Top 3 bearings

[OleTC]

I ordered and received BOCA orange seal bearings from Florida and received them in a small box, saying "Made in China". It is obvious to me, that it was the original container. Am not really impressed by the quality.
The best bearings I have found are installed in higher end japanese manufactured reels, like the Shimano Calcutta TE DC and the Daiwa Luna reels.
A bit steep in Price to order a Whole reel, just to remove the bearings and install in a different reel.

Also ordered hybrid ceramic bearings from Mike's reel repair. Very cheap bearings and they rusted while I looked at them. Made in China. The orange seals are better in that respect.

I want to try the Hedgehog bearings Next.

[Zimbass]

Maybe the small box they came in was made in China

[DammitKhoa]

This guy^^ lol

[JasonFlanzbaum]

Hey there guys, Jason Flanzbaum here, VP at Boca Bearings. First I wanted to say thanks so much for such a passionate discussion around our product, we have been in business for over 26 years and we pride ourselves on the quality of our product and our customer support. So we wanted to be sure we weighed in on this conversation and set the record straight.

Our fishing reel bearings are contract manufactured in Germany, China and Japan depending on the size and style of the bearing. Our bearings are made at the same factories that we have been doing business with for 20+ years. Everything is made according to our specifications and the bearings are then put through a rigorous quality control process that we have worked hard to develop. We do not own the factories and we do not claim to own the factories.

Because we have such long standing relationships with our factories however we are highly skeptical that those factories would ever risk losing our business so they could sell small quantities direct to consumers. The factories that we deal with have no desire to do this kind of business and are not even set up to do it. We know this because of the minimum orders we have to place! So the chances are very slim that every generic orange seal bearing from China is actually coming from our supplier or even comparable to our product. Most times, you get what you pay for when you buy a knock off.

But we also acknowledge that it is a wide open market with plenty of room for competition. We do not begrudge anyone who wants to sell orange seal bearings to the fishing reel market. We have no monopoly on the term or the color. We simply stand on our name, Boca Bearings. If people find a different source of bearings that meet their requirements and those bearings live up to their expectations, then more power to them. We however stand behind the product 100%, we are always reachable for customer support and we work hard to support the fishing industry through event and angler sponsorships.

So thanks again, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so in essence I guess we have arrived Please let me know if anyone has any questions: jason@bocabearings.com

[TommyG]

Thank you Jason, really appreciate your post. Boca has great customer service and a fine product.
You cleared up a lot of misconceptions.

[389Maverick]

Hey there guys, Jason Flanzbaum here, VP at Boca Bearings. First I wanted to say thanks so much for such a passionate discussion around our product, we have been in business for over 26 years and we pride ourselves on the quality of our product and our customer support. So we wanted to be sure we weighed in on this conversation and set the record straight.

Our fishing reel bearings are contract manufactured in Germany, China and Japan depending on the size and style of the bearing. Our bearings are made at the same factories that we have been doing business with for 20+ years. Everything is made according to our specifications and the bearings are then put through a rigorous quality control process that we have worked hard to develop. We do not own the factories and we do not claim to own the factories.

Because we have such long standing relationships with our factories however we are highly skeptical that those factories would ever risk losing our business so they could sell small quantities direct to consumers. The factories that we deal with have no desire to do this kind of business and are not even set up to do it. We know this because of the minimum orders we have to place! So the chances are very slim that every generic orange seal bearing from China is actually coming from our supplier or even comparable to our product. Most times, you get what you pay for when you buy a knock off.

But we also acknowledge that it is a wide open market with plenty of room for competition. We do not begrudge anyone who wants to sell orange seal bearings to the fishing reel market. We have no monopoly on the term or the color. We simply stand on our name, Boca Bearings. If people find a different source of bearings that meet their requirements and those bearings live up to their expectations, then more power to them. We however stand behind the product 100%, we are always reachable for customer support and we work hard to support the fishing industry through event and angler sponsorships.

So thanks again, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so in essence I guess we have arrived Please let me know if anyone has any questions: jason@bocabearings.com

^^^ this!

[goldrod]

I'm not one to speak on something unless i've given it a fair shot.
While everyone has their own opinions I will say that i have for the most part had only been buying boca's.
I sourced a set of orange seals that did not come from boca and I dropped them in a project reel. I will admit
that the performance was at a minimum on par with the boca's but cost me less 1/3 less to be truthful.

So that is just what I got. it's your money buy whom you like but I posted this post to canvass those who sought out the best bearing and i guess you just have to factor cost into that equation. I spent $50 on a set of zpi bearings for a shimano reel and to me nothing has made me more excited in a long time to use. I am still out on them and want to try some hedge hog's and compare.

I have a nib D7 and its the second D7 reel that i have with black bearings. They seem to out perform the other D7 reels i have that came with different bearings can some one speak about the differences and why the change up?

[Cagey]

...I have a nib D7 and its the second D7 reel that i have with black bearings. They seem to out perform the other D7 reels i have that came with different bearings can some one speak about the differences and why the change up?

