Jointer Head Bearings

[Michael Stockdale]

Hello All,

I am in the process of installing a Byrd helical head in my jointer... The bearings are pressed onto the old straight-knife head, and while I realize that I could remove them and press them onto the new head, I think this is a good time to go ahead and replace the bearings as well. They are something like 8 years old anyway. The p/n for the old bearings is 6202RZ, and I find them on Amazon for $6.29 each, but I am sure they are Chinese made and I might as well put quality bearings in while I am at it, right? Can anyone recommend a good source for quality US or German made bearings? Maybe I am being too anal (or whatever)... But, I would rather only have to do this once.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Mike

[Lee Schierer]

I would go with Timken or SKF.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Lee's advice is pretty sage! I would go to a local bearing company. They can recommend a good replacement. Timken or SKF, each have a good reputation.

[Michael Stockdale]

Thanks... One reply from PA... another from Idaho... I do love this place! I found SKF bearings for $12.00 each... Given what a pain in the keester it is to tear this thing apart, I don't mind spending an extra $11.

[Bill Stephenson]

I just put a Byrd head in my 6 inch powermatic a 4 months ago. I went with new bearings (from taiwan) so far all is good. After I did the install I found out you can order the head with new bearings installed with little additional cost. I had some trouble pulling one bearing removal so it might be a better way to purchase with the bearings on. I did not have a press and had to file down the claw on the puller I had to get it to fit onto the bearing. Would make the job easy.

[joseph f merz]

byrd /or at least holbrem will supply the bearings .they offered them to me . Do not know where you live but -look in yellow pages for bearings or belts [as in fan belts] There are always bearing houses to supply machine shops,truck shops and commercial industry . You can buy locally ,ask the salesmen for the more expensive so-called better ones .this way you take yours to the supply house he measures and gets you the right ones.

[Brian Peters]

I redid the bearings on my old powermatic 8" jointer that I restored. I decided not to go cheap on these because the high quality ones aren't much more and cheap bearings can make an entire machine junk. I got mine from 'Accurate Bearings' per the suggestions from the Old woodworking machinery group site, where they seem to get all of their machine bearings from. You just measure the OD, ID and thickness and they can find some for you. If I recall correctly they were very inexpensive.

[M Toupin]

II got mine from 'Accurate Bearings' per the suggestions from the Old woodworking machinery group site

+1

Ask for Lynn, she's a bearing guru!

800-323-6548
630-543-2100


Mike

[Bruce Wrenn]

No matter where you buy from, get 6203-2RS which means they have rubber seals on both sides. Lately, I've been buying my bearings from Fastenal. (Their store is 3 miles from my house.) Last 6203's I bought for the idler pulley and tensioner pulley on our van set me back $1.96 + tax each. Yeah they were made in China, but so are the OEM parts. On my daughter's Honda, I used a bearing from NAPA ($17.00+) and it lasted less than a year. The cheap Chinese ones from Fastenal now have over 100K on them.

[Allan Speers]

byrd /or at least holbrem will supply the bearings .they offered them to me . Do not know where you live but -look in yellow pages for bearings or belts [as in fan belts] There are always bearing houses to supply machine shops,truck shops and commercial industry . You can buy locally ,ask the salesmen for the more expensive so-called better ones .this way you take yours to the supply house he measures and gets you the right ones.

In case anyone is wondering Byrd (& thus Holbren) uses Japanese Nachi bearings, which are excellent.

Also, FWIW: The guys on OWWM warn to not save money by buying nos bearings on Ebay. The consensus there is that bearing grease can go bad, just sitting on the shelf. I dunno if this is true, but it could be, so why take a chance?

[Myk Rian]

No matter where you buy from, get 6203-2RS which means they have rubber seals on both sides. Lately, I've been buying my bearings from Fastenal. (Their store is 3 miles from my house.) Last 6203's I bought for the idler pulley and tensioner pulley on our van set me back $1.96 + tax each. Yeah they were made in China, but so are the OEM parts. On my daughter's Honda, I used a bearing from NAPA ($17.00+) and it lasted less than a year. The cheap Chinese ones from Fastenal now have over 100K on them.

Why use a 6203 when it calls for a 6202?

[David Kumm]

6202 are pretty common inexpensive bearings. NOS sealed off the bay are a good option for hard to find expensive ones as the seals can be removed and grease replaced but not needed for 6202. For spindle bearings I would go with a little better precision, SKF Explorer ABEC 3 or even a hybrid ceramic ball steel bearing just to try them. Pretty much any good quality steel cage ABEC 1 bearing will be the same . SKF, FAG, FAFNIR, are top or the Japanese NSK, Natchi, NTN, or even KOYO ( Korean ) make very good stuff. There are not many options for precision in sealed bearings but that is what machines come with now. Dave

[ian maybury]

Just watch out for anything corporate with consumer market perspectives. The likelihood is that it'll be cheap stuff bought by an accounting driven buyer on a price basis masquerading as top quality...

[Bruce Wrenn]

Why use a 6203 when it calls for a 6202?

My bad-sorry. Bruce