Firstly, SKF is still a good name in bearings, as well as other name brands worldwide.
Secondly, trying to compare a brand name across different industry's is the old apple/orange thing.
As an example, back when I had a new Dodge and took it in for service when the rear end was due, the service manager told me flat out, he wouldn't take his vehicle there as the techs would pop the cover off to drain it and go over the sealing surface with an abrasive tool to clean it and put back together and fill. He said then a few weeks later they would be back with the bearings out in the rear. So, not everything is what it may seem like on the surface.
Thirdly, have never had a failure from any bearing being bad from the get go, let alone SKF which is the brand I use the most by a far margin.
Fourthly, any name brand bearing made worldwide today can be used in a saw if c3 rated. Schaeffler, Timken, Nachi, Koyo, slacker, SKF, NSK, NTN, NKN even KML from China isn't a bad bearing. Most have plants now operating in China and China outproduces the rest of the world in shear numbers by the 100's of millions. So there is "real" manufacturing of legit products in China and besides generic products there is counterfeit products in a copy of a name brand packaging as well. There's been literally entire boat loads of these seized by authority's. One way to ensure a product is legit is it will have that little square scan thingy printed on the box, fakes won't, so you can simply scan it with your phone and that product should come up after doing so. Also you can buy from your favorite saw dealership and be reasonably assured to get a proper bearing from the legit manufacturer.
Fifthly, one thing's for certain, you're not going to get a young person with blue hair and a cell phone to make a damn thing, let alone a bearing, the made in America days are long gone like DeSoto's. So pick a brand you think you might like and go with it, keyword here is brand, that's the key as I see it.