Black bearings? Are those the S-ARB bearings I keep hearing about?

I just purchased a used chronarch that came with some black colored bearings I was informed are S-ARB bearings that had been taken out of a brand new Metanium reel and put into the chronarch I just purchased. I immediately pulled them out and put them away and installed some cheap Chinese ceramic hybrid orange seal type of bearings and now that spool sings to me when spinning freely for quite a bit longer than the "black" bearings did.

Does anyone know what S-ARB stands for? I read a post by bantam1 from back in 2009 or so, and I saw what he posted about its' meaning and then I went into the engineering spec. books by manufacturers and found something else. So out of curiosity I am wondering what the common knowledge is around here for the S-ARB bearings??? What does S-ARB mean???

[StarTzar]

We however stand behind the product 100%, we are always reachable for customer support and we work hard to support the fishing industry through event and angler sponsorships.

So thanks again, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so in essence I guess we have arrived Please let me know if anyone has any questions: jason@bocabearings.com

That is why I purchase Boca Bearings

[a1712]

Cagey, I've heard plenty of people translate S-ARB as Stainless Anti Rust Bearing. Don't know if that's the true definition, but I do know ARB is a huge bearing manufacturer located in India. Brian.

[phatbass]

...I have a nib D7 and its the second D7 reel that i have with black bearings. They seem to out perform the other D7 reels i have that came with different bearings can some one speak about the differences and why the change up?

Black bearings? Are those the S-ARB bearings I keep hearing about?

I just purchased a used chronarch that came with some black colored bearings I was informed are S-ARB bearings that had been taken out of a brand new Metanium reel and put into the chronarch I just purchased. I immediately pulled them out and put them away and installed some cheap Chinese ceramic hybrid orange seal type of bearings and now that spool sings to me when spinning freely for quite a bit longer than the "black" bearings did.

Does anyone know what S-ARB stands for? I read a post by bantam1 from back in 2009 or so, and I saw what he posted about its' meaning and then I went into the engineering spec. books by manufacturers and found something else. So out of curiosity I am wondering what the common knowledge is around here for the S-ARB bearings??? What does S-ARB mean???

they are the anti rust bearings and they are actually really good bearings.thanks again for the info on the ceramic bearings they are awesome ,there no need to pay 30 for set when you can get them for under 10,its a steal

[Jeffbro999]

S-ARB means shielded anti rust bearings
ARB is the non shielded anti rust bearings
These bearings are awesome for stock bearings. Take the shields off and clean them out and apply TSI 301/321 and they will fly. Nice and quiet to. Not all are black either, some are a lighter gunmetal color but still darker than shiny stainless. I would like to see how those cheap bearings stand up to the saltwater corrosion. My guess is not very well but I don't plan on testing them either.

[goldrod]

Yeah to me they are great. I have a dfive with then in
it and all is well. I. Actually thought that they were some
Premium bearings.... Will try to remove the shields

[Strewth]

S-ARB means shielded anti rust bearings
ARB is the non shielded anti rust bearings
These bearings are awesome for stock bearings. Take the shields off and clean them out and apply TSI 301/321 and they will fly. Nice and quiet to. Not all are black either, some are a lighter gunmetal color but still darker than shiny stainless. I would like to see how those cheap bearings stand up to the saltwater corrosion. My guess is not very well but I don't plan on testing them either.

This is right on the money.....

[Cagey]

Mark: 76297285
Word Mark:
ARB ANTI-RUST BEARING
Serial Number: 76297285
Registration Number: n/a
Filing Date: August 09, 2001
Abandonment Date: April 23, 2003
Goods and Services: 028. Fishing tackle, including reels, rods, lines, line guides, hooks, lures, artificial baits, creels, floats, sinkers, hand-held fishing nets, fishing bags, rod cases, fishing gloves and tackle containers

International Class(es): 028
Current Filing Basis: 1(b)
Original Filing Basis: 1(b)
Published for Opposition: July 30, 2002
Type of Mark: Trademark
Law Office Assigned: L70
Register: Principal
Current Location: FILE REPOSITORY (FRANCONIA)
Current Status: ABANDONED - NO STATEMENT OF USE FILED
Date of Status: April 23, 2003
Mark Drawing Code: 3000
Logo Description: The mark consists of a stylized representation of a ball bearing, an arrow angled at approximately ninety degrees, and the letters "A", "R", "B".
Design Search Codes: 15.07.04, 24.15.25, 26.01.16, 26.01.18, 26.01.20, 26.09.02
Live/Dead Indicator: DEAD



I have been doing some digging and research on ARB and S-ARB bearings and I was kind of surprised by what I found out is somewhat different than what I read around here.

The first thing we should all come to know is that the term ARB and S-ARB mean different things to different people- and manufacturers.

The following image is from a long time German ball bearing manufacturer who was making SARB bearings before anyone ever heard of shimano or their re-invention of the term:


ARB and S-ARB can mean anything at several different levels of "anti-rust" prevention. The terms do not apply to any particular or specific product. These are catch-all terms that can apply to one thing today and something all together different tomorrow.

