Substitute John Deere Bearings, Electric Gator

[Industrial Toys]

Any thoughts on this? I appreciate that John Deere has the parts for my Electric Gator, one day away, but I don't really want to spend $65.00 CDN on one bearing and $48.36 on a retainer. Heck, the Retainer rings are $10.21! That would cost around $150.00 a side for rear axle bearings and associated parts.

 

[jonsstihl]

thats the price to pay for parts support. The advantage is that in 50 years those parts will probably still be available from deere but at an even steeper price. I don't think we can say the same thing for many other brands.

If you have the part numbers maybe a local bearing store can match something cheaper either by part number or by physical size.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I know, I get that. But it's just a little too steep. It's not like a fender or some other (made by no one else, part). Might be a five dollar bearing! I see some genuine ones on E-Bay, and the box is marked China. Even at half the price, with exchange and shipping, it's back up there to about the same price.


Can one get a right size bearing for such a application by measurement, or is this risky business?

 

[FrancisC]

every bearing has a number on it. They are pretty standard sizes. Take the model number on it and talk to a local SKF, NKM or other brand bearing dealers around you. they'll have the right model for you and can cross reference them. A 6203ZZ is the same no matter what manufacturer you get it from. edit: the 6203ZZ was just a gereric example...

 

[dfkrug]

Can one get a right size bearing for such a application by measurement, or is this risky business?

I do it all the time.

I remember that one of my JD tractors had a bearing made in Russia. First one I ran into in any of my rebuilds.

I have purchased ball bearings and sleeve bearings by size with good results. Note that sometimes a ball bearing might have
a precision suffix, indicating tighter tolerances, such as 6203ZZ-C3.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have a spare trans axle that broke the shaft and JD wanted $600 or so, so I just switched axles. I may take the spare apart to see what's what. See if I can get some numbers and at worst, take measurements.

The axle shaft is apparently only held on the outside with a retaining clip and not in the Def pod. Being broken, I wonder if I will have trouble getting the broken piece out of the axle tube and Def.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I just stuck a mic on the transaxle and then on the axle tube close to the wheel bearing. Not really sure what I am listening for? Just a crack, crack crack at odd intervals, regardless of Terrain, accel, decel, braking or turns. Thing runs quiet with both wheels jacked off the ground.

Do Ball bearings pile up like needle bearing? I would not have thought so.

 

[jonsstihl]

If the cage shatters they will but by then I'm pretty sure your axle would lock up.
Roller bearings only control radial loads unless they are conical but ball bearings control axial loads and radial loads.
I would assume this must be a ball bearing unless there is a thrust washer in there. Is this a solid axle or an independent rear axle.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Well good news. I took my bad (spare) axle apart and got out the bearing. It seems a guy can't own enough C-Clip pliars.

Peer 6205 RLD. First hit Amazon fifteen bucks CDN. I am not sure what the retainer is all about. Looks like a bushing, but made up of different materials (steel/brass) and you are supposed to drill it and break it with a chisel.

In the security business, I often feel embarrassed to mark stuff up 40 percent. But JD is marking common everyday stuff like bearings up 1200 percent! When a company has a policy of "never, ever give the customer a break" and charge all you possibly can, can you have any respect for them?

 

[hosspuller]

Carrying stock is expensive. Deere parts are expensive but available most of the time. Even for 30 year old lawn mowers. Congrats on finding the bearing you need. When ever possible I do the same. But I do appreciate Deere parts.

 

[searcyfarms]

i do this all the time and often when you get the bearing out it will be a brand that will cross i have only had a couple occassions i could not find a number that crossed and it was on a washer bearing for an asian pressure washer pump - call the local bearing shop they said bring it over, the put the micrometer on it and boom 10 bucks for 2 of them, i have yet to have ANY bearing in ANY piece of equipment i have taken apart that i could not get a match for and much less than at the dealer of any brand the unit came from - i get them online and at bearing dealers locally - belts are equivalent, priced way too high and available at a lot of bearing places

 

[Industrial Toys]

Motion has them on the shelf, without an account for thirteen bucks. Now I have to figure out that retaining ring matter. And I realize, all that takes time, and ordering them from Deere, would avoid all that.

I always try and stress that you aren't just paying for the parts you bought, but all the parts in the system. Someone has to. But they must mark them up according to price. If a five dollar or less bearing is sold for $65.00 then a fender should cost thousands but it doesn't.