Apollo USA
SKF Bearings for Motors, Pumps, Fans and Conveyors
Find the genuine SKF bearing you need by part number, size or type. 14,430 SKF products in stock at Apollo, with price and availability updated live.
Find your SKF bearing
Example part number 6205-2RSH/C3
Example part number
6205-2RSH/C3
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type
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series
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bore
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seals
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clearance
Every SKF family we stock
Search results
SKF bearings in stock
Not in our SKF range under that number.
Check the number on the ring, try the Size tab with the bore and outside diameter, or cross-reference it in the Apollo Bearing Index, which covers over 98,500 bearings from 100+ brands.
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- D
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Every SKF bearing type we stock
Choose a type to list every SKF part number we carry for it, with live price and stock, in the finder above.
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Deep groove ball bearings
The everyday bearing in electric motors, pumps, fans and gearboxes: radial load plus some axial load in both directions, at high speed.
Series: 60, 62, 63, 64, 160, 618 and 619 series
2,921in stock
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Cylindrical roller bearings
Heavy radial loads at high speed. NU and N types let the shaft grow with heat; NJ and NUP also locate it.
Series: NU, NJ, NUP, N, NN
1,231in stock
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Super-precision bearings
Machine tool spindles and other machines that need tight running accuracy at high speed.
Series: 718, 719, 70 and 72 angular contact; BEAM for ball screws
1,196in stock
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Spherical roller bearings
SKF invented the type in 1919. Heavy loads on shafts that deflect or sit out of line: vibrating screens, crushers, paper machines, conveyor pulleys.
Series: 213, 222, 223, 230, 231, 232, 240, 241
1,087in stock
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Plain bearings and rod ends
Spherical plain bearings and rod ends for slow tilting or oscillating movement under heavy load: cylinders, linkages, steering.
Series: GE, GEH, GEZ, SA, SI
715in stock
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Angular contact ball bearings
Radial and axial load together, often mounted in pairs: pumps, compressors and gearboxes.
Series: 72 BE, 73 BE, 32 A, 33 A
648in stock
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Needle roller bearings
High radial load in a small cross-section: gearboxes, pivots and compact housings.
Series: HK, BK, NK, NKI, NA, RNA
484in stock
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Self-aligning ball bearings
Sven Wingquist's 1907 design and SKF's first product: two rows of balls in a spherical outer raceway, for shafts that bend or sit out of line.
Series: 10, 12, 13, 22 and 23 series
373in stock
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Tapered roller bearings
Combined radial and axial loads: wheel ends, gearboxes, rolling mills. Metric series and inch cones and cups.
Series: 302, 303, 313, 320, 322, 323, 330, 331, 332; LM and HM inch
541in stock
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Thrust bearings
Axial loads: thrust ball, cylindrical roller thrust and spherical roller thrust bearings, the last launched by SKF in 1939.
Series: 511, 512, 513, 811, 812, 292, 293, 294
328in stock
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Y-bearings (insert bearings)
Insert bearings with set screws or a locking collar, made to fit SKF Y-bearing housings.
Series: YAR, YET, YEL, YSA
240in stock
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Track rollers
Rollers with a thick outer ring that run straight on a track or cam: cam followers and support rollers.
Series: KR, KRV, NUKR, NATR, NATV, PWTR
217in stock
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CARB toroidal roller bearings
SKF's 1995 design: carries heavy radial load while taking both misalignment and axial movement inside the bearing.
Series: C 22, C 23, C 30, C 31, C 39, C 40, C 41
124in stock
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Four-point contact ball bearings
Axial load in both directions in a narrow space, often beside a cylindrical roller bearing that takes the radial load.
Series: QJ 2 and QJ 3 series
112in stock
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Housed units
Y-bearings already mounted in pillow block and flanged housings, ready to bolt to the frame.
Series: SY, FY, FYT, FYTB, TU
724in stock
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Sleeves, nuts and rings
Adapter and withdrawal sleeves, lock nuts and lock washers for mounting tapered-bore bearings.
Series: H, AH, KM, MB, HJ
982in stock
Misalignment
How far can the shaft tilt?
In 1907 Sven Wingquist was a maintenance supervisor at a textile factory in Gothenburg. The factory stood on clay, the building moved, and its line shafts fell out of alignment, so the rigid ball bearings of the day overheated and failed. His double-row self-aligning ball bearing let the shaft run out of line without shortening its life, and SKF was founded on it that year.
SKF still publishes how far each of its bearing types can tilt. Drag the needle or use the slider to compare them.
0° 30′ of shaft tilt
3 of 7 bearing types take this angle
- Beyond SKF’s limit
- Beyond SKF’s limit
- Beyond SKF’s limit
- Beyond SKF’s limit
- Takes it
- Takes it
- Takes it
One degree is 60 minutes of arc. The gauge stretches small angles so the few minutes a rigid bearing takes can be seen. The limits are SKF’s guideline values for each type; the figure for one bearing depends on its series, its load and whether it is sealed, so check its SKF product data before you design to it.
