How do you know a good wiper blade (or are they all the same?).
Picked up three sets of wiper bladess recently which was harder than you'd think because prices for any one length were from $4 to $18 each.
Since the wiper blade can be put in our hands, what do you look for?
The whole topic annoys me. They used to sell just the rubber blades with the metal ring around them. Now they insist on the whole mechanism short of the arm. Just a way to squeeze more money out of us, I think.
Strictly price. The ones at Auto Parts store are much more, and I see no particular advantage.
Greg
Raphael snipped-for-privacy@cmc.edu wrote
Last longer than the bad ones.
Nope.
Last longer, but that’s not easy to know when buying them.
They still do.
Wrong.
My latest were cheaper with the whole thing than just the rubber blades.
Longevity and efficiency are key and you can't sense that by holding it in your hands.
Cheap wiper blades will be too stiff and definitely will be rapidly degraded by sunlight.
Cheap blades will lack UV resistance and you will be lucky to have them last a year or two. They will also be harder and less flexible. That means they will not roll correctly in operation. That will cause all sorts of issues including poor wiping and noise.
My advice, by OEM blades or high quality aftermarket. Don't waste your money on cheap shit - it is, after all, your visibility in adverse conditions that is at stake here.
My wiper blades don't last long enough to determine if they are good or bad - parked outside in the snow & ice & sleet for about
5 months is what destroys them - scraping the windshield and causing collateral damage ... Many of my neighbours have started leaving their wipers in the upright position when they park it during the winter months. John T.
Choose the better ones from Trico or Rain-X. Don't bother with the cheap ones. The more expensive ones do perform better and last longer.
I buy the correct rubber inserts, not the whole blade, from the dealer- Toyota and Honda for my last few cars- and install them myself.
Just takes a few minutes to pull out the old ones and slip in the new ones. My experience the last 20+ years is that while they cost a bit more than the ones I used to purchase from the big box or auto supply stores, they last far longer and do a much better job. Many dealers sell discount OEM parts on their websites these days too.
Before you replace just the rubber insert though, check your existing metal frames to make sure they're not damaged, bent (especially the little fingers) or worn. I'd replace the whole OEM blade if they are.
wrote on Sat, 27 Jul 2019 21:15:17 +1000 :
Yes but.
The whole question is how to tell a "too stiff" wiper blade that "lacks UV resistance" that is "harder" and "less flexible" such that it will not "roll correctly" in operation, causing "poor wiping and noise?"
How does one know a "high quality aftermarket" from one that is not when it's in your hands at the department store where one 14 inch blade costs $4 and another one costs $18 at that store and you have both in your hands?
On 7/27/2019 1:26 PM, Raphael wrote: ...
You'se read the info on the package and make a value judgement based on it and what you think you know of the particular manufacturer...
You can also actually feel the blade material and see if can judge anything from it--I've seen some of the no-name imports that actually are already hard new in the box...
What irritates me even more is the automobile manufacturer using some exotic mounting arrangement that none of the aftermarket adapters will actually fit correctly...they may come close, but not correctly. :(
Unless you are a chemist and familiar with the material, you just have to trust the old "get what you pay for" routine.
Doubt many of us have a Durometer to check..I never had a premium brand blade go bad on me, but I did have cheap ones not last long. Do you want to take a chance to find out if the cheapo is going to work in a downpour?
I just keep a spare set in my car under the seat (the coolest, darkest space) and replace them every couple years rotating my stock. The way it rains here, nobody wants to have shaky wipers and the sun is murder on them, no matter what you paid. I have been buying Michelins at Costco but the last time I was there they had another brand. I do know throwing the whole blade assembly is faster than screwing with the refills if you are doing it in the rain. ;-)
Not at Pep Boys, Advance, or the other A- store.
That keeps them from freezing to the windshield, but you can unfreeze them by pouring water on them. Water straight from the tap seems best to me. Hot water might break the windshield?
Do any of you in the USA find refills for sale? I can't. (except maybe mail order and the last two times I needed new wipers were when I bought a new car and had to pass inspection. Don't want to wait for mail order.)
I'll let you experiment with pouring water over your wipers in
-20 -30 C. degree weather ... I'll pass on that "advice". John T.
You're welcome.
I just checked EVERY parts supplier in Kitchener/Waterloo metropolitan area and NONE have the rubber blde replacements available
- either in store or from their suppliers. Can't even get them from Trico any more.
5 years ago? yes. 3 years - mabee. Today?? NOPE
I haven't seen them for a while either and when I did see them a while ago they were cheap crap that was hard in the package (Maybe old stock)
Then you need to go elsewhere or get real radical and get them online. Amazon, ebay and aliexpress all have them.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.