Centuro 600 Bandsaw _ Bearings

[andrew whicker]

Howdy,

I removed both wheels last night. The bearings are indeed trashed. I think I'll remove the dust covers and clean up / re-grease. However, these bearings were Shielded (Top wheel was SKF, Bottom wheel was Fanfir / Temkin). Reading about Shielded vs Sealed makes me believe that I want Sealed bearings instead. Which is quite the upgrade ($$), but is cheap in the long term of the machine. Hopefully my forever machine, so a few hundred dollars isn't bad.

Is there a reason why Shielded might be preferred over Sealed for this bandsaw (heat, load, speed)?

Thanks much,

[andrew whicker]

So the more I go down this rabbit hole, the more questions I have. The Centuro parts list doesn't give any mfg P/N's, only their own P/N. Does anyone have the mfg recommended bearings?

The upper wheel on mine has SKF 6207-2Z / C3GJN. The lower wheel: Fafnir 207KDD Z3 FS50000.

SKF nomenclature means the bearing: Shielded w/ C3 clearances. C3 clearance is "larger than normal clearances" on diameters.

Fafnir / Temkin nomenclature means the bearing: Shielded w/ ?? clearances.

Anyway, the reason for taking this stuff apart is the blade flutter so I'm not wanting to order expensive bearings w/ too big of a clearance by copying these exact bearings. Or maybe these bearings are correct?

[Andrew Hughes]

I’m not a expert of bandsaw bearings so take this for what it’s worth. My Aggazani B20/20 has a expensive German made bearing on the lower wheel and inexpensive bearings on the upper wheel.
I don’t remember if they were sealed or shield. I just remember discussing it with Jesses bandsaw tech when I first bought my saw.
Good Luck

[andrew whicker]

Hmm, both SKF and Timken are good brands as far as I can tell. I'm more wondering if they got replaced with the wrong clearances.

It also seems that 72 mm OD / 35 mm ID / 17 mm thickness is a standard size for radial bearings, so if anyone has a bandsaw in the same size range (600 mm / 24 inch) and has the mfg bearings PN's I could probably use that to help me as well.

[mike stenson]

Timken lists it as a Radial/Deep Groove Ball Bearing - Straight Bore, 35 mm ID, 13.2500 in OD, 0.6693 in Width, Double Shielded. Which would also be 6207-2Z

Edit: SKF, FAG, NSK, NTN, Timken etc.. all good choices for bearings IMO.

[andrew whicker]

Grizzly manual shows a 2RS bearing which is a double sealed bearing (vs shielded) of a slightly different size.

I'm going to try to clean up the ones I have and see f I find any runout in the shafts by rolling them on flat top?

Hmm... I don't think I felt any play in the wheels when they were installed... but I'd hate to take everything apart again.

[mike stenson]

If they're working, I trust the bearings in my hand. I'd also do a 2RS bearing on woodworking tools. I generally don't care much about mfg's purchasing choices for bearing manufacturers, most of the time they're looking to save money. (repacking a bearing that already feels notchy is a short-term fix IME).

[Mike Cutler]

Howdy,

Is there a reason why Shielded might be preferred over Sealed for this bandsaw (heat, load, speed)?

Thanks much,

They're typically much cheaper than a sealed bearing.If a manufacturer can save $$$$, by spec'g lower cost components, that's direct profit.

Take the bearings you have to a bearing distributor. They'll cross reference the part number and should be able to come up with a selection of new bearings to replace the old.

[Chris Parks]

Buying bearings is best done at a specialist bearing supplier in person as it can be a complicated process. Doing it in person will ensure you get quality bearings and not some no name low quality bearing.

[Bill Dufour]

Go with rubber sealed for anything under 5,000 RPM in a dusty wood shop. Motor grade or better is fine for bearings. So class three or higher. Do not use better then class 5 or you will have problems.
Modern synthetic rubber is much better then real rubber was.
Shielded is 1950's tech. maybe still used if the machine has a few hundred bearings and the extra friction adds up. Like a conveyer belt system.
NTN Used to have. good bearing look up search function from the three dimensions. Hope it still works.
BilL D

https://bearingfinder.ntnamericas.co.../ball-bearings

[Bill Dufour]

Timken lists it as a Radial/Deep Groove Ball Bearing - Straight Bore, 35 mm ID, 13.2500 in OD, 0.6693 in Width, Double Shielded. Which would also be 6207-2Z

Those sizes make no sense. ID must be smaller then OD. I doubt it is 13.25 inches diameter.
I assume all dimensions should be metric no inch at all. Unless this was made in usa before 1950 or so.
Very possible someone replaced only top or bottom bearings at some time.
Bill D

[Chris Parks]

The quickest and safest way to get what you need is take the bearings to a bearing supplier.

[mike stenson]

Those sizes make no sense. ID must be smaller then OD. I doubt it is 13.25 inches diameter.
I assume all dimensions should be metric no inch at all. Unless this was made in usa before 1950 or so.
Very possible someone replaced only top or bottom bearings at some time.
Bill D

It's a one-liner at the top of the page I copied, pasted and missed that because I was looking at the specs below. Here's the specs from that section

OD 72.00mm
Width 17mm


I hate mixed measurements. I suspect prior replacement is highly likely. While I'm thinking about it, I hate bearings that are labelled other than series, bore diameter, shield code, clearance code, etc..

[Bill Dufour]

looks to be a 6207 bearing. About $15 each for Nachi on the bay. NTN, FAG, SKF, Nachi, Timken. are all good. I use VXB with good results.
A bearing that big and expensive you will not find a tube of ten for a excellent price.
BilL D

[Erik Loza]

Agree with Bill on this: No need to overthink, here. Just get some good quality sealed bearings of the brands mentioned and move on. I can 100% guarantee that there is no “science” in bearing selection for bandsaws. The last new Centauro I worked on had Korean-made bearings and you know the track record of the MM16/S400P. Good luck with it.

Erik