In fact, when I pulled up the Shimano trademarks filed in USA, Australia, and Europe I was amazed to find out Shimano was only trademarking a logo design and nothing else, meaning there is no patented or trademarked "process" of anti-rust bearings, just a nice pretty picture to put on sales literature is all they trademarked.

Here is the shimano disclaimer right off the filed trademark for their ARB logo design:

"No claim is made to the exclusive right to use "ANTI-RUST BEARING" apart from the mark as shown"

In others words, if all Shimano trademarked was some logo- just a picture- and nothing else, then shimano can label anything as a ARB or S-ARB bearing which could be at say level one with 440 or SUJ2 cheap rustable steel, by just adding oil to the bearing it is now corrosion resistant. Or, at say level two which is the use of the same cheapo 440 and SUJ2 steel and now they electroplate it with zinc chromate and make the bearing either black or gold in color. Keep in mind this electroplate process only prevents rust where it is not worn off. So if you have black or gold electroplated bearings it means absolutely NOTHING in the grand scheme of things, except that for those parts where it does not wear off, it should not rust there, but where the balls are, the races they touch, and cage- all of that internal electroplating wears off and is useless.



And if you want to go up to say a level 3 of ARB then you will have to buy bearings made from the new steel TBN-6H and buy your bearings from only those companies who make and sell this more expensive higher quality AR steel. You will not find these inside Shimano reels! Too expensive. Shimano continues to buy the 440 and SUJ2 steel bearings and then dream up some way to keep them from rusting under their trademarked LOGO.



The Chinese idea of an ARB bearing is a ceramic hybrid which is level 4 of ARB and then the highest level would be 5 or full ceramic bearings.

Shimano DID NOT trademark any process for ARB. They only trademarked a LOGO only- meaning they can slap that logo on any bearing they so choose to claim as an ARB and sell it as such. And that is the truth!

So what concerns me is that I have found postings online that are saying what Shimano has done to some reels under their trademark logo is to use the real cheap ceramic COATED stainless steel ball bearings. And if this is true, it should be of major concern to everyone who buys shimano or any brand of reel who would knowingly install ceramic coated bearings into a reel and sell it like that!

Ceramic coatings on bearings can crack and fall off and fall apart inside your reel. For me personally, I would never want a ceramic coated bearing in my reels! I'd replace them.

But for those of you who have electroplated bearings, you should know you have NOTHING special. What this is telling you is that someone has chosen to buy the cheapest steel they can to maximize their corporate profits by using as a selling point they have installed some miraculous anti-rust bearing when all they have done is purchase electroplated steel bearings.

The electroplating will wear off all moving parts inside of those bearings. Then how in the world is all that electroplating preventing rust where you need it prevented the most? It isn't because its gone! It has worn off leaving 440 and SUJ2 steel exposed unless you cover it with oil of some kind, and then the oil is the only thing preventing rust inside that bearing, but the fisherman is still thinking and believing his pretty black coating or pretty gold coating is actually doing something for him when in fact and in reality it is not doing a dam thing but look good.

The black or gold electroplating has zero effect on bearing spin ability. Electroplating does not make the cheap 440 or SUJ2 steel spin any faster or better than it did without the pretty ARB coating. Those bearings are essentially exactly the same old bearing shimano has used and sold for decades, but now with a pretty black or gold coating and a trademarked logo to slap on them and some fishermen to fool to take their money.

Gotta love those tricky selling tactics. I was going to do an entire thread on this subject FYI kind of thing, but what I would really like to hear the truth on, is shimano or any other brand of reels being sold as new with ceramic coated bearings inside? This should be of major concern to all of us who care about such things.



The funny thing is, if you look at the 4 rusted bearings at the bottom of the page, these are made from 440 and SUJ2 steel. This is what shimano created their ARB logo for to find some way of preventing the rust you see here. Rather than buy better steel bearings like the TBN-6H good stuff, they simply decided to electroplate the same old cheap steel! And some fishermen, even on this website swear up and down that those cheapo 440 and SUJ2 steel bearings are the greatest in the world all because someone made them look pretty with an electroplate coating which is little more than eye candy and nothing else. Uh, if it wears off the moving parts, how is that rust prevention when it is gone? Oh yeah, it is gone inside the bearing where you can't see it! But it looks good on the outside and that is all that matters to some I suppose.

Me, I am going with ceramic hybrid bearings from Chinese manufacturers for 1/10 of what Boca will sell them to you for. It would be even nicer if the steel races on the hybrids were made out of TBN-6H steel.

How many times have you ever heard a fisherman say I'm gonna get me some TBN-6H bearings???

But slap some paint on the cheapo's and they are the best thing since sliced bread to some!

If anyone is interested in learning more about the highest quality of steel bearings made on the planet, check out NSK website:

Here is a JDM product for you: http://www.nskmicro.co.jp/