Wiper Blade Refills...what happened to them?

Nobody in my area sells Windshield Wiper Refills anymore. I've tried Autozone, Pep Boys, Kragen, Napa, Walmart, and Target. That's pretty much all the stores I have to choose from.

At $10-15 per blade, buying new ones every time is getting expensive.

- Where can I buy refills without getting reamed on shipping?

- Can I spray anything on the rubber to make them last longer?

 

I found the same problem here. I ended up just buying new assemblies.

 

toyota sells refills here for like 4 or 5 buck each...

 

Rain-X window wash saves my blades big time. I use it and replace blades every couple years or so. Without it, I need to replace blades 2-3 times/year around here.

 

I hear ya....I've gone through that before and end up buying assemblies.

I have RainX assemblies now and rainX the windows. Let's hope they last.

 

i bought rain-x latitude wipers (the thin body ones) and they only lasted me 2 months. they are now crap

i used to buy my wipers only from costco - michelien reflex (the thin body ones) and they would last a year or more before they got as bad as my rain x ones

 

yea i bought some latitudes and the coverage on the integra wasnt good

 

Why do you think the refills disappeared?

 

they make more money selling you the whole thing rather then the refill imo

 

I know, but after all these years, why change now? Seems like something they would have done decades ago.

 

probably because younger generations didnt know that you could get wiper blade refills

 

This an interesting thread cause I have those Bosch Microedge (I think they're called) and I need refills. Nobody has them, like you guys said.

 

Guess I don't really miss refills. Now that frameless wipers are widely available (I prefer the Bosch or Valeo) I generally get a full year of use out of my blades. At that point, even with a frame, you'd want to replace the whole assembly.

I bet you could just order refills from the counter. Plan ahead and order a couple sets.

 

Yeah, I hear you. It's not a bad idea, it's just a pain in the ass.

I hate special ordering piddly items...it's like going to the grocery store to special order a loaf of bread.

 

If and when you find refills. Here is a good website. More for those that have never installed a refill.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Replacing Toyota Windshield Wipers Blades and Wiper Inserts[/FONT]

http://www.brandsport.com/towiwiblandi.html
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I orered my inserts a while ago, I just went to put them on and I realized they sent the same size. So I guess I can replace the passanger side. I am tempted just to buy the PIAA wiper blades and waste 60 bucks out of spite.

 

Went on the same quest myself but no joy. Refills just don't exist. Nobody works on cars anymore (TW members excluded) and doing the refills is just too technical for people so they sell the whole assembly. Sad.

 

cooktac0-you can find them online pretty easy. The hard part is making sure they send 2 different sizes. I got 2 21's

 

I use rain-x on my windshield and apply it monthly. I seriously don't need blades. My friends think I'm weird for not using the wipers but the water really blows right off. I've had the same wipers on my truck for a year (rainx latitude) and maybe used them 4-5 times? Just to get the dew off in the mornings.