Implement bearings...check them

[ROUSTABOUT]

I use a handheld IR thermometer to check running temperatures of all my bearing. regularly, especially the bearing in my large round bailer, which can be difficult to replace if bad. The handheld IR thermometer has the be the best tool for checking bearings as a bad bearing will always run hotter than a good one.

HF has them for under 30 bucks. Beraings usually go bad long before they start making noise. A noisy one just tells you it's 'ate itself' and is working on destroying other parts as well.

That's what we do. Especially on the hay baler.

 

[duffer]

Just a note on your second bearing picture, the part all wonky is the bearing cage and no balls are missing, the cage keeps the balls separated evenly, they actually assemble the bearings with the balls loose then put the cage around afterward...

On these particular bearings, there ARE several ball bearings missing in the "shredded" bearing picture. I removed the seals on the other bearings, and compared to the others, there are several missing in that bearing. I think they actually burnt up, and shredded themselves to nothing. I'm sure they didn't fall out the cage, as it was in tact.

 

[rangerfredbob]

The cage is the stuff that's all mangled, the black thing on the top picture is just a dust seal to keep some grease in and some goop out... I've seen some bad bearings in my time, usually the cage goes and it makes a racket, if you're lucky it'll still work... once the cage all falls off the balls all go to one side and a gap is made and the balls start falling out, that's when really bad stuff starts happening .

If you counted two identical bearings and there were more balls then I'd go for that, but ball bearings don't just disintegrate, first the outside will pit away then some of the outer part of the ball will chip off since it's hardest and the more ductile center will stay with the rest of the ball and just be not happy... at least from my experience...