SKF suffixes, decoded
The basic number gives the bearing type and size. The codes after it describe seals, clearance, cage and special features; no code means the standard version, for example open and Normal clearance. Look a code up, or type a whole suffix, then list the SKF parts we stock with it.
6205Basic number-2RSH/C3Suffixes
- 2RSH
- Contact seal of NBR on both sides, the design SKF fits to many 60, 62 and 63 series bearings
- See SKF parts with this code (2RSH)
- RSH
- Contact seal of NBR on one side (the 60, 62 and 63 series design)
- See SKF parts with this code (RSH)
- 2RSL
- Low-friction seal of NBR on both sides; it makes virtually no contact
- See SKF parts with this code (2RSL)
- 2CS5
- Contact seal of HNBR on both sides (spherical roller and CARB bearings)
- See SKF parts with this code (2CS5)
- TN9
- Glass fibre reinforced polyamide cage (PA66; PA46 in CARB bearings)
- See SKF parts with this code (TN9)
- P
- Glass fibre reinforced PA66 cage (cylindrical roller and angular contact bearings)
- See SKF parts with this code (P)
- EC
- Cylindrical roller bearings: optimized internal design with more and/or larger rollers
- See SKF parts with this code (EC)
- P4A
- Dimensional accuracy to ISO class 4, running accuracy better than class 4
- See SKF parts with this code (P4A)
- GB
- Single bearing for universal matching, one preload class up from GA
- See SKF parts with this code (GB)
- MT33
- Lithium soap grease with mineral oil, one of SKF’s standard greases
- See SKF parts with this code (MT33)
- VT143
- Filled 25 to 45% with SKF LGEP 2 grease (sealed spherical roller bearings)
- See SKF parts with this code (VT143)
- VL0241
- INSOCOAT: outer ring’s external surfaces coated, standard layer
- See SKF parts with this code (VL0241)
- VL2071
- INSOCOAT: inner ring’s external surfaces coated, standard layer
- See SKF parts with this code (VL2071)
- VA405
- For vibratory applications, surface-hardened stamped steel cages (spherical roller)
- See SKF parts with this code (VA405)
- VP311
- SKF Food Line: blue NBR contact seal and NSF H1 registered GFJ grease
- See SKF parts with this code (VP311)
No code matches. Type the letters after the basic number, or search the whole number in the finder above.
More SKF at Apollo
The SKF lines we stock beyond bearings. They are not in the bearing finder, so here is where to find them.
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SKF Speedi-Sleeve
A thin stainless steel sleeve that slides over a worn seal track and gives the lip seal a new running surface.
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SKF maintenance tools
Shaft alignment tools, pullers and induction heaters for mounting and removing bearings without damage.
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SKF lubrication
SKF greases, and automatic lubricators that feed grease to a bearing a little at a time.
Company
SKF at a glance
AB SKF, Svenska Kullagerfabriken, was founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1907. The figures are from its 2025 annual report.
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Net sales, 2025
$9.34 billion
SEK 91,583 million at 9.8060 SEK per US dollar, the 2025 average (Federal Reserve)
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Employees
37,271
At 31 December 2025
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Countries
About 130
Where SKF is present, with about 17,000 distributor locations
From Gothenburg, since 1907
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1907
Founded on a bearing that tilts
AB Svenska Kullagerfabriken is founded in Gothenburg on 16 February, on Sven Wingquist’s double-row self-aligning ball bearing. Wingquist applies for a Swedish patent that year; patents follow in ten countries.
SKF self-aligning ball bearings in stock -
1909
A subsidiary in New York
SKF opens a subsidiary in New York. The UK company Skefko follows in 1910 and its plant in Luton in 1911.
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1916
On the stock exchange, and into steel
SKF is listed on the Stockholm stock exchange and buys the Hofors Bruk steelworks.
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1919
The spherical roller bearing
Arvid Palmgren designs the spherical roller bearing, for heavy loads on shafts that deflect or run out of line. SKF invented the type.
SKF spherical roller bearings in stock -
1927
The first Volvo
After a trial series in 1926, the first Volvo car rolls out in Gothenburg, built by SKF’s subsidiary AB Volvo. Volvo became independent in 1935.
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1939
Spherical roller thrust bearings
SKF launches the spherical roller thrust bearing.
SKF thrust bearings in stock -
1995
CARB toroidal roller bearings
SKF launches the CARB toroidal roller bearing, which carries heavy radial load while taking both misalignment and axial movement inside the bearing.
SKF CARB bearings in stock -
1999
SKF Explorer
SKF Explorer bearings arrive: optimized internal designs and surfaces that reduce friction and heat, resist wear and carry heavier loads. Most carry no extra suffix.
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2007
Energy-efficient bearings
SKF introduces energy-efficient bearings, with at least 30% less friction.
