In reply to 93gsxturbo :
I've got OE replacement blades on the BMW, but that car has spoilers on the frames so they work far better at highway speed than anything aftermarket. Only reason they have OE replacement blade inserts is because I can't get a decent silicone one that fits the frames. And no, they don't last years. They last maybe 2 years at best, depending on how much abuse they get in the winter.
On the Jeep, the OE blades are nothing special, so any other decent blade with a decent frame works fine on it.
In reply to 93gsxturbo :
But again, if you get four years out of a $30 blade and I go through four $3 blades in the same amount of time, I'm still money ahead. Sure, I don't have brandy-new cars, but our dailies are a 2013 and 2014 both with newer windshields.
I would also wager that even an expensive blade shows decreased performance by year 2, 3, 4, etc. I would rather have freshies right at the start of winter every year (and they'll still be perfect for the rainy Colorado May come springtime), as opposed to pushing a nice set as far as I possibly can.
Plus, I avoid buying wiper blades at a brick and mortar store unless it's a dire situation, what sells in the store for $12 is $1.99 on RockAuto, and the $3 decent Anco or Trico with a different package is $20+ at the parts store vs the Rock. Just toss in a set whenever I'm ordering tuneup or brake parts or racecar parts.
DocRob
Reader
5/15/23 8:00 a.m.
Costco usually has Michelins or RainX blades in bulk. I buy 2-4 sets at a time and replace them twice a year.
Biggest challenge is they don't have rear wiper blades. And the rear wiper on the FJ is one of those "dealer onlyl things. I keep meaning to cruise the junkyard and find a traditional slip-on wiper arm to replace the special thing.
