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Hi all,

Looking to be able to purchase ball bearings for future Tamiya project cars at a reasonable price in US and Canada.  Any recommendations?  It can be bulk purchase and online store.

 

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eBay or AliExpress. Reverse Tamiya coding to get standard industrial sizes. XXY0 = Y x XX, so 1150 = 5 x 11, 850 = 5 x 8, etc...

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38 minutes ago, alvinlwh said:

eBay or AliExpress. Reverse Tamiya coding to get standard industrial sizes. XXY0 = Y x XX, so 1150 = 5 x 11, 850 = 5 x 8, etc...

thanks. Any other options?  Really looking at the bulk purchase approach if possible

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1 hour ago, Frankster said:

thanks. Any other options?  Really looking at the bulk purchase approach if possible

I bulk buy from Aliexpress, this is the store I use:

Bearings store

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Remember that there are two types of seals: rubber and metal.

Rubber is good for "dirty" places but there is no reason to use them e.g. inside gearbox. Metal seals have less friction.

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10 minutes ago, skom25 said:

Remember that there are two types of seals: rubber and metal.

Rubber is good for "dirty" places but there is no reason to use them e.g. inside gearbox. Metal seals have less friction.

Yes. I forgot about the different types

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I usually buy from Amazon or FastEddy bearings in bulk or in their sets.  

 

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On 5/18/2023 at 5:38 AM, iron2dog said:

I bulk buy from Aliexpress, this is the store I use:

Bearings store

So that's where cheap ebay sellers went to.  About 50 cents per piece isn't too bad.  Tamiya's own metal bearing sets tend to be about $1 a piece (they are not even rubber-shielded).

Have you found any bearing that didn't roll smoothly?  I have seen stuck-in-lard bearings even in a $2-per-piece batch from elsewhere.  

I have 3-4 unbuilt kits (Dynahead should take some thirty 1150s by itself).  My stash has enough for 2-3 kits, but I would definitely need more. 

 

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I usually bulk buy from "Winter", their bearings are very smooth and reasonably priced.

Tip: For a large bulk of common 5x11x4mm bearings pick up their TL-01 set, that gets you 24 bearings that should fit in standard wheel hubs for $17.

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I have had very good experiences with Winter Evening. He seems like a nice guy and sells bearing kits for Tamiya cars (and others) on eBay. They have blue rubber seals. Of course he buys them in bulk from China and puts the kits together for you, but his prices are totally fair and the quality is good. He is taking the burden and annoyance of buying possibly junk bearings away from the equation so now I always go with him.

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On 5/19/2023 at 7:16 PM, Juggular said:

So that's where cheap ebay sellers went to.  About 50 cents per piece isn't too bad.  Tamiya's own metal bearing sets tend to be about $1 a piece (they are not even rubber-shielded).

Have you found any bearing that didn't roll smoothly?  I have seen stuck-in-lard bearings even in a $2-per-piece batch from elsewhere.  

I have 3-4 unbuilt kits (Dynahead should take some thirty 1150s by itself).  My stash has enough for 2-3 kits, but I would definitely need more. 

 

So far everything is "smooth"! I like the black rubber shielded bearings so that's also a reason for me to go there.... of course they have also the blue ones!

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If anyone in here is in Australia, Plaig Bearings (on ebay) is where I get nearly all my RC bearings. Good prices, good postage prices and pretty quick delivery.

I'm not associated with them btw. I just buy from them.

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7 hours ago, iron2dog said:

So far everything is "smooth"! I like the black rubber shielded bearings so that's also a reason for me to go there.... of course they have also the blue ones!

Thank you, 

I've built about 40 kits. Probably some 800 bearings. A dollar a piece would be $800.  I've been lucky enough to find 10-25 cent bearings over the years, saving me $600. I'd rather buy 2 more kits with that money. So discovering places where they sell cheap is quite valuable, literally. 

 

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3 hours ago, Juggular said:

Thank you, 

I've built about 40 kits. Probably some 800 bearings. A dollar a piece would be $800.  I've been lucky enough to find 10-25 cent bearings over the years, saving me $600. I'd rather buy 2 more kits with that money. So discovering places where they sell cheap is quite valuable, literally. 

 

Fully agree.  Looking for good quality and value bearings to save money for more cars 😂

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140 Bearings arrived today. 

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XzI7jRc.jpg

USD 35.11 (including shipping) for 140 means 25 cents a piece.  

wddJdb8.jpg

All rolled smoothly (I did check each of them).  Two out of 140 had rubber seals not quite seated in place but still rolled smoothly.  I tried to put in with the tip of a ball point pen, but I might need something pointier.  Or I can just take them off and use them in 1 gear, exposed sides inwardly facing each other.  All of them comfortably fit in a 3x4 inch bag.  I don't know why I saved some bushings.  

jLWXLmD.jpg

This is the first time buying bearings from AliExpress.  This is the place I got them from.  I got them from a different seller, but still, Thank you for nudging me in the right direction, @iron2dog!   

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801821911839.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.5.18114337JUIT8q&algo_pvid=d9729a1e-1a63-4a54-a4c0-83872738dff4&algo_exp_id=d9729a1e-1a63-4a54-a4c0-83872738dff4-2&pdp_npi=3%40dis!USD!2.6!1.82!!!!!%40211bd7d616856569519057876d0833!12000018393110230!sea!US!2630314545&curPageLogUid=pd7fxm3yPJdP

 

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Never mind   I already responded long time ago   :rolleyes:

 

Edited by Willy iine

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1 hour ago, CoolHands said:

ChatGTP bot above

Yep, reported before. I have removed the account.

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1 hour ago, CoolHands said:

ChatGTP bot above

Oh, I haven't thought of that. Is it like somebody asks Chat GTP and just copy and paste? Why? So he could jump in when he didn't have a good idea?  

What a time we live in.  I wonder when I could ask a robot to paint the shells and put stickers on for me. (Come to think of it, that sounds less appealing than leaving the shells clear.)

pD3bvzt.jpg

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So I'd like to get bearings to rebuild an old RC10T3.. Fast Eddy doesn't seem to have a set for kits this age, could I piece together a set from these eBay/AliXP sellers?  I'd have to know bearing sizes right?

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Just spent about 65 quid on aliexpress bearings :o 

 

ps genuine tamiya bearings are beyond a stupid price - £22.50 for four 1150 

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