Sources: SKF history timeline and Annual and Sustainability Report 2025 (skf.com); SKF Annual Report 2006, “SKF 100 years”. Dollar figure converted by Apollo at the Federal Reserve’s 2025 average rate.
Downloads
SKF catalogs and guides, in one place
SKF’s own catalogues, handbooks and technical notes, opened from SKF’s media library. Free to read and download.
SKF library
Showing 8 documents
All bearing types
Rolling bearings catalogue
Every SKF rolling bearing type: selection, product tables, and the designation system with every suffix.
Deep groove ball
SKF Explorer deep groove ball bearings
The SKF Explorer performance class for deep groove ball bearings.
Super-precision
Super-precision angular contact ball bearings: high-capacity
The 72 D series and its designation system: contact angles, preload classes, P4A and PA9A.
Maintenance
Bearing maintenance handbook
Mounting, dismounting, lubrication and inspection of bearings.
Failure analysis
Bearing damage and failure analysis
How to recognise bearing damage and trace it to its cause.
Failure analysis
Bearing damage evaluation guide
A short visual guide to common damage patterns.
Authenticity
Buy genuine SKF products
Why fakes cannot be spotted by eye, and how to check a suspect SKF part.
Electric motors
Electrically insulated bearings
INSOCOAT and hybrid bearings, which stop electric current passing through motor bearings.
SKF questions we hear most
What are SKF bearings?
SKF bearings are rolling bearings made by AB SKF (Svenska Kullagerfabriken) of Gothenburg, Sweden, founded on 16 February 1907 on Sven Wingquist's self-aligning ball bearing. The range covers deep groove, angular contact and self-aligning ball bearings, cylindrical, tapered, spherical and CARB toroidal roller bearings, super-precision bearings, Y-bearings and housed units, plain bearings and track rollers.
How do I read an SKF part number such as 6205-2RSH/C3?
Read it left to right. 6 is a single row deep groove ball bearing, 2 is the diameter series and 05 is the bore code, which from 04 upward is multiplied by 5, so 25 mm; codes 00 to 03 mean 10, 12, 15 and 17 mm. 2RSH is a contact seal of NBR on both sides and C3 is radial internal clearance greater than Normal. Type any number into the finder to see each part explained, or look a code up in SKF suffixes, decoded.
What is the difference between 2Z, 2RZ, 2RSL and 2RSH?
2Z is a shield on both sides and 2RZ a non-contact NBR seal on both sides: both run with little friction. 2RSL is a low-friction NBR seal that makes virtually no contact. 2RSH and 2RS1 are contact seals of NBR, which give the most protection against contaminants; SKF fits the RSH design to many 60, 62 and 63 series bearings and the RS1 design to others.
The basic number and dimensions stay the same, so a 6205-2Z, 6205-2RZ and 6205-2RSH fit the same seat.
What does C3 mean, and when do I need it?
C3 is radial internal clearance greater than Normal. It is common in electric motors, pumps and fans, where the inner ring runs warmer than the outer ring or sits on a tight shaft fit. Replace a C3 bearing with a C3 bearing; no clearance code means Normal clearance. C4 is larger again and C2 smaller.
Do SKF bearings interchange with NSK, FAG, NTN or Timken?
For standard metric sizes, yes: the basic number (6205, 22216, NU 210) is an ISO size, so the bore, outside diameter and width are the same from any maker. The suffixes differ, so match those too. NSK DDU, FAG 2RSR and NTN LLU are contact seals, like SKF 2RS1 and 2RSH; NSK ZZ and FAG 2ZR are shields, like SKF 2Z.
Type another brand’s number into the finder and it is translated to SKF; for brands it does not cover, use the Bearing Index.
Does an SKF Explorer bearing have a different part number?
Usually not. SKF Explorer is SKF's performance class, introduced in 1999, and Explorer bearings normally carry no extra suffix. Cylindrical roller bearings are the exception: they add PEX only where a conventional bearing of the same size also exists.
How do I know an SKF bearing is genuine?
SKF says a fake cannot be spotted by looking at the product or its packaging. Its free SKF Authenticate app checks the code on the box or the bearing, or lets you send photos for SKF to review, and you can email genuine@skf.com. SKF reports more than 430,000 fake SKF parts confiscated worldwide in 2025. Apollo sells genuine SKF bearings only, never copies or unbranded substitutes.
How fast does Apollo ship, and do you quote quantity pricing?
In-stock SKF bearings ship from Oxford, Michigan, and orders over $100 ship free. The finder shows live stock on every result. For larger quantities, B2B pricing or tax-exempt orders, request a quote.
Contact
Have the part number? Apollo can match it.
Send the number on your drawing, or the markings on the bearing you are replacing, and a specialist confirms the SKF part and the seal and clearance options.
Unsure about a part? SKF’s free Authenticate app checks the code on the box or the bearing, and Apollo sells genuine SKF bearings only.
Call a bearing specialist