Preferred Wiper Blades

Ive had the ancos when i bought my wrx. It was used and already had Anco blades on, so whp knows how long they were on beforehand. They lasted me about two years. I bought my car in July 2012, and i had to replace them at the beginning of its second connecticut winter.
But a few of my old co-workers and friends used them before and they didn't last a week.

The best thing you can do is just try a few brands out and see what works best with your windshield. It depends on the make and model of your car because like mentioned before, the shape of the windshield is a big player.
 
James Hammett said it best, change them at the beginning of every season regardless of what you choose. I prefer Rain-X but I also wax my windows real good through the car wash which also helps to bead off the water; I would love to hear some ideas on this subject.
 
I just find it strange how the factory original wipers on all of the last 5 or 6 new vehicles I've had seemed to do much better, for much longer than any of the replacement wipers available I've bought. I'm not a fan of Rain-x treatment on windshield (but will use it elsewhere). It's just too much work where the benefit is too little and wears off too soon. But it might be good to keep the blade rubber from drying out pre-maturely.
 
STexan said:
I just find it strange how the factory original wipers on all of the last 5 or 6 new vehicles I've had seemed to do much better, for much longer than any of the replacement wipers available I've bought. I'm not a fan of Rain-x treatment on windshield (but will use it elsewhere). It's just too much work where the benefit is too little and wears off too soon. But it might be good to keep the blade rubber from drying out pre-maturely.
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Bosch Icon wipers work best for me. Combined with an Aquapel tablet (supposed to last 6 months, probably lasts 4 though in reality). This stuff is WAY better than rain-x, but way more expensive too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6VS7TO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6VS7TO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
your wipers will last longer if you take a bit of dishwashing soap, and take your wipers off and clean them once a week really good. keeps them from dryrotting and wearing out faster and gets the dirt and junk off of them.
 
JR Hehnly made a good idea/point to me - buy the blades off amazon, and put them on 6 month auto purchase. You will get new blades every 6 months at a reduced price, and won't have wiper issues. That's what I've done as well.
BTW Rain X wipers and Rain X treatment before every chase for me. It helps to also use the paper towel you've applied rain x with to wipe the blades to pull the grease/grime/dirt off.
 
Definitely agree with the Rain-X before every chase. I started using it about 5-6 years ago and kick myself for not using it sooner. I carry a spray bottle of it in my car and (usually) apply it after I have reached my target area and done an initial windshield bug-scrape. With moderate rain at highway speeds, the Rain-X works so well I frequently don't even turn on my wipers.
 
Todd Rector said:
Definitely agree with the Rain-X before every chase. I started using it about 5-6 years ago and kick myself for not using it sooner. I carry a spray bottle of it in my car and (usually) apply it after I have reached my target area and done an initial windshield bug-scrape. With moderate rain at highway speeds, the Rain-X works so well I frequently don't even turn on my wipers.
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I just wanted to co-sign with the others that have good things to say about Rain-X. Warren Faidley turned me onto it approx. 15 years ago, and I wouldn't even dream of chasing without it. My chase partner and I work the alley from the TexPanhandle up to N.Dakota. Since we primarily chase during June in the northern plains, we definitely encounter a lot more precip normally than on South Plains chases. Like many of you, I've driven in precip that would absolutely blow the average person's mind. The Rain-X just makes the water slide off of the glass. We do every window on our vehicle....PLUS each headlight and all the running and brake lights too. I truly believe Rain-X has been instrumental in saving our lives more than once....and I'm not trying to sound melodramatic.
 
I'll throw another vote in with @Hannah.Taylor for Aquapel as well. I've been using it faithfully the last 3-4 years. Yeah it's supposed to last 6 months, but I usually re-apply it every 4. I usually use Rain-X on my side / rear windows and re-apply twice / year.

Like @Todd Rector above, I have a new chase ride for 2015 as well. I've not had to switch from the factory set yet, but that day is coming I know. I've had good luck in the past with Bosch, but not sure which way I'm going to go this time around.

No matter which (if any) windshield treatment you may use, thoroughly clean your windows before applying. Good old dish soap / water in a spray bottle does wonders.
 
Todd Rector said:
Definitely agree with the Rain-X before every chase. I started using it about 5-6 years ago and kick myself for not using it sooner. I carry a spray bottle of it in my car and (usually) apply it after I have reached my target area and done an initial windshield bug-scrape. With moderate rain at highway speeds, the Rain-X works so well I frequently don't even turn on my wipers.
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This. Although I can usually go several chases without having to reapply depending on how much I had to use the wipers on a previous chase. If I'm the one driving I can usually go through almost anything but atomized rain without turning the wipers on. It's a shame that wiping excessively wears the Rain-X off so fast. However, usually on the first chase and at some intermediate point during the season I apply two coats, which seems to hold a lot longer.

I'm currently using Rain-X blades also, and I'm not impressed for the extra price I paid. They have the rubber backing, which seems to perform worse on the windshield than the factory blades with metal frame did. The bottom part of the blade frequently misses the windshield entirely. Once these wear out I'll be going back to the cheap-o brands which have never disappointed me for their price.
 
I've had the best luck with PIAA and Valeo from www.tirerack.com. They actually make a great gift for guys too, my dad loves getting those on his birthday or Father's Day. Our set up is 26" on the drivers side and 16" on the passenger side. Valeo's seem to work best for that application. For blades that are more even in length, I've had great luck with PIAA's. I do like the idea of ordering every 6 months like Ben mentioned, that's a killer idea.
 
I tried Rain-X blades a few years and they turned out to be noticeably worse than the cheap generic ones at auto parts stores. It seems like they work well for some but not everyone.
 
I sort of made up my mind that it seems the money paid for blades does not equally translate to life expectancy. So if a $45 pair is going to need replacing as soon as a $20 pair ... I just bought the cheaper pair at Walmart and proceeded to have a nice dinner with the savings. I bought the type that more closely resembled the factory original. besides, I did not like the "air swish" that my last "high-tech" blades made every time they wiped at highway speed. These are quiet like they should be.

But I'll report back if I'm cussing these cheap bladed inside of several months :rolleyes:
 
Todd Rector said:
I bought a new chase vehicle for 2015 and just changed the wipers to Autozone Duralast blades a week ago, partly because options were somewhat limited in St Joseph, Missouri. No opinion on them yet; they seemed to work okay in the torrential HP mess in Texas last week, though.
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I wanted to follow up on this thread, now that my Autozone Duralast wipers are 6 months old. Sadly, I cannot recommend them. They are showing significant wear and are streaking badly enough I almost changed them on my way home from the infamous Veteran's Day chase in Iowa a few days ago. They worked great at first, but I don't think they stood up well to the hot Iowa Summer. I am definitely changing them out before Winter arrives.
 
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