collinb Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 Have to replace the lower thrust bearing on my bandsaw. It jammed. Probably dust inside. The original was a GBK 6200Z. 10mm ID, 30mm OD, 9mm W. After some shopping crossover searching I've found the better Fafnir 200KDD for a reasonable price. (The 200KD has a dust shield on only one side.) There are some really, really cheap thrust bearings on eBay. One sells for $1.14, ships from Hong Kong, and shipping is free. (Want to know where your tax $$ are going?) Anyway, my day job is in automotive stuff. Though I'm no expert in the hardware it is clear that better parts are almost always worth the price difference. Never had a problem with Timkin, Fafnir, or other big players in bearings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuxleyWood Posted August 19, 2018 Report Share Posted August 19, 2018 First, off the shelf bearings are actually a poor choice for bandsaw guides and you won't see them on high-end saws. Somewhere consumers got the idea they were "better" than block guides used on cheaper saws and now manufacturers charge more for these types of guides. Second, high quality bearings can be counterproductive when used for replacements on bandsaw guides. While the shielding may be better than cheaper bearings the higher tolerances (ABEC standard) will ensure they pack up and quit functioning at a similar rate as the cheap bearings. My suggestion is check Space Age Ceramic and if they offer a solid ceramic thrust "bearing" for you saw buy that and be done with it, if not buy a sleeve of bearings from VBX (remain with the metal shield "Z" vs a rubber seal "RS" for this app) and you will get basically the same life for a lot less money. BTW you can probably pop the seals and clean out your current bearing (or just soak it if the seals don't want to come off), bearings in this application don't wear out (or at least extremely rarely) they just get packed with dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted August 20, 2018 Report Share Posted August 20, 2018 Didn't you just recently pick up this saw? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collinb Posted August 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2018 4 hours ago, Brendon_t said: Didn't you just recently pick up this saw? Last year, used. Not well-cared-for. Tires will be replaced shortly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted August 20, 2018 Report Share Posted August 20, 2018 Oh man, that sucks. I don't have any help on the bearing, but it seems like you have very bad luck with used machines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted August 20, 2018 Report Share Posted August 20, 2018 Thrust bearing on my Carter replacement guide kit is about 15 years old and still fine . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collinb Posted August 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 On 8/20/2018 at 3:35 PM, Brendon_t said: Oh man, that sucks. I don't have any help on the bearing, but it seems like you have very bad luck with used machines. Not really. I anticipate repair on used equipment and also anticipate a commensurate price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnesota Steve Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 On 8/18/2018 at 3:10 PM, collinb said: There are some really, really cheap thrust bearings on eBay. One sells for $1.14, ships from Hong Kong, and shipping is free. (Want to know where your tax $$ are going?) The USPS receives no money from China for picking up packages at the port and delivering them to the final address. It's part of some really old system of cross border mail delivery that used to make sense but no longer does. Good planet money episode investigating how it works... https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/08/01/634737852/episode-857-the-postal-illuminati Anyway, agree on buying quality parts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 On 8/18/2018 at 3:10 PM, collinb said: There are some really, really cheap thrust bearings on eBay. One sells for $1.14, ships from Hong Kong, and shipping is free. (Want to know where your tax $$ are going?) USPS doesn't take any federal tax money directly they get state and local tax breaks on property but that isn't much different than a lot of other businesses. They also have a protected monopoly but have very strict price guidelines. On 8/22/2018 at 1:11 PM, Minnesota Steve said: The USPS receives no money from China for picking up packages at the port and delivering them to the final address. It's part of some really old system of cross border mail delivery that used to make sense but no longer does. Good planet money episode investigating how it works... https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/08/01/634737852/episode-857-the-postal-illuminati Anyway, agree on buying quality parts! This looks like it might change i just saw this pop up in financial news on Friday. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-mail-fees/u-s-calls-foreign-mail-system-unfair-in-surprise-win-for-amazon-idUSKCN1L91W2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjeff70 Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 On 8/18/2018 at 3:10 PM, collinb said: Anyway, my day job is in automotive stuff. Though I'm no expert in the hardware it is clear that better parts are almost always worth the price difference. Never had a problem with Timkin, Fafnir, or other big players in bearings. That was the first thing I thought of when I read the title of your post. I thought it was a crank joke but I see your bandsaw gave you the shaft. Just keep your bearing during the install and you'll be okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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