For those of you who live in Europe and don't have a business I can tell you about my supplier. He carries Fushi bearings (said to be high quality) for about £8/pair (incl. Swedish VAT). I have installed those on my BB but aren't done with my build and therefore they're not yet tested by me. http://3d-cave.com/Mechanics/Mechanics-Miniature-Bearings/LM8LUU-Fushi
@Large : What's your progress with the BigBox build ? Did you test the Fushi bearings yet ? Since the Misumi bearings are not available in Europe for private users I think I will go with your solution.
I'm doing the wiring at the moment. The Fushis actually moves along the rods from their own weight if you hold the rod vertically. And prior to that I've only slid the bearings up and down the rods 4-5 times, so no extra lub/grease or wipe/clean to this point.
In the US, my price for the Misumi is $18.78 + shipping, discount starts at quantity 10 (17.84) and 20 (16.89), more than 30 and you need to get a quote.
Bought these. Quick review: Shipping was pretty quick (Sweden to Croatia). Price is okay. They come in a bag soaked with oil to preserve them and are generally full of oil. I recommend greasing them before use, or the oil will likely mostly end up on the rods over time. They're about as smooth as the smoothest E3D ones (at least from my kit) or maybe a bit more. Had issue with only one of them so far - one ball fell out while i was sliding a rod through it. They're slight bit looser than the E3D ones.
H... c... that's expensive. Metal retainer ones are 8.72 USD in Europe. Of course I got those because I thought it sounded cool.
I just ordered 10 Fushi bearings, "LM08LUU (10PCS) Ball Bushing 8x15x45MM LM8LUU Linear Motion Bearings 3D print", on the website http://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...ion-Bearings-3D-print/511615_32652839023.html After applying one seller coupon (Store Promotion from "CIXI FUSHI BEARING CO.,LTD"), "Spend US $20.00, Get $5 OFF!", my order amount was $23.50.