Rode reds for years, switched to Bronson G3’s about 3 years ago. Cant believe how much smoother and better overall the g3’s are. Make the switch, you will not regret it
Used to ride Reds mostly, and yeah they are a great bang for the buck. Now I ride Bronson G3 in one setup and in my new one I out the Quantum Bearing science ceramic bearings (isotopes). The Bronsons hold up bery well after a year and the Quantum ones I gotta test for longer as I just got em. Generally, Ben Degros said it best (regardless of brand): Ride Reds if you’re feeling cheap and want the best bang for the buck, ride Swiss if you feel spendy and ride Super reds for everything in between. That has a lot of truth in it. Expensive bearings like Swiss or most ceramic ones aside (yes they roll faster and have better machining tolerances etc), bearings under 20 bucks are low tier and may or may not last you a while. If you clean and oil them, a year tops in my experience. The next tier of each brand, like G3s, Super Reds or Indy Black, are a bit better. If cared for - they last like 2 years or more. So many factors play a role in how long your bearings last - it’s tough to say what’s best for each person. Ride what you like and spend the money you are willing to 😊
I have two sets of g3's and bones reds. Reds feel faster to me. What i like about g3's is all the extra hardware is included. I think you board stompers are nuts for removing your shields, I cant stand dirt in my bearings. I switched from oil to moly high impact grease and ill never use oil again. Bear Space Balls are my fav bearing currently. It is a must to grease the wheel hub before inserting bearings so that the bearings seat (and stay seated) flush and square (oil will spin out after a couple weeks, I use white lithium grease since it doesn't degrade urethane). Also high pressure molly grease is the best bearing lubricant I've tried (same stuff used in earth moving equipment). Molly is designed to take hard impacts and stay in place so it highly resists spinning out. Wheels will no longer free spin (grease drag), however they will roll much faster when standing on the board. Molly will plug up spaces in the bearing shield to better keep out dust and water. Here in the desert with lots of dust I was cleaning and oiling my bearings every couple weeks, with molly its once a year, its that good. It will feel like you are riding on slime by comparison to oil (with oil you feel all dirt inside the bearing but don't realize it till you make the switch).
With your wheels loose as yours are you are not actually using the bearings as intended. The inner and outer casings are free to turn on the axle (subject to the weight of you standing on the board, creating friction and stopping the inner case ring from turning) and the ball race may not be moving. Your bearing is effectively your axle and the inner case ring with the friction at these two surfaces being the determining factor of how fast your wheels turn. Based on this your bearings will last a long time as they are not really being used. I guess eventually your axle or the inner case ring will wear depending on which is the softer material. To effectively test the bearing you need to tighten your wheel nuts and run the bearing in.
I've tried the bronson raws, bronson g3, bones swiss, bones six balls, bones redz ceramics. Most of them i already gave them away to my friends and they are still using them even after 2 yrs. Now I'm sticking with the g3 cos it's very smooth and long lasting.
I ride the Olympia Ceramics. $45. I really like them. I have one setup with the raw shieldless Bronson's. I do like the way they sound. I have 2 setups with Bones Big Balls. I think they are good. I also like the Bones Race bearings because they have a built in spacer and washer so you can tighten the nut down all the way and they freely spin.
If you guys are not into downhill dont go for ceramics. The advantage of ceramic bearings is the low thermal expansion, which you dont need with low speeds.
bones reds are the standard price point bearing, perfectly adequate. i got some g3s on sale for bones red prices and liked them so much i got 3 more sets while they were still on sale. can't speak to their longevity, but man are they smooth. especially with x97. as far as the other stuff, a quiet bearing is a happy bearing. no shields is crazy, like not wearing a rubber.
I bought bones Swiss & I regret it because they already have problems.. Bronson definitely is reliable…. Also I bought bones wheels & the bearings don’t even fit them well.. spitfire is my go to now
I’ve tried lots of bearings through the years and found that Bones (reds, Swiss, 6 ball) wear out really fast, Bronson G3’s last a long time aren’t slow but aren’t that fast (I like them a lot). Just get the cheap bearings like Indy gp-s or Spitfire cheap shots and after a couple of weeks of skateboarding there is no difference in speed between expensive bearings and cheap bearings… just skate and have fun🤙
I just bought a new set of 8 bronson g3 , out of the package , there is one bearing that spins much slower comparing to others , is it normal ? or a quality issue
I love the G2s and RAWS. G3s didn't really wow me. They seemed slower than the G2s imo, and the G3s didn't come with spacers so that bummed me out. Never skated Reds. I'm skating Bones Big Balls (6 balls instead of 7) and RAWS on two different set ups right now, and I must say I'm not that impressed but this is only day two on the Big Balls, so I'm gonna give them some more time, and make a more educated decision on if I like them or not. The RAWS for me are the best out of the box I've skated yet. They seem to keep getting faster with more skating also. (Started skating in 2020 btw). What I am interested in tho is the bearings that have built in spacers. Bones Race Reds, Sector 9 Blaze Bearing, Rad Drive Bearings. They all have built in spacers. My my son has some RAD bearings on his board and they seem to work really well. Shoot out maybe?
