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The Rain-X ones are pretty good, but in all honesty anything you are going to buy at a place like Autozone will all work and last about the same amount of time. The real key is keeping the blades and your windshield clean. Even the best wipers will completely suck if you don't take the time to keep them clean.
I would suggest pricing them out first, because some of the mounts used on vehicles can force you to buy some pretty pricey blades.
I think it is very hard to buy them retail- I wasted a few gallons of gas going to the major car parts shops and none had them so just order away and have them in four days or so. It doesn't matter how fancy of a blade you get they all are dust in a year (at least out here in always sunny So. CA), so just get the best cheap ones I say.
They'll all work about the same when new, so it's a question of how long it takes for their performance to deteriorate to a point of unacceptability.
I'd like them to last a year, but most don't.
Autozone's house brand (I forgot exactly what it was) only gave me satisfactory results for about 4-6 months. I won't buy those again.
I the past, some Anco blades weren't so hot, but I've avoided them for years. Maybe they're better now.
Bosch seems about average, as does Michelin.
The Rain-X brand I have on there now is a few months old, and is still wiping almost like new. The verdict hasn't come back on longevity yet, but so far, so good. If they last the rest of the winter, they're good. If they last through summer, I'll buy them every time.
I am somewhat partial to Bosch, I can get not only the full blades but also the refills at a good local import parts store. Trico for Detroit cars, the same way.
BTW it's important to keep the windshield reasonably clean, running a new blade over a bunch of dried-on bugs will take the "new" out of it pretty quickly.
Other than that, largely, you get what you pay for.
Buy it cheap, but it twice.
They'll all clean your screen if you do what NJGOAT says, but in my experience, the cheaper ones don't last quite so long.
Yeah, cheap wipers don't last long enough for the price, and so are just the blade inserts.
I really like Bosh wiper blades, especially those beam blades because they seem to be more durable than others. Second choice is Trico or Aero.
Cleaning is very important to prolong the life of your blades, and assure they don't streak.
To clean your wiper blades, wipe them with a clean rag dipped in hot, soapy water. After you clean off the soap, wipe the edge of the blade with rubbing alcohol.
Yep, I know - this thread is 6 year old, but the topic is always current
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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We have to replace every year in our wet climate, and I have tried them all. The best has been Bosch.
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