]

They’re not necessarily all the same. Reds seem to have slightly better tolerances and last a bit longer and the cages seem to be higher quality. They likely have them made in extremely large numbers to get the price down whereas some other bearings might be made cheaper and in lower numbers.

I’ve had just about every low quality bearing made in the last 20 years and they’ve definitely improved a shitload. I remember easily blowing our bearings in the early 2000’s skating low impact stuff and the tolerances being so bad the bearings would rock laterally when new. My grandfather worked on high performance cars and we used to take apart my bearings and the cages on Reds were a stiffer plastic and the races were machined better.

Speed Demons were the shittiest bearings. Pig SpeedStars were surprisingly good for bearings with metal shields, not sure about the newer stuff.

Low - Spitfire Cheapshots, Mini Logo
Mid - Reds, Indy bearings (the stuff before the GP branding)

[richard00800]

search top 10 Industrial bearing manufacturers, and try their 608 bearings.

those prices are the same as low-end skate bearings 5~10$/set, don't believe bullshits like "Industrial bearings are bad", those bearings should be the toughest.

I bought NSK bearings around 6$/set, perform better than bones reds, no need to wash them, just change them, and it's all good.

Install bearings in the right way, use old bearing to press new ones outer ring into the wheel, don't put bearings on the axle and press, that would damage them right away. put steel tubes inside wheels to even out the lateral force. last, crank axle nut just tight enough that the wheels won't shake, otherwise every trick you did are smashing bearings sideways. it would damage axle a bit at first, so I have a lot of spare axle nuts.


black ones are shitty china bearings, green ones are NSK 608dd 0.75$/ea.
I bought a little too much, so I gave some away to my friends.
I skate in sandy place/curb, they could easily last more than half year, but for consistent feeling, I change them

[GBLange]

search top 10 Industrial bearing manufacturers, and try their 608 bearings.

those prices are same as low-end skate bearings 5~10$/set, don't believe bullshits like "Industrial bearings are bad", those bearings should be the toughest.

I bought NSK bearings, around 6$/set, perform better than bones reds, no need to wash them, just change them, and it's all good.

Install bearings in the right way, use old bearing to press new ones outer ring into the wheel, don't put bearings on the axle and press, that would damage them right away. put steel tubes inside wheels to even out the lateral force. last, crank axle nut just tight enough that the wheels won't shake, otherwise every trick you did are smashing bearings sideways. it would damage axle a bit at first, so I have a lot of spare axle nuts.


black ones are shitty china bearings, green ones are NSK 608dd 0.75$/ea. in precise.
I bought a little too much, I skate in sandy place/curb, they last around half year, so I gave some away to my friends

NSK are indeed heavy duty..readily available at the local industrial spare parts shop. i've even tried NTN bearings back in the 90s. went to the local spare part shop with a busted generic 608ZZ bearing, and the guy at the counter showed me the NTN bearings. cheap and does the job. 

[augustmoon]

Just buy Bones Reds, Bones Swiss, or Quantums.  Anything else isn’t worth the risk or headache. 

[artskool]

Just buy Bones Reds, Bones Swiss, or Quantums.  Anything else isn’t worth the risk or headache.

This is seriously the most boring, but true statement. I'd even just say buy bones Swiss. Its not like they're $1000. For $65 you can have one of the fastest and most reliable bearings ever made. I've had my current pair for probably 3 years and they're still perfect.

[pops]

Reds have treated me well. Big balls were complete trash. Never tried Swiss but want to try them. I tried some Modus bearings and so far(two months) been super good.

[manysnakes]

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Just buy Bones Reds, Bones Swiss, or Quantums.  Anything else isn’t worth the risk or headache.

[close]

This is seriously the most boring, but true statement. I'd even just say buy bones Swiss. Its not like they're $1000. For $65 you can have one of the fastest and most reliable bearings ever made. I've had my current pair for probably 3 years and they're still perfect.

That’s what I am saying. It’s foolish to buy cheap, shitty bearings twice a year for $20, when bearings which will last you several years with minimal maintenance cost $60.

[Mantracker]

Bones Swiss are the best ever. Period.

I've had a lot of success with Andale's models that are under $30 for cheap setups. Reds are also fantastic but it's been a few years since I've ridden them

[Firebert]

Rockn' Rons are the only bearing I've paid less than $30 on and wasn't disappointed. They're as good as swiss.

