61901-2RS-FAG bearing: complete specifications & equivalents

Specification table

Source: catalog reference (HR 1 Rolling Bearings (Jan 2020)) · extracted 2026-09-25

Parameters extracted from the official FAG Rolling Bearings catalogue (HR 1 Rolling Bearings (Jan 2020)); FAG® is a trademark of Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, used here for identification only — mpnbase is not an authorized FAG/Schaeffler distributor. Boundary dimensions are ISO 15 interchangeable; current production values may differ, verify at schaeffler.com.

Cross references & equivalents

Interchange levels: full standard interchange · partial verify parameters · verify manual confirmation required. Links resolve to the equivalent model's specification page where available.

How the 61901-2RS-FAG model number is decoded

In the 61900-series (diameter series 9 of ISO 15) the last two digits encode the bore: 61901 carries bore code 12 = 12 mm. Outside diameter 24 mm and width 6 mm come from the ISO 15 boundary-dimensions general plan. Suffix -2RS denotes two contact-type elastomer seals over a lifetime grease fill; the sealing lips add drag compared with open or shielded versions. For normal-load mounting with a rotating inner ring on a 12 mm shaft, typical catalogue practice is a j5 shaft seat with an H7 housing bore — verify against the actual load direction and magnitude. Schaeffler HR 1 catalogues the lip-contact sealed version as 61901-2RSR (FAG suffix 2RSR), mapped here from the industry-neutral -2RS spelling; it is greased for life and the contacting lip lowers the speed ceiling versus the open bearing.

Typical equipment & failure modes

Selection pitfalls — read before you substitute

• Temperature rise and interference fits consume internal clearance on this 12 mm bore: a CN bearing on a tight, hot shaft can lose all residual clearance — size 61901 with C3 for those conditions.
• The 619xx thin section at 12 mm bore (6.0 mm section height) cannot shrug off the misalignment a standard section tolerates; keep the housing bores round and aligned, or edge contact will spall the raceways early.
• Contact seals add drag and heat: 61901-2RS-FAG runs slower and cooler-limited than the open 61901; rubber lips are generally limited to roughly 80–110 °C continuous depending on grease, and C3 clearance is the common hot-duty choice.
• Never wash a sealed 61901-2RS-FAG in solvent or press it home via the outer ring; solvent destroys the grease thickener and mounting force through the seal deforms the lip.
• Shaft and housing fillets must clear the bearing chamfer so the 6 mm-wide ring seats square; provide an undercut or withdrawal groove instead of relying on an oversized radius.
• Suffixes stack in a defined order — clearance follows the seal code, e.g. 61901-2RS-FAG-C3. No clearance suffix means normal CN clearance.
• Schaeffler HR 1 lists the lip-contact sealed version as 61901-2RSR (FAG suffix 2RSR), mapped here from the industry-neutral -2RS spelling; it is greased for life and the contacting lip lowers the speed ceiling versus the open bearing. FAG's RSR lip material is NBR as standard — above roughly 100 °C continuous, consult Schaeffler for higher-temperature seal options.
• FAG rates 61901 at 16700 r/min mechanical limiting speed — electric-motor territory; prefer the open or 2Z execution (sealed 2RSR variants lose roughly a third of the thermal speed) and confirm grease life at the reference speed for continuous running.
• At 12 mm bore the 61901 sits in Schaeffler's small-bore range; HR 1 ships these sizes with a pressed steel or plastic cage and P0 tolerance as standard — for instrument or spindle accuracy order the P6/P5 variant explicitly, since P0 runout figures will not hold.
• At 2.89 kN dynamic load rating (C) and 1.46 kN static (C0), 61901 is a light-load FAG bearing: L10 life above a few kN of equivalent load is short, so size up to a 62-series on the same bore if the duty sees shock or frequent starts.
• At only 12 g, 61901 is a lightweight FAG bearing that can be handled by hand; still press it onto the shaft with a sleeve against the inner ring — never through the balls or outer ring.
• The 12×24×6 mm envelope of 61901 gives a D/d ratio of 2.00 and 6.0 mm radial section height — a heavy FAG section for high-load, lower-speed duty; specifying it in a high-rpm motor generates excess heat and shortens grease life, so prefer a 62/63-series there.
• The 2.89/1.46 kN load ratings, mass 12 g here are Schaeffler HR 1 Rolling Bearings (Jan 2020) catalogue figures for 61901-2RSR on the 12×24×6 mm ISO 15 envelope; internal geometry and ratings legitimately differ between brands, so re-verify before substituting another manufacturer's 61901 in a rated drive. Where FAG has since released an X-life version of this size, its expanded C/C0 ratings supersede the HR 1 print values quoted here.
• Mixing old and new FAG generations of the same designation in one arrangement is dimensionally acceptable, but where ratings matter — preloaded or matched sets — order both positions from the same generation and lot.
• FAG standard tolerance for this size is P0 (PN); P6/P5 precision executions exist for spindle-adjacent duty but carry different order numbers in the Schaeffler system — they are not a selectable sorting of standard stock.