Blog
Engineering insights, bearing selection guides, and cross-reference tips from the Partmatch team.
How to Integrate Cross-Reference Parts Data with the Partmatch API
Pull verified bearing and V-belt equivalents across every major OEM brand into your ERP, CMMS, or e-commerce platform with a single API call. A hands-on integration guide.
Read more →NSK vs NTN: A Practical Comparison for Industrial Bearing Buyers
NSK and NTN are two of the largest Japanese bearing manufacturers, with overlapping product lines and similar reputations for quality. For buyers cross-referencing parts or selecting between equivalents, the differences come down to specific series strengths, regional availability, and lead times rather than fundamental quality gaps. Here's how they compare in practice.
Read more →Bearing Suffix Decoder: What Z, ZZ, 2RS, C3, E, M, and the Rest Mean
A bearing part number like 6213E-Z or 6205-2RS1-C3 looks like alphabet soup, but every letter encodes something specific about the bearing's design. This guide decodes every common suffix: shields, seals, clearance classes, cage materials, internal designs, and precision grades with worked examples and brand-by-brand comparisons.
Read more →PowerBand Belt Cross Reference: Gates, Carlisle, and Bando Notation Decoded (3/B80, RBP85-3, 2/15J7500 Explained)
PowerBand belts go by different names depending on who made them. Gates calls a 2-band B80 a "2/B80." Carlisle writes the same belt as "RBP85-3." Bando uses yet another format. If you're trying to cross-reference a banded belt and the numbers don't match, the problem usually isn't that the belts are different. It's that the brands write the same belt three different ways. Here's how to translate between them, and how to know if you actually need a banded belt at all.
Read more →5L to B Belt Conversion: Length Table + Safe Crossover Rules
A 5L belt and a B-section belt share the same 5/8" top width. That's where the "they're interchangeable" myth starts, and it's why half the maintenance techs who swap one for the other end up replacing the new belt six months later wondering what went wrong. They're not interchangeable. They're sometimes substitutable, under specific conditions.
Read more →4L to A Belt Conversion: Full Length Table (4L200, 4L250…)
4L and A-section belts have identical cross-sections but use completely different length numbering systems. Here's the conversion formula, when the substitution works, and how to find the right belt.
Read more →How to Read a V-Belt Part Number: A68, BX75, 5V1060, SPZ1000 Explained
A V-belt fails and the only marking is "B75." Here's what that means, how every major designation system works, and the one measurement mistake that causes wrong orders.
Read more →Ag Bearing Cross-Reference: Replace JD/AGCO/Case IH for Less
Agricultural OEM bearing part numbers are standard industrial bearings with a dealer markup. Here's how to cross-reference John Deere, AGCO, and Case IH bearing part numbers to standard equivalents and cut your parts cost significantly.
Read more →SKF vs FAG Bearings: When the Difference Actually Matters
SKF and FAG are the two most specified bearing brands in industrial maintenance. Both meet ISO standards and are direct replacements for each other in most applications. Here's when the difference actually matters — and when it doesn't.
Read more →What Does 2RS Mean on a Bearing?
The suffix on a bearing part number tells you how it's sealed. 2RS means two rubber contact seals — here's what that means for your application, and how it compares to 2Z, ZZ, and other seal codes.
Read more →How to Read a Bearing Part Number (With Examples)
Bearing part numbers look like random strings of letters and numbers, but every character means something specific. Here's how to decode them.
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