Looking for the best windshield wipers? This is your best choice.

I'm using Silblades and have used them on several vehicles. They're guaranteed for 5 years and I've run them that long without issue and was pleased with their performance. I'm really anal about "being able to see" and I feel they are worth it. Periodically, I'll "clay" the windshields and then use a glass wax. About $20 per side, but in the long run they'll save money. I feel that wipers are a safety item and safety is not an area that I feel comfortable economizing in.......

 

I used to but expensive wiper blades. None lated long without streaking. Maybe parking in the blazing south Georgia sun may do a number on them, I don't know. Now I just get a cheap set whenever I start to notice an ongoing performance issue. I may give these a try. The original wiper blades are long gone, does anyone know if the inserts are standardized? Will these inserts fit in any blade? If they do, or if they fit in at least a few different blades, I wonder what the best blade is?

 

Hard to believe but I still have the original factory blades on my 05. Always garaged and washed regularly. Probably time to replace as they streak a little.

 

My local Costco sells Michelien blades for $9.

 

Hopefully you didn’t throw away your OEM metal wipers and kept them. If not its going to be costly to replace them.

Its inexpensive to replace the rubber blade but the metal wipers themselves are pricey.

 

Bosch Icons are amazing, last ~3 years, and cost 1/3rd of what your 'local auto shop' quoted. I love them.

Right now I'm on a set of Michelin Stealth Ultras and I'm unimpressed. They're only a couple months old and already streak bad. Going back to Bosch soon.

 

Been using Anco 31-series wipers since the early 90s. They're about $2/ea from RockAuto, and I usually get 2 winters out of a set.

 

The Manhattan Beach ebay blades are priced OK if you live far away from a dealer. My local dealer sells that set for $1.50 less. No waiting for USPS.

 

OEM have worked the best for me. I did change the arms to both be the longer blade. For some reason my 2012 had different sizes for the passenger and driver, but I have found that the longer work just fine. Then I signed up for a subscribe and save on Amazon and have a pair of the Toyota factory OEMs delivered every 6 months. They aren't in bad shape at 6 months, but I am real picky on visibility, and it's not a large investment to never have an issue.

 

You can get the OEM rubber inserts from @gunny1005 for much cheaper

 

I will say though, the driver side wiper doesn’t last as long as