he ain't exactly wrong
the bearings used are radial ball bearings. Radial ball bearings are great. Low friction, good radial load carrying capability, but axial (side) loading, they suck. Some have higher loads than others.
BX's are glorified lawn mowers meaning they're small meaning the components used on them are also small. Including bearings.
Outer hub bearings get a pretty significant side load on them. "Usually" in my case when I had a hub torn apart, it wasn't so much a broken bearing as it was a worn bearing, and from what information that I could gather from owners/users, it appears that they're in high gear moving a load of lead shot with the back wheels off the ground and turn the wheel very sharp very quickly. The side loading in that situation is significant. Ideally for this application a tapered roller bearing would be a better load carrier in both directions but they require a total redesign of the components, and that will result in a significant cost increase; potentially putting the unit out of the competitive market pricing.
Similarly spindle bearings on lawn mowers. The blades have ramps on them that pull the shaft downward at all times, combined with gravity, in the worst possible environment (dirt, sand, water from washing and mowing wet grass and vibration from lack of balancing. It's a wonder they last as long as they do!
WOW that does not sound very PG.
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