Hey! Thanks for a helpful video! Don’t know if many will see this but if anyone does and have some opinions that would be great. Here the Reds and the G2’s are the same price at around 25 dollars and as a beginner I don’t want to spend more at this time. Anyone have input on which one I should choose? Mostly gonna do street skating, so id one is more reliable or long lasting that would be great to know. Thanks!
Id go g3 over the g2 prob. Depending on the color way Ive seen several G3 for 20-25. They usually are about 30 to 35 in shops I think. I bought 2 differnt pro g3 sets, both at 20 each shipped. Which is a buck or 2 from Standard Bones Reds. Im both are solid but alot of people seem to like the G3 or raws if you want to spend a lil more. The Raws are the same as G3 just not lubed. Foy thinks they are faster with out the lube.
@@crescentbear6547 Independent GP-S bearings are awesome and only about $10! I’ve skated all the crazy expensive bearings out there, (even ceramics) and Indy GP-S bearings is all you will ever need 🤙
I have nothing against bones but agree the logo def not my fav. But the name isnt bad imo. Ive always heard reds best to start with but I ended up going with G3s for the quietness and actually got them for same price as bones reds. Havent got to try them both out yet on the board but just spin wise the reds went slightly longer. Ive heard alot of people claim g3 take less effort tho and seems like alot of pros trust them.
I ride Bones Big Balls, only used reds before that and have never looked at another brand, old habits die hard I guess? Im very pleased with them but next bearing-buy I will purchase the Bronson RAW.
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. My RAWS are like 3 years old never been cleaned or oiled and they still spin great but started getting a little rattle to them so I figured its time for new ones.
@@KevinNiceTry Hey, may I ask what taking off the shields does? I've seen lots of people doing it but never understood why, it looks like it'd just make it easier for dirt to come in, does it help with speed or just the sound? Thanks in advance!
I personally do it because the sound and I find that when they had the shields on it collected more dirt. I've had sets of bearings last 2+ years without shields.
I've had the sub $30 bearings from both companies and for me I give the nod to Bronson in terms rolling speed. For me durability was the about the same.
I've flip flopped between the two over the years and tbh I'm thinking of trying to sell my swiss and go back to Bronson. I agree the Bones logo is kinda 'meh' hahaha.
I hate to be that petty but it looks like an emo band logo from hot topic. Would nevvvvvver wear a shirt haha. The product is fine but so is bronson and I like what bronson is doing.
@@KevinNiceTry oh I’m that petty. I thought it looked more like a logo you would see on like an ambulance or something. Their overpriced ceramics don’t make sense for anyone to buy when there’s a cheaper and equally as good alternative so I’m def off the bones train.
My first pair of Bronson g3 bearings I got one bad bearing that wouldn’t spin right. It was slow and loud. The rest worked great but when I tried contacting Bronson they took long to get back to me and instead of just shipping me a new set they asked me to mail the old ones in. I was annoyed and didn’t care enough to go through the trouble. Customer service sucked and besides that one bearing the rest are awesome. I still use them but I’ll be honest about it.
from my experience, both bronsons G3 and red bones have the same speed. i had bad experience in spitfire bearings. out of the box, 3 of them not spinning well by the way, next time im gonna try yellow jacket bearings.
I've had the same G2's since 12/19. Ridden them through everything. Never cleaned them and just as fast. Fucking bulletproof. $15 bucks lol
Rode reds for years, switched to Bronson G3’s about 3 years ago. Cant believe how much smoother and better overall the g3’s are. Make the switch, you will not regret it
Used to ride Reds mostly, and yeah they are a great bang for the buck. Now I ride Bronson G3 in one setup and in my new one I out the Quantum Bearing science ceramic bearings (isotopes). The Bronsons hold up bery well after a year and the Quantum ones I gotta test for longer as I just got em.
