# bearing shielded or unshielded? **URL:** \ **Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance\ **Created:** [March 10, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279 "2015-03-10T15:00:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sir\_Bagel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sir\_Bagel](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Sir_Bagel)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279/1 "2015-03-10T15:00:39Z")
which is better, bearing shielded or unshielded? ---
**Author:** ![Erik\_kerber](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/erik_kerber/32/7939_2.png) [@Erik\_kerber](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Erik_kerber)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279/2 "2015-03-10T15:39:52Z")
I leave my bearings un-shielded after the first de-shielding because it makes them way easier to clean later and the shields don’t do that great of a job to keep out dirt anyways ---
**Author:** ![xmotoby](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/xmotoby/32/1246_2.png) [@xmotoby](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/xmotoby)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279/3 "2015-03-10T16:17:05Z")
Better? I don’t know. But for me, I like to leave therm in because it’s not hard to take them out, and I like to think that they keep a little bit of dirt out ---
**Author:** ![UsagiCat](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/usagicat/32/1482_2.png) [@UsagiCat](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/UsagiCat)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279/4 "2015-03-10T16:20:47Z")
I always keep my bearings shielded personally. Keeps things out of the way for the most part, and I actually have no issues cleaning or lubing shearing while its still shielded. Also, and this is just a personal pet peeve of mine so nothing big, but I HATE the way bearings look unshielded \> \< But up to ones personal preference 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Yo-YoPro](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/yo-yopro/32/7952_2.png) [@Yo-YoPro](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Yo-YoPro)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279/5 "2015-03-10T16:57:11Z")
I think for the most part, the only thing thats going to change unshielded or shielded is the frequency at which you might need to clean the bearing. ---
**Author:** ![forge55b](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/90db22/32.png) [@forge55b](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/forge55b)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279/6 "2015-03-10T17:26:51Z")
Assuming you have a clean bearing seat and don’t open up the yoyo all that much, I don’t see how it would get any dirt in there. ---
**Author:** ![Erik\_kerber](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/erik_kerber/32/7939_2.png) [@Erik\_kerber](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Erik_kerber)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279/7 "2015-03-10T18:48:03Z")
> [@UsagiCat](#): > > I always keep my bearings shielded personally. > Keeps things out of the way for the most part, and I actually have no issues cleaning or lubing shearing while its still shielded. Also, and this is just a personal pet peeve of mine so nothing big, but I HATE the way bearings look unshielded \> \< > But up to ones personal preference 🙂 I’m the opposite I hate how bearings look shielded whenever I see a shielded bearib=ng a feel a strong urge to de-shield it ---
**Author:** ![LeDave](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/ledave/32/1590_2.png) [@LeDave](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/LeDave)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279/8 "2015-03-10T18:50:30Z")
All my bearings are de-shielded. Once I buy a new yoyo, first thing I do is de-shield it’s bearing. ---
**Author:** ![lukas412](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@lukas412](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/lukas412)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279/9 "2015-03-10T18:58:09Z")
> [@forge55b](#): > > Assuming you have a clean bearing seat and don’t open up the yoyo all that much, I don’t see how it would get any dirt in there. They do though. I wish they didn’t, but they do. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodoc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/yoyodoc/32/48820_2.png) [@yoyodoc](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/yoyodoc)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279/10 "2015-03-10T19:01:45Z")
> [@xmotoby](#): > > Better? I don’t know. But for me, I like to leave therm in because it’s not hard to take them out, and I like to think that they keep a little bit of dirt out You said, ’ I like to leave them in because it’s not hard to take them out’? Uh, oh… Ok ---
**Author:** ![xmotoby](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/xmotoby/32/1246_2.png) [@xmotoby](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/xmotoby)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279/11 "2015-03-10T19:11:19Z")
> [@yoyodoc](#): > > You said, ’ I like to leave them in because it’s not hard to take them out’? > > Uh, oh… Ok Oh, sorry about the confusion. I meant that when I need to take them out to clean or lube, its not a big deal ---
**Author:** ![gijoey959](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/gijoey959/32/7958_2.png) [@gijoey959](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/gijoey959)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279/12 "2015-03-10T19:56:51Z")
I feel like the shields slow the spin on some of my cheaper stock bearings. All in my head? Strong chance, and I’m pretty sure that is not the case, but i keep them out of my cheap bearings. My Terrapin X ceramics run shielded. No reason to take them off since you don’t lube them, and it keeps extra dirt out so I can go longer between cleaning, and I can avoid damage to the ceramic (not sure if balls are entirely ceramic or just coated) ---
**Author:** ![DKiminator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DKiminator](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/DKiminator)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/bearing-shielded-or-unshielded/73279/13 "2015-03-11T01:13:36Z")
Steve Brown always says to leave your bearings alone. I was able to clean my ctx with the shields and it turned out completely fine!