Preferred wiper blade?

We don't deal with the same weather extremes of cold, ice, etc. here in FL, but the sun and heat really take a toll.

What's your experience/recommendations?

$3.99 blades from rural king. I haven't found a decent reason to spend more money for something I'd change at the same rate.

Depends on the vehicle. 

If the blade is 24" or less I liked the Bosch Icon blades. If longer than that I found beam style blades flexed too much.
 

On the longer sizes I like the rain-x with the traditional exposed metal frame or a Michelin. Hybrid with the covered frame (like a winter blade). 
 

It rains so little and the sun is so strong around here that they're almost one-time use. So I just carry a spare set of ANCO cheapies in any vehicle that is doing a road trip, because invariably the wipers will turn out to have perished when it starts to rain. 

Ranger50 said:

$3.99 blades from rural king. I haven't found a decent reason to spend more money for something I'd change at the same rate.

Yes, Rural Kings too, but...
Menards is often my go-to to for wiper blades.  They commonly have a house brand for $0.99 pre blade.  At that price, I tend to keep a fresh replacement blade in the spare tire well.  My blades are easy to change out (no tools required) so I have a fresh set with me if I have an unexpected failure.    

Edit: I figured I'd check Menard's wbesite:
$0.99 for 3 common sizes
$2.99 for 10 sizes  
$4.99 beam style

 

Also, in the spring look for close-out prices on "winter blades."  

I also commonly buy blades 1 to 2" longer than "correct size"  This then equates to 1/2" to 1" longer on each side of the blade.  I have not had a car yet that couldn't accommodate the additional length.  Usually, there is no price increase to get the larger.  So, free size increase.  

I still believe that honda blades and inserts are the best value to life ratio. I could easily get a year out of a set of honda inserts that were 7 retail.

Honda inserts for their vehicles last the longest from my experience.  The inserts seem to be coated with a gray material ... graphite, maybe?  Typically run $4 to $5 each.

Bosch Icon or GTFO.

Beam blades don't seem to work on the driver's side of the Mini. It missed enough area and skittered and squeaked enough with a Bosch Icon on there that I swapped it shortly for whatever the Rain-X "hybrid" was (I didn't realize this sort of new-fangled cross between beam and steel spring had a name). Nominally a step down from "beam" construction, bot works better on this shape of windshield.

I need new wipers, and they were out of everything hybridish at Napa... I wonder whether Bosch does one in that construction.

In reply to einy (Forum Supporter) :

I got them at 10% over cost so I paid like $3

I like the ford motorcraft "premium" wipers from rockauto.  After 10 years in the PNW I found them the best bang for buck.

I once had a set of Bosch wipers I put on right before a rainy trip from Seattle to Portland.  In the 4 hour drive the far outside passenger side left some black goo from the wiper and smeared it throughout the arc.    I don't know if they didn't like the windshield curve, but they made a chattering noise the whole trip and also made a mess.  They were expensive too.

Keith Tanner said:

It rains so little and the sun is so strong around here that they're almost one-time use. So I just carry a spare set of ANCO cheapies in any vehicle that is doing a road trip, because invariably the wipers will turn out to have perished when it starts to rain. 

In Virginia, I use to put Rain-X on my windshields to extend the life of wiper blades.  Here in Colorado, it's not really worth it because the sun and grit take out wipers.  I miss the days when you could buy the Bosch Micro-Edge inserts for a decent price at the FLAPS, but now I usually go with the Michelin hybrid blades that Costco sells because of what Keith said.

In reply to John Welsh :

Them Menards ain't much found below the mason dixon line...

JoeTR6 said:

Keith Tanner said:

It rains so little and the sun is so strong around here that they're almost one-time use. So I just carry a spare set of ANCO cheapies in any vehicle that is doing a road trip, because invariably the wipers will turn out to have perished when it starts to rain. 

In Virginia, I use to put Rain-X on my windshields to extend the life of wiper blades.  Here in Colorado, it's not really worth it because the sun and grit take out wipers.  I miss the days when you could buy the Bosch Micro-Edge inserts for a decent price at the FLAPS, but now I usually go with the Michelin hybrid blades that Costco sells because of what Keith said.

Yeah, same thing in California.  No rain all summer means you need new wiper blades every fall when it starts raining.  So I just hit rockauto to order inexpensive blades for every vehicle I own in November.

Bosch Icon on my summer car and my winter truck. New Hampshire.

JoeTR6 said:

Keith Tanner said:

It rains so little and the sun is so strong around here that they're almost one-time use. So I just carry a spare set of ANCO cheapies in any vehicle that is doing a road trip, because invariably the wipers will turn out to have perished when it starts to rain. 

In Virginia, I use to put Rain-X on my windshields to extend the life of wiper blades.  Here in Colorado, it's not really worth it because the sun and grit take out wipers.  I miss the days when you could buy the Bosch Micro-Edge inserts for a decent price at the FLAPS, but now I usually go with the Michelin hybrid blades that Costco sells because of what Keith said.

I'm too lazy to keep up with rain-x applications, but find the Rain-x windshield washer/deicer provides a noticeable benefit if given enough time/use. 

In reply to John Welsh :

Holy crap! Looks like I'll be ordering some cheap wipers from Menards - thanks!

In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :

Was $7.85 shipping to Florida...

I've been using Trico Neoforms on my DD's for years. A little cheaper than the Bosch Icons, and they work just as well. Great in the winter and the summer months.
 

My older stuff either gets traditional winter blades or metal framed wipers. Just tossed on some of Autozone's cheapest Duralast metal frame traditional wipers on my truck after my wiper linkage rebuild, and they work well enough.

bobzilla said:

In reply to einy (Forum Supporter) :

I got them at 10% over cost so I paid like $3

 

That is a smokin' deal!

In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :

Yea that was my experience when I was still in Cali. Went from the Bosch icons I run in PA to the cheapest thing I could find because they'd inevitably melt to the windshield when I actually needed them. And at $20/side, it adds up quick.

I made it a habit to squirt the fluid every single time I turned my car on just to keep the blades moving and try to keep them clean. 

In reply to Tony Sestito :

I recently had an Autozone wiper blade fail on my Volvo. 16" blade waas only a few weeks old and the assembly rivets failed and pitched the drivers side blade onto the ground. I looked at the other side, and it was getting loose too.

Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:

Bosch Icon or GTFO.

This times eleventy billions...mods please close thread.

In reply to TurnerX19 :

YIKES. I'll have to watch out for that!

bobzilla said:

I still believe that honda blades and inserts are the best value to life ratio. I could easily get a year out of a set of honda inserts that were 7 retail.

Bob said something nice about Honda.