Various C-aryl and C-alkyl-nitrones were synthesized within 0.5-2h via condensation of an equinolear amount of aldehydes and N-substituted-hydroxylamines under solvent free conditions in a ball-mill apparatus. Reactions can be performed without the need of excluding air and moisture and yields the expected products with no need for further purification. The study has been complemented by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and solid-state 13C Mass nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. We have also studied the temperature profile during the reaction. A comparative study with the corresponding solvent-free microwave activated reaction showed be superiority of the ball-milling method; 31 examples are described, including the synthesis of the anti-aging agent C-phenyl-N-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN) and one of its analogues C-2-pyridyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (2-PyBN).