Generally, Ben Degros said it best (regardless of brand): Ride Reds if you’re feeling cheap and want the best bang for the buck, ride Swiss if you feel spendy and ride Super reds for everything in between.
That has a lot of truth in it. Expensive bearings like Swiss or most ceramic ones aside (yes they roll faster and have better machining tolerances etc), bearings under 20 bucks are low tier and may or may not last you a while. If you clean and oil them, a year tops in my experience. The next tier of each brand, like G3s, Super Reds or Indy Black, are a bit better. If cared for - they last like 2 years or more. So many factors play a role in how long your bearings last - it’s tough to say what’s best for each person.
Ride what you like and spend the money you are willing to 😊
Definitely. Haha.
I have two sets of g3's and bones reds. Reds feel faster to me. What i like about g3's is all the extra hardware is included.
I think you board stompers are nuts for removing your shields, I cant stand dirt in my bearings. I switched from oil to moly high impact grease and ill never use oil again. Bear Space Balls are my fav bearing currently.
It is a must to grease the wheel hub before inserting bearings so that the bearings seat (and stay seated) flush and square (oil will spin out after a couple weeks, I use white lithium grease since it doesn't degrade urethane).
Also high pressure molly grease is the best bearing lubricant I've tried (same stuff used in earth moving equipment). Molly is designed to take hard impacts and stay in place so it highly resists spinning out. Wheels will no longer free spin (grease drag), however they will roll much faster when standing on the board. Molly will plug up spaces in the bearing shield to better keep out dust and water. Here in the desert with lots of dust I was cleaning and oiling my bearings every couple weeks, with molly its once a year, its that good. It will feel like you are riding on slime by comparison to oil (with oil you feel all dirt inside the bearing but don't realize it till you make the switch).
Yes dude 500!
I’ve been here from the beginning and seeing this made my day!
Dee...you the real one. Hahaha. Thank you! I appreciate you riding out this journey with me. One hell of a ride hahaha.
With your wheels loose as yours are you are not actually using the bearings as intended. The inner and outer casings are free to turn on the axle (subject to the weight of you standing on the board, creating friction and stopping the inner case ring from turning) and the ball race may not be moving. Your bearing is effectively your axle and the inner case ring with the friction at these two surfaces being the determining factor of how fast your wheels turn. Based on this your bearings will last a long time as they are not really being used. I guess eventually your axle or the inner case ring will wear depending on which is the softer material. To effectively test the bearing you need to tighten your wheel nuts and run the bearing in.
Thats exactly what I was thinking when he shook his wheel
i dont see what would be the disadvantage of that.
@@256k_ Agree, no disadvantage other than you're not using the bearing as designed. I like to keep my wheels loose personally.
Ive had my Bronson raws for two years now and they’re just as good as when I bought them new
That's what I'm saying!!!
I've tried the bronson raws, bronson g3, bones swiss, bones six balls, bones redz ceramics. Most of them i already gave them away to my friends and they are still using them even after 2 yrs. Now I'm sticking with the g3 cos it's very smooth and long lasting.
Which ones were the fastest
@@PotatoGod69 the bones 6 balls felt the fastest to me
Been skating my set of bones reds for over a year now, have had to clean them a few times from locking up, I’ve been eager to try out some Bronson’s.
I definitely recommend the RAWS they lasted my 3 years no cleaning or anything. Thanks for watching!
What spacers do i use ? Bronson g3s washers or my (2) small Thunder stock washers ?
Started using Bronson g3 after only skating reds. They seem to last way longer for me and are cheaper everywhere I find em
Definitely. Thanks for watching!
I ride the Olympia Ceramics. $45. I really like them. I have one setup with the raw shieldless Bronson's. I do like the way they sound.
I have 2 setups with Bones Big Balls. I think they are good. I also like the Bones Race bearings because they have a built in spacer and washer so you can tighten the nut down all the way and they freely spin.
Nice yeah its all preference but for me I gotta ride bronson. Definitely liked the RAWS better then the G3 but both are a really nice ride.
@@KevinNiceTry the Olympias are North Carolina local and sold at my shop. Big reason I ride them.
If you guys are not into downhill dont go for ceramics. The advantage of ceramic bearings is the low thermal expansion, which you dont need with low speeds.
I just skate 10$ independent bearings lol I've never spent more than 20$ for my bearings tbh
Heck yeah
bones reds are the standard price point bearing, perfectly adequate. i got some g3s on sale for bones red prices and liked them so much i got 3 more sets while they were still on sale. can't speak to their longevity, but man are they smooth. especially with x97. as far as the other stuff, a quiet bearing is a happy bearing. no shields is crazy, like not wearing a rubber.
