Best Windshield Wiper Blades?

[Robert Rubenstein]

I replaced the wiper blades on my 2004 Outback Wagon with new blades that squeak
and jump across the windshield. I replaced those, same problem. Any
recommendations for quality blades that won't jump around?

 

[Michael Pardee]

I replaced the wiper blades on my 2004 Outback Wagon with new blades that
squeak
and jump across the windshield. I replaced those, same problem. Any
recommendations for quality blades that won't jump around?

Last week I got the "TripleEdge" (sp?) silicone blades Paul Harvey
advertises. They worked well during this week's storm on all three cars I
outfitted. About $7 per blade at Walmart. They are flexible and lay over the
opposite direction with each reversal of the stroke, so the side edges do
their thing... thus the "TripleEdge." Will their lifetime warranty hold up?
Guess I'll find out, but I was not very happy with rubber blades. Dunno how
well the other exotics I see at the auto stores would do, either.

Mike

 

[mulder]

Last week I got the "TripleEdge" (sp?) silicone blades Paul Harvey
advertises. They worked well during this week's storm on all three cars I
outfitted. About $7 per blade at Walmart. They are flexible and lay over the
opposite direction with each reversal of the stroke, so the side edges do
their thing... thus the "TripleEdge." Will their lifetime warranty hold up?
Guess I'll find out, but I was not very happy with rubber blades. Dunno how
well the other exotics I see at the auto stores would do, either.

Mike

You might want to try one of the "beam" type blades which don't have
the conventional pivot points and maintain better contact with the
windshield. Auto Barn recently started selling the Valeo Ultimate
blades, they aren't cheap but they do work very well and so far mine
have held up much better than the Bosch Micro Edge blades I had used
previously. The Valeo blades are used as OEM by Mercedes and other
manufacturers.
Bosch is also now making their own version of these blades.

 

[Blair Baucom]

You might want to try one of the "beam" type blades which don't have
the conventional pivot points and maintain better contact with the
windshield. Auto Barn recently started selling the Valeo Ultimate
blades, they aren't cheap but they do work very well and so far mine
have held up much better than the Bosch Micro Edge blades I had used
previously. The Valeo blades are used as OEM by Mercedes and other
manufacturers.
Bosch is also now making their own version of these blades.

I have driven cars with these blades in the rain and they work very well on
the OEM versions. I am wondering how well they work when retrofitted to a
Subaru?

I first saw the Valeo Ultimate blades in the Skymall Catalog linked below.

http://tinyurl.com/lyhb2

more here:

http://www.gobrands.com/products.html

Blair

 

[Cixcos]

I have "Michelin" on my Forester and they work well.

 

[justin reigle]

I'm using the cheapest blades they have available at AutoZone and these
seem to work great, and I'm pretty picky about what level of wiping I
expect from my blades.

Maybe try some Bosch or something?

- Justin

 

[Jim]

I hate to say it but over the years my best luck with blades is with
OEM replacements. Experience over many cars including my Subaru.

 

[Sheldon]

I hate to say it but over the years my best luck with blades is with
OEM replacements. Experience over many cars including my Subaru.

My problem is always lift at speed. Right now I've got some snow blades on
a used Outback I just bought and they are incredible. Hope I can find
something similar for the summer.

 

[Bonehenge]

I'm using the cheapest blades they have available at AutoZone and these
seem to work great, and I'm pretty picky about what level of wiping I
expect from my blades.

Same here.

However, many "Winter" blades that are fully booted in rubber or vinyl
tend to grab air and float over spots. I remove them as soon as ice
season is over.

 

[AS]

To answer your question, I liked the Tridon blades which as I understand
it, are being marketed as Trico.

The fact that you have jumping blades, even after replacing them twice,
leads me to believe that your problem is the winshield being greasy.
Clean it thoroughly with detergent and a plastic scrubbing sponge.

I had this same problem, with a brand new car a few years back; the
windshield did not even look greasy. I did all the wiper blade stuff and
when I gave up, took it to the dealer; the guy came out with a bucket
full of soapy water, did what i described above and the problem was gone.

 

[Jonah]

You might also want to try using some RainX. At highway speed, you almost don't even need your wipers. When you do use
them, the windshield comes clean a lot better. I swear by the stuff.

 

[jMon54]

You might also want to try using some RainX. At highway speed, you almost >don't even need your wipers. When you do use

them, the windshield comes clean a lot better. I swear by the stuff.

I use the RainX windshield washer fluid and it helps a lot.

Jay M
VA, USA
'03 Baja

 

[Dan Huber]

I concur on RainX fluid. I get the "orange" bug de-icer stuff they make and
put it in both my vehicles and as mentioned, Rain doesn't "streak" or
splatter when the blades hit it and at highway speed the air moving over the
windshield even in heavy downpours is nearly enough to move the water away
without wipers and a shot from your wipers won't chatter when wet.

Still in search of the "ultimate" blade myself, as well...

Dan

 

[Michael Pardee]

You might also want to try using some RainX. At highway speed, you almost
don't even need your wipers. When you do use them, the windshield comes
clean a lot better. I swear by the stuff.

I used RainX for quite a while and was satisfied until I also washed the car
(soon after applying RainX) with that no-dry car wash stuff by Mister Kleen.
That day we were on the freeway when it started to rain, and when my wife
turned the wipers on it looked like the blades were loaded with white paint!
The incompatible polymers, one trying to repel water and the other trying to
embrace it, apparently made a waxy film that was turned to something evil
and nearly opaque by trying to wipe water off it. It was the very devil to
clear away enough that we could drive - windshield cleaner did nothing at
all - and it took literally hours of scrubbing with Soft Scrub and a power
buffer to reduce it to the point where it wasn't a big problem. The
windshield has since been replaced (unrelated crack) and I have never used
RainX on this one.

I elected to stay away from RainX on the windshield because I was concerned
that we might go to a car wash where the no-dry stuff was used. Shunning
either sort of product is good enough. Too bad - RainX makes windshield
cleaning so much easier, especially for removing bugs. Even ice doesn't
stick well.

Mike

 

[Allan Williams]

Use genuine rubber blades - not silicone! Anything with a graphite coating
is usually crap too. If they cost twice as much as the cheapest set, they're
probably good

Allan

You might also want to try using some RainX. At highway speed, you almost

don't even need your wipers. When you do use

them, the windshield comes clean a lot better. I swear by the stuff.

that won't jump around?