SKF vs FAG Bearing Designations: Naming Differences for the Same Features

Criteria

1. Same base number and boundary dimensions.
2. Same closure family as documented by each maker.
3. Same clearance class.
4. Published ratings, limiting speed, cage, grease and temperature range agree.
5. Notation differences (separators, ordering) normalized without changing meaning.

This page is about SKF and FAG deep groove naming; the NSK and NTN pairing is on NSK vs NTN part numbers, and spindle bearings are on the spindle cross-reference guide.

Naming side by side

Feature	SKF	FAG (Schaeffler)
Shield, both sides	2Z (shield on both sides)	2Z (non-contact gap seal on both sides, greased for life per Schaeffler)
Contact seal, both sides	2RS1 and 2RSH (NBR contact seals)	2RSR (radial NBR lip seal with sheet steel reinforcement)
Lip seal, alternative	2RSL low-friction seal (NBR)	2HRS (lip seal on both sides, Generation C)
Clearance greater than Normal	C3	C3 (larger than CN)
Separator in written designation	space, hyphen or slash, e.g. 6203-2RSH/C3GJN	hyphen in current listings (6208-2RSR-C3), dots in older catalogues (6208.2RSR.C3)
Grease and other special features	suffix, e.g. GJN	suffix or code in the designation, e.g. L038 in 6208-2RSR-L038-C3 (meaning not retrieved here)
Product-line marker	SKF Explorer performance class on product pages	Generation C marker in some designations (6205-C-2HRS)

SKF distinguishes two NBR contact seals: RS1, where the lip contacts the inner ring’s outer diameter radially, and RSH, a heavy-duty seal that contacts the inner ring axially in a groove with a secondary lip. Schaeffler describes 2RSR as a lip seal, with a sheet steel reinforcement. The sources do not claim that RS1, RSH and RSR are the same seal.

Worked example: 6207 with contact seals

Field	SKF 6207-2RS1	SKF 6207-2RSH	FAG 6207-2RSR
Bore x OD x width	35 x 72 x 17 mm	same on page	35 x 72 x 17 mm
Closure	contact, both sides, grease lubricated	contact seal, NBR (RSH), per the SKF designation system	contact seals, both sides
Dynamic / static radial load rating	listed in lbf on the US page (about 27 kN dynamic)	27 kN / 15.3 kN	27,500 N / 15,300 N
Limiting speed	6,300 r/min	not retrieved	5,700 min⁻¹
Cage	not retrieved	not retrieved	sheet steel (JN)
Grease / temperature	no relubrication feature	not retrieved	GA13 grease; -20 to 100 °C

For the open SKF 6207, SKF lists 13,000 r/min, so the seals roughly halve the speed limit. Classification of SKF 6207-2RS1 against FAG 6207-2RSR: plausible substitute (same size and closure type, different published limiting speed, different seal descriptions), with cage, grease and tolerance class on the SKF side unverified.

Similar, different, unknown

• Similar: base number, dimensions, closure type, C3 meaning.
• Different: suffix spellings, separators, seal descriptions, published limiting speed.
• Unknown: cage, grease, temperature range and tolerance class where not on the retrieved pages.

Decision example

A catalog contains SKF 6207-2RS1 and FAG 6207-2RSR as separate suppliers’ SKUs. The rule is to link them as “plausible substitute” with the speed difference visible, and never merge to one product page. If a customer needs C3 or a washdown seal, filter on the maker’s own documented clearance and seal text.

When not to auto-merge

• RS1 versus RSH on the SKF side without knowing which one the other record maps to.
• A trailing code the page does not decode (L038, GJN, a Generation C marker).
• Missing clearance on either side (an unmarked bearing is Normal clearance, but a missing field is not the same thing).
• Different closure families (2Z against 2RSR).

Sources

Retrieved 12 October 2026; the pages do not show catalogue edition dates.

• SKF 6207-2RS1: 35 x 72 x 17 mm; contact seal both sides; limiting speed 6,300 r/min. SKF 6207-2RSH: 27 kN / 15.3 kN. SKF 6207: open, 13,000 r/min.
• SKF, deep groove ball bearings designation system: RS1, RSH, RSL, RZ, Z, C3. SKF Evolution, RSH heavy-duty seals: RS1 versus RSH lip arrangement.
• Schaeffler 6207-2RSR: ratings, 5,700 min⁻¹, cage JN, grease, temperature. Schaeffler, food-industry arrangements: 2RSR description. Schaeffler Generation C: 2Z, 2HRS, 6205-C. Schaeffler 6208-2RSR-L038-C3: C3 larger than CN.

Needs review: the FAG shield code written 2ZR in some catalogues (Schaeffler product pages list 2Z), FAG L038, the SKF 6207-2RS1 ratings in metric units, and the cage and grease for the SKF records.

Related

FAQ

Is SKF 6207-2RS1 the same as FAG 6207-2RSR? +

Both are 35 x 72 x 17 mm deep groove bearings with contact seals on both sides, but they are not shown as identical products. SKF lists a limiting speed of 6,300 r/min for the 2RS1 and FAG lists 5,700 min-1 for the 2RSR, and the seal designs are described differently by each maker.

Why do FAG part numbers sometimes use dots and sometimes hyphens? +

Older FAG catalogue entries join suffixes with dots, as in 6208.2RSR.C3, while current Schaeffler medias listings use hyphens, as in 6208-2RSR-C3. That is a formatting difference, so normalize the separator but keep the suffix text.