I use Bronson raws. Been using the same set for over a year never cleaned them once. Dirt goes in dirt goes out. Haha. That's my theory at least.
I bought bones Swiss & I regret it because they already have problems.. Bronson definitely is reliable…. Also I bought bones wheels & the bearings don’t even fit them well.. spitfire is my go to now
I love my bones swiss but I wanna try Quantum bearings haha
I’ve tried lots of bearings through the years and found that Bones (reds, Swiss, 6 ball) wear out really fast, Bronson G3’s last a long time aren’t slow but aren’t that fast (I like them a lot). Just get the cheap bearings like Indy gp-s or Spitfire cheap shots and after a couple of weeks of skateboarding there is no difference in speed between expensive bearings and cheap bearings… just skate and have fun🤙
Do the G3 bearings have a break in period? Mine seem a little slow at first and they have a slight rattley sound to them
Honestly it's been so long since I had a fresh set. Haha. I prefer the raws but I don't remember having an issue with my G3s.
What’s your complete setup bro?
Its a 8.06 krooked with ace classic 33s the wheels are 53mm spitfire classic shape formula fours with bronson G3s oh and miles grip.
I just bought a new set of 8 bronson g3 , out of the package , there is one bearing that spins much slower comparing to others , is it normal ? or a quality issue
I've never had that issue. Maybe email the company.
how is the Krooked deck holding up Kevin?
Good. When I got the cupsoles it made it feel kinda beat but still works haha. Might pick up a new deck next week.
i've had the same set of swiss for like 8 or 9 years
I love the G2s and RAWS. G3s didn't really wow me. They seemed slower than the G2s imo, and the G3s didn't come with spacers so that bummed me out. Never skated Reds. I'm skating Bones Big Balls (6 balls instead of 7) and RAWS on two different set ups right now, and I must say I'm not that impressed but this is only day two on the Big Balls, so I'm gonna give them some more time, and make a more educated decision on if I like them or not. The RAWS for me are the best out of the box I've skated yet. They seem to keep getting faster with more skating also. (Started skating in 2020 btw). What I am interested in tho is the bearings that have built in spacers. Bones Race Reds, Sector 9 Blaze Bearing, Rad Drive Bearings. They all have built in spacers. My my son has some RAD bearings on his board and they seem to work really well. Shoot out maybe?
Yeah the raws were my favorite for sure. No break in and they still work great after 3 years on the east coast with winters.
@@KevinNiceTry cool story bro, think i wanna buy me them also, just ever skate REDS or SKF since 20 jears
big balls are the shit. only downside is the crowns tend to crack
Hey! Thanks for a helpful video! Don’t know if many will see this but if anyone does and have some opinions that would be great. Here the Reds and the G2’s are the same price at around 25 dollars and as a beginner I don’t want to spend more at this time. Anyone have input on which one I should choose? Mostly gonna do street skating, so id one is more reliable or long lasting that would be great to know. Thanks!
Bronson is my choice. I use the Bronson raws. But the G2 is a fine bearing as well.
Id go g3 over the g2 prob. Depending on the color way Ive seen several G3 for 20-25. They usually are about 30 to 35 in shops I think. I bought 2 differnt pro g3 sets, both at 20 each shipped. Which is a buck or 2 from Standard Bones Reds. Im both are solid but alot of people seem to like the G3 or raws if you want to spend a lil more. The Raws are the same as G3 just not lubed. Foy thinks they are faster with out the lube.
@@8bitsamurai6I believe they're also shieldless
@@crescentbear6547 Independent GP-S bearings are awesome and only about $10! I’ve skated all the crazy expensive bearings out there, (even ceramics) and Indy GP-S bearings is all you will ever need 🤙
I have nothing against bones but agree the logo def not my fav. But the name isnt bad imo. Ive always heard reds best to start with but I ended up going with G3s for the quietness and actually got them for same price as bones reds. Havent got to try them both out yet on the board but just spin wise the reds went slightly longer. Ive heard alot of people claim g3 take less effort tho and seems like alot of pros trust them.
I ride Bones Big Balls, only used reds before that and have never looked at another brand, old habits die hard I guess? Im very pleased with them but next bearing-buy I will purchase the Bronson RAW.
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. My RAWS are like 3 years old never been cleaned or oiled and they still spin great but started getting a little rattle to them so I figured its time for new ones.
