Windshield Wipers .... are there any good ones ??

[Grass Roots Tour]

I gotta say Im very disappointed in the life expectancy of windhshield wipers, not to mention the cost these days. At ~ $30 a piece the Bosch ones lasted me maybe 6 months and now they're useless.

Are there any noticably better ones to be had ?

Are winter specific wipers worth while putting on ?

Wheres the best place to get 'em ?

[Big Shooter]

Nothing in the Car Biz lasts long, but I like these....

http://www.volvoxc.com/reviews/data/7/770CT_Reflex_Wiper_Blades-large.jpg

[nearace]

Nothing in the Car Biz lasts long, but I like these....

http://www.volvoxc.com/reviews/data/7/770CT_Reflex_Wiper_Blades-large.jpgmy wife made me buy her a set 50.00 she says the best wipers on the market but 50.00,holy crap:eek:

[Biffm1]

I have to agree with Big Shooter...nothing I put on my old Honda came even close to the Reflex / Can. Tire jobs...They're kinda pricey but the do work...I would also consider a product called Rain-X, this stuff makes torrential downpours just bead off the windshield...you almost don't need wipers !

[hamiltonhacker]

I was given a free replacement set by Chrysler with an oil change on my previous van and have seen the same ones advertised in their in house magazine. They are flat and curved, no leaf springs holdong the blade down. They worked very well and presumably are available from a Chrysler dealership. Of courde it begs the question that, since they work so well and are advertised in the magazine, why aren't they OEM on my new van.:eek:

[racmbs]

IMHO those Reflex wipers are a rip off.....biggest waste of $50 my wife ever spent and would kick her butt if she even spent more than $20/wiper as they just don't last.

Will,

I change my wiper blades right before the winter, and right before summer starts....and only buy the Aerofoil ones from Crappy Tire for my Mazda 6 and they do just fine.

[bigbertha]

Will, go to a drug store and buy some 99% isopropyl alcohol. It will take the grease and dirt off the wipers. I have found that this made the wipers last longer. They clean better and no streaking.

[Bellyhungry]

Speaking of windshield wipers....

Are they all standard size and one size fits all? What do I look out for when buying them from Crappy Tires?

[Louie]

IMHO those Reflex wipers are a rip off.....biggest waste of $50 my wife ever spent and would kick her butt if she even spent more than $20/wiper as they just don't last.

Will,

I change my wiper blades right before the winter, and right before summer starts....and only buy the Aerofoil ones from Crappy Tire for my Mazda 6 and they do just fine.

I agree with you Scott. We sell the Neoform which is the same as Canadian Tire's reflex(even though ours are better) they just don't last. I use the Oktane's from Napa and think they work awsome. Not to bad of a $$ either.

[Flog]

Speaking of windshield wipers....

Are they all standard size and one size fits all? What do I look out for when buying them from Crappy Tires?

There will be a book hanging there that will give you the size(s) you need for your make, model and year of vehicle. Often they are different sizes so beware.

[Ben Hogans]

Speaking of windshield wipers....

Are they all standard size and one size fits all? What do I look out for when buying them from Crappy Tires?

I have Reflex on both of our cars.

As for sizing, there is a guide/book that tells you what size for drivers side and passanger side for all makes and models of cars WITH all associated wipers that they have available. Very easy. Look up your car, then the rest will be visible on the page.

[Bellyhungry]

There will be a book hanging there that will give you the size(s) you need for your make, model and year of vehicle. Often they are different sizes so beware.

Thanks!

I have Reflex on both of our cars.

As for sizing, there is a guide/book that tells you what size for drivers side and passanger side for all makes and models of cars WITH all associated wipers that they have available. Very easy. Look up your car, then the rest will be visible on the page.

Thanks to you too....

[bluntman]

Costco has windshield wipers made by Michelin that are very similar to the Reflex wipers. They cost less then the Reflex wipers...and with the Costco return policy, well...

Just kidding on that last bit, but they are good wipers.

