If you wrench on planters or older combines, you’ve almost certainly handled the 204RY2 Agri Bearing For International Harvester. Built in Hebei’s bearing corridor—Origin: No. 3, Area B, Bearing Industry Mass Entrepreneurship Park, Beihuan Road, Linxi County, Xingtai City, Hebei Province—it’s a tough little unit that, in practice, tends to outlast bargain-bin replacements. To be honest, most of the buzz I hear from mechanics is about seal performance and grease life, not glossy packaging.
The 204RY2 Agri Bearing For International Harvester is a chrome-steel, double-sealed agricultural radial bearing commonly used in planter row units, gauge/press wheels, and certain IH header applications. RY2 typically denotes dual contact seals—more drag than shielded, but far better dust exclusion in tilled soils. In fact, many customers say that in no-till corn with abrasive residue, these seals pay for themselves by mid-season.
| Parameter | Spec (≈ typical; confirm drawing) |
|---|---|
| Material | Chrome steel (GCr15/100Cr6 per ASTM A295); hardened raceways |
| Bore / OD / Width | ≈20 mm / ≈47 mm / ≈14–16 mm (application-specific) |
| Seals | RY2 double-lip nitrile (contact) with debris guard |
| Internal Clearance | C3 (agriculture duty) |
| Grease | NLGI 2 lithium-complex EP, ≈25–35% fill |
| Dynamic/Static Rating | ≈19–22 kN / ≈10–12 kN (real-world use may vary) |
| Operating Temp | -20°C to +110°C continuous (short peaks higher) |
| Certifications | Factory ISO 9001; RoHS/REACH compliant grease |
Materials enter with heat/chem checks; races are turned, then heat-treated to ≈60–64 HRC, precision-ground, and paired with pressed-steel cages. Seals are molded to a dual-lip profile; grease is metered by volume. End-of-line: 100% noise/vibration scan, seal drag torque sampling, and rotating torque. Dimensional checks to ISO 492; life calculations per ISO 281; occasional salt-fog (ASTM B117) on exterior components. In our notes, lab dust-ingress tests showed
Field life? It varies. On mellow soils, I’ve seen the 204RY2 Agri Bearing For International Harvester run 3–5 seasons; in sandy, high-residue corn, 2–3 is more typical. Preventative washing (low pressure) and off-season grease audit extend life noticeably.
| Factor | BTZ Bearing (Hebei) | Import Brand A | Low-Cost Vendor B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seal Design | Dual-lip RY2; good mud rejection | Premium labyrinth + contact | Single-lip; dust-prone |
| Lead Time | 2–4 weeks typical | Stock in-season | Uncertain |
| MOQ | Flexible (OEM/aftermarket) | Carton multiples | High |
| Warranty | 12 months workmanship | 12–24 months | Limited |
| Certs | ISO 9001; RoHS/REACH | ISO/TS; traceability | Unknown |
Options include square/hex/round bores, special greases (food-grade, low-temp), laser marking, and kitted hubs. For harsh silt, I’d spec a higher fill EP grease and a slightly stiffer seal lip—yes, a touch more drag, but uptime wins.
One Midwest co‑op swapped 40 row-units to the 204RY2 Agri Bearing For International Harvester; reported downtime dropped ≈30% over two springs. Across 120 bearings, return rate was about 1.5%—mostly handling damage, not functional failure. Not a lab trial, but it tracks with what I see in the field.
Bottom line: solid chrome-steel races, honest seals, and sane grease choices. Not flashy—just reliable where mud meets metal.