[Mbrimson88]

Rockn' Rons are the only bearing I've paid less than $30 on and wasn't disappointed. They're as good as swiss.

Yep, the set I had were awesome.

Still going too, last I heard, as I had passed them on to someone else.

[fakie varial flip]

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Just buy Bones Reds, Bones Swiss, or Quantums.  Anything else isn’t worth the risk or headache.

[close]

This is seriously the most boring, but true statement. I'd even just say buy bones Swiss. Its not like they're $1000. For $65 you can have one of the fastest and most reliable bearings ever made. I've had my current pair for probably 3 years and they're still perfect.

[close]

That’s what I am saying. It’s foolish to buy cheap, shitty bearings twice a year for $20, when bearings which will last you several years with minimal maintenance cost $60.

This might be a stupid question, but when switching out wheels how do you remove the bearings without damaging them? I don't think i've ever removed bearings from a set of f4s without murdering them out of stupidity

[Mbrimson88]

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Just buy Bones Reds, Bones Swiss, or Quantums.  Anything else isn’t worth the risk or headache.

[close]

This is seriously the most boring, but true statement. I'd even just say buy bones Swiss. Its not like they're $1000. For $65 you can have one of the fastest and most reliable bearings ever made. I've had my current pair for probably 3 years and they're still perfect.

[close]

That’s what I am saying. It’s foolish to buy cheap, shitty bearings twice a year for $20, when bearings which will last you several years with minimal maintenance cost $60.

[close]

This might be a stupid question, but when switching out wheels how do you remove the bearings without damaging them? I don't think i've ever removed bearings from a set of f4s without murdering them out of stupidity

Some "bearing scientist type people" say they never take bearings out of wheels once they are in, which is all good and well for them.

For me, the same way they go on, using the truck axle to get them off, prying with two fingers on one side of the wheel and a thumb on the other, with the bearing just over the end of the axle.

If some bearings are particularly stubborn, I had dropped a touch of lube or something down beside or round the bearing, then worked it with a screwdriver (through where the axle would be) and it came out fairly easily after that.  Same for getting some bearings into wheels, especially if they are older wheels, so the bearings go in way more easily with a touch of lube run round the inside of the wheel.

Never really had good bearings break on me when changing over wheels and I have reused plenty of Bones swiss and other brands in twenty years doing it for skate setups in shop situations, or at skateparks and spots.


* I understand the whole thing of a bearing press and bearing pull tool, which may or may not reduce issues with bearings, but if you are being gentle but firm, everything goes in and comes out fairly easily, usually without too much trouble.  If you have to force something, stop and check whether or not it can go in more easily with a touch of lube, like a lot of other things in life really...

[Quantum_Bearing_Science]

Just buy Bones Reds, Bones Swiss, or Quantums.  Anything else isn’t worth the risk or headache.

Thank you!  High praise. 

Some "bearing scientist type people" say they never take bearings out of wheels once they are in, which is all good and well for them.

Just to be clear, he’s not talking about us. 

[Mbrimson88]

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Some "bearing scientist type people" say they never take bearings out of wheels once they are in, which is all good and well for them.

[close]

Just to be clear, he’s not talking about us. 

That is correct.

It was from maybe ten or more years ago from an article on bearings in a mag or somewhere I would not normally consider reading, but as someone recommended it, I read it and thought "Well that was interesting" but kept it just in case.

I think something similar was said by Rockin Ron or an associate, but cannot remember.


You guys sound like you are making awesome products!

[fakie varial flip]

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Just buy Bones Reds, Bones Swiss, or Quantums.  Anything else isn’t worth the risk or headache.

[close]

This is seriously the most boring, but true statement. I'd even just say buy bones Swiss. Its not like they're $1000. For $65 you can have one of the fastest and most reliable bearings ever made. I've had my current pair for probably 3 years and they're still perfect.

[close]

That’s what I am saying. It’s foolish to buy cheap, shitty bearings twice a year for $20, when bearings which will last you several years with minimal maintenance cost $60.

[close]

This might be a stupid question, but when switching out wheels how do you remove the bearings without damaging them? I don't think i've ever removed bearings from a set of f4s without murdering them out of stupidity

[close]

Some "bearing scientist type people" say they never take bearings out of wheels once they are in, which is all good and well for them.

For me, the same way they go on, using the truck axle to get them off, prying with two fingers on one side of the wheel and a thumb on the other, with the bearing just over the end of the axle.

