MTD blade spindles [aftermarket] are fairly cheap, but bearings are cheaper. Also add to the fact that some of these replacements may have only a 3 star blade drive instead of a six star like the factory unit. It is fairly simple to remove the spindle shaft from the spindle, The internet has plenty of video on it but i was left with two out of three bearings on the blade end. I messed with them a bit until I managed to break the bearing outer perimeter and ball race. It was actually a blessing in disguise. If you wish to break it, a few sharp blows from outside to the bearing center will do it.
I put what was left of it firmly into a vise and just ground away slowly the interior hub of the bearing. If you are careful, you can grind one side to nearly paper thin, flip it over, and grind the other side 180 degrees away. even if you grind through a bit and flat spot the shaft a tad, the new bearing will still have plenty of support. It is then easy to remove because the grinding allows the bearing hub room to expand.
I keep two grinders around, one with a thin cutting wheel and one with a grinding wheel. Stay away from the cheap Harbor Freight model, but the better model of HF is fine. I have had decent luck with Dewalt wheels, but the Harbor freight wheels are hit and miss. An unbalanced wheel is not worth the safety hazard.
I will check out what bearings are available that are USA made, but if I cannot find any, I plan to add a grease zerk to the spindle and remove the inner bearing seals so the grease gets in. The bearings are available on Amazon for three to seven dollars