I just bought the Bronson g3s
I took the shields off my g3s and I love them. No problems and a smooth fast ride.
@@KevinNiceTry Hey, may I ask what taking off the shields does? I've seen lots of people doing it but never understood why, it looks like it'd just make it easier for dirt to come in, does it help with speed or just the sound? Thanks in advance!
I personally do it because the sound and I find that when they had the shields on it collected more dirt. I've had sets of bearings last 2+ years without shields.
They sound quieter with the shields because the lube dries out quicker. I wouldn't recommend
reached the park by bike?
Thankfully I got to borrow a work car for the weekend haha. But its not far on bike.
That music was funny
I've had the sub $30 bearings from both companies and for me I give the nod to Bronson in terms rolling speed. For me durability was the about the same.
Bronsons look like home Depot bearings
There is nothing like a Bones Swiss. For the China made bearings I think there are a lot of brands that can compete with the standard Reds.
I prefer a bronson raw and its way cheaper then the Swiss. Just my opinion though. The bones Swiss are amazing just too expensive for me.
@@KevinNiceTry Thank you for the review! I love your content.
That's because all the Chinese ones come from the same factory
I've been on the same set of Bones Swiss for 17 years.
Clean them once a year.
I am running my brunson G3 bearings @ 30mph on 96mm wheels.
Bones Swiss quality has really gone down hill. Downright slow. Super disappointing.
Yeah I honestly haven't rode them since Bronson came out.
You may have got fakes or clones. It's a huge problem. I thought the same untill I found out I got a set of fake ones. Pissed me off
@@theknifeconnection9571 Good point. Genuine Bones Swiss are almost eternal and as speedy as ceramic counterparts.
I've flip flopped between the two over the years and tbh I'm thinking of trying to sell my swiss and go back to Bronson. I agree the Bones logo is kinda 'meh' hahaha.
I hate to be that petty but it looks like an emo band logo from hot topic. Would nevvvvvver wear a shirt haha. The product is fine but so is bronson and I like what bronson is doing.
@@KevinNiceTry oh I’m that petty. I thought it looked more like a logo you would see on like an ambulance or something. Their overpriced ceramics don’t make sense for anyone to buy when there’s a cheaper and equally as good alternative so I’m def off the bones train.
Here in Brazil, Bronson G3 cost US$80!!! 😱
For what ones? Just the regular or the raws or ceramics? Thats crazy if its just the regular.
@@KevinNiceTry The G2 = US$40
G3 PRO (Jaws/Winkowski/Baker/Zion/Martines) are between US$60-US$80
RAW = US$110
Wow thats crazy, are bones cheaper or more expensive then bronson?
@@KevinNiceTry cheaper
That's wild. Thanks for putting this info in the comments. I had no clue. Bronson is generally cheaper in the states.
My first pair of Bronson g3 bearings I got one bad bearing that wouldn’t spin right. It was slow and loud. The rest worked great but when I tried contacting Bronson they took long to get back to me and instead of just shipping me a new set they asked me to mail the old ones in. I was annoyed and didn’t care enough to go through the trouble. Customer service sucked and besides that one bearing the rest are awesome. I still use them but I’ll be honest about it.
Thanks for the review Jesus loves you God bless
Swiss shields popped , always
For me the thing I care about most is speed.
Bones ceramics?
@@KevinNiceTry haven't tried them yet had bad experiences with bones.
My favorite is Bronson raws they literally last forever and are pretty fast. I haven't tried ceramics, too expensive for bearings lol.
@@KevinNiceTry that's good to hear I ordered some g3's the reds I have now are shit.
I'm riding G3s now and love them as well.
bronson raws all fucking day!!! G3's are good too...
Let's goooo
Big flip on the bank looked really nice dude. I’ve never been good at those. It’s easy fakie but they also go 90 and a pivot for me forward
I bought a g3 for the first time and set them up with new deck! I think g3 is better than reds even in its designs kkkk
I agree bronson is the best all around. Thanks for watching.
from my experience, both bronsons G3 and red bones have the same speed.
i had bad experience in spitfire bearings. out of the box, 3 of them not spinning well
by the way, next time im gonna try yellow jacket bearings.
I just got some bones redz and they span like shit out the box. All 4.
G3s are the best.
i love reds
They are good. I used to skate them back in the day.
Dude be going in depth about bearing and which are the best but and I don’t mean to insult you but a basic trick skater and not even hauling ass.
I agree anything powell im out