Originally Posted by
deacon mark
I would get a new set of Shimano Hollowtech cranks with external bearings and be done with for years. Swapping BB every 1500-2000 is crazy. I have never wore a external BB out that I know but granted the most mileage I have on one is about 15000 miles.
With a low end frame and sloppy tolerances, an external BB is likely to wear out much much faster than an old style square taper. On a higher end bike worth getting faced, they sure ride nice. They weren't introduced for durability.