If some bearings are particularly stubborn, I had dropped a touch of lube or something down beside or round the bearing, then worked it with a screwdriver (through where the axle would be) and it came out fairly easily after that.  Same for getting some bearings into wheels, especially if they are older wheels, so the bearings go in way more easily with a touch of lube run round the inside of the wheel.

Never really had good bearings break on me when changing over wheels and I have reused plenty of Bones swiss and other brands in twenty years doing it for skate setups in shop situations, or at skateparks and spots.


* I understand the whole thing of a bearing press and bearing pull tool, which may or may not reduce issues with bearings, but if you are being gentle but firm, everything goes in and comes out fairly easily, usually without too much trouble.  If you have to force something, stop and check whether or not it can go in more easily with a touch of lube, like a lot of other things in life really...

Absolutely going to try a little lube next time, good look. It may just be because I'm buying shitty cheap steel bearings in the first place if you never warp the higher quality ones. Have definitely murdered a few pairs of reds but I've moved away from using reds anyway, were always too slow for me (or maybe they needed lube!)

[Fasttimes]

I use quantum bc even though all bearings are made in 3 or 4 factories globally, they use an office at a college to do science stuff to test them. The proof is in the pudding loom at the logo its like sciency.

[vktrvghn]

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I hv a real Bones China Reds & fake Bones China Reds

[close]

Left = Real?
Right = Fake?

Have you ridden the fakes and what's your take on them?

[close]

Right is real. i don't really see a difference in performance, but then i don't do big stair/high impact tricks anymore. For cruising and slappies, they holding up pretty good. rode them with spacers. had them for a year and half now.no experience for winter/cold weather conditions though coz i'm in a tropical climate country.

I have 3 sets of Reds from the same shop, but 1 set is years old and has TM, the two newer ones have ®. I'm 100% certain that shop wouldn't sell fake reds.

[Mbrimson88]

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I hv a real Bones China Reds & fake Bones China Reds

[close]

Left = Real?
Right = Fake?

Have you ridden the fakes and what's your take on them?

[close]

Right is real. i don't really see a difference in performance, but then i don't do big stair/high impact tricks anymore. For cruising and slappies, they holding up pretty good. rode them with spacers. had them for a year and half now.no experience for winter/cold weather conditions though coz i'm in a tropical climate country.

[close]

I have 3 sets of Reds from the same shop, but 1 set is years old and has TM, the two newer ones have ®. I'm 100% certain that shop wouldn't sell fake reds.

Skate One (the maker of Bones products) have slightly changed their product over the years to try to combat the fake Bones products on the market, so where they once had the same look as the fakes, their newer product has small changes that allow people to spot differences.  After all, the people that make the fake product do try to copy it in every possible way.

That is not to say that there are not going to be some old product questions coming up from time to time, eg I still have a number of Bones Swiss bearings (new old stock) that still have the old year on the back of the box and no stickers on the front, not even a Made in Switzerland line on them, which I am keeping to use for myself, cause anyone else might say "They are fake" but I bought them through a distributor before all the new countermeasures were a thing.  They still roll great too, just in case anyone was curious, being one product that could have a shelf life until the end of time.

More than anything, the proof is in using / riding them as the fake product often doesn't hold up as well as the genuine product, but often by that time, you might be thinking "These are just crap bearings" rather than "Damn I got fake bearings".

There are people I know who have bought fake bearings (swiss and other products too) from Ebay or Ali Baba and say they have had no issues with them at all, so for some they do hold up fine.

[RichardAsh]

Bearings from well-known brands are typically well-made and can handle the daily beatings of riding and cruising. It is a small price to pay rather than compromising the safety of my rides by settling for less. If there’s a mad rush for affordable yet performance-loaded bearings, then the Bones Reds Bearings will be the first to fly off the shelves. These bearings are comparable to the company’s much-pricier offerings, one of the best-selling and popular brands in the US.

[yungthug]

I've pretty much only skated reds for like a decade at this point.

I just keep re-using them and have at least a pack of reds in my skate spare parts bin, so when one bearing explodes I just swap it out for another red lol. Some of the bearings on my current setup have got to be years old at this point. Never really bothered with the shields or cleaning them.

Rides great!

[GBLange]

what bearing cleaner & lubes do you guys used when cleaning/servicing bearings?

[jimgrude]

what bearing cleaner & lubes do you guys used when cleaning/servicing bearings?

citrus cleaner and a thin, synthetic bearing oil, like SpeedCream.