[jcggolfer]

I have the Reflex on my car and I'm not impressed for the money they cost. Our other car needed wipers and I put Wal Marts version of the Reflex on and they are better in my opinion and the are less money.

[nearace]

IMHO those Reflex wipers are a rip off.....biggest waste of $50 my wife ever spent and would kick her butt if she even spent more than $20/wiper as they just don't last.

Will,

I change my wiper blades right before the winter, and right before summer starts....and only buy the Aerofoil ones from Crappy Tire for my Mazda 6 and they do just fine.kick her butt not if she is 6foot 3 and 285 lbs lmao

[swaaain]

I use the tephlon ones from CT and they work well esp with the Rainex Windshild washer fluid. THat stuff is the bomb!

[Hork42]

Agreed with the rubbing alcohol treatment... the Reflex wipers come with a wipe that you treat the windshield with prior to use. I'm sure you can attain the same result but just getting some rubbing alcohol and using lower-priced wipers.

[skt07]

I use the CT winter wipers with Teflon (the ones with the rubber cover to help keep the hinges from icing up) + RainX washer fluid. Replace the wipers once a year just before winter. Works great!

[Blue]

Agreed with the rubbing alcohol treatment... the Reflex wipers come with a wipe that you treat the windshield with prior to use. I'm sure you can attain the same result but just getting some rubbing alcohol and using lower-priced wipers.

For me the Reflex wipers work very well and are durable. I believe that CT has dropped the prices on these recently as well. As for the ones that come with a wipe, it is a water repellent (similar to rain-x) that is applied to the wiper blade that helps the water to bead on the windshield. I have Reflex wipers on all the cars in the household and don't see myself buying anything else in the near future.

[avidgolfer]

I like the reflex type wipers for the winter. Normal wipers have the tendency to smear and streak when the hinges freeze but the reflex wipers did not. Because they were so expensive, I just got one for the driver side and a standard one for the passenger side.

Rain-X is great! At highway speeds, the water beads and just blows off. No wipers required.

[LowPost42]

I'll second that rainX makes wipers useless in a good rainstorm at highway speeds - but when the rainX is wearing off, it gets mad streaky and hazy.

I've got reflex wipers on the summer car, and use the teflon winter wipers from CT (with the boot), changed with the stock wipers in the summer on the year round car.

[Grass Roots Tour]

Ok, so book your weekend golf now cause it ain't gonna rain .... guaranteed!

I just installed my new reflex walmart version wipers and applied Rainex to all the windows.

Expect a drought ..... brought to you by Mr Murphy and myself. :D :rolleyes:


I used to just wax the whole car, including the windows which worked well for not needing wipers but seeing as Rainex designed a product specifically to do the job ..... why not give 'er a go ? :cool:

[discomonkey]

I'll second that rainX makes wipers useless in a good rainstorm at highway speeds - but when the rainX is wearing off, it gets mad streaky and hazy.

Use the washer fluid with RainX in it (yellow bottle). you never get that hazy effect when it wears off because it gets reapplied everytime you spray your windshield. awesome stuff.

as for the wipers... here's a trick that VW owners have been doing for years. The Bosch wipers are $$$, so what I do is replace just the rubber piece when it wears away. For $13 you get a full set of Bosch rubber strips from any VW dealership. Remove the old rubber, measure your new strips and cut to length and install the new rubber. Takes about 10 minutes and costs WAAAY less than buying all new wipers. You can buy them in various lengths, so make sure you buy them a tad bigger than you need and just cut them to size.

[Grass Roots Tour]

as for the wipers... here's a trick that VW owners have been doing for years. The Bosch wipers are $$$, so what I do is replace just the rubber piece when it wears away. For $13 you get a full set of Bosch rubber strips from any VW dealership. Remove the old rubber, measure your new strips and cut to length and install the new rubber. Takes about 10 minutes and costs WAAAY less than buying all new wipers. You can buy them in various lengths, so make sure you buy them a tad bigger than you need and just cut them to size.



Aww SNAP ! I completely forgot about that. I've owned 3 VW's and frequently used that meothod back in the day. I just threw the Bosch ones in the garbage too. :confused: