In message , raden
writes

It is 25 years since I had a proper job; working for SKF at Luton so a
certain amount of rust may have affected my knowledge.

... ...

I would avoid Japanese; Asahi for instance.


I think you must be a bit rusty

most mid range bearings are Japanese nowadays (but made in Malaysia,
Indonesia, Korea etc)

Yes. I was actually on the electrical side so I refuse to be
embarrassed:-)

SKF took a big hit from the Japanese in the late 70's. My *hearsay*
understanding was that by relaxing the groove tolerances much quieter
bearings could be marketed for use in *quiet environment* electric
motors. In factory scuttlebutt at the time was that this would lead to
shorter life and reduced functional performance.

I have direct personal experience of a particular range from Asahi (deep
groove, self aligning) and believe they are not as good as other
manufacturers equivalents.

regards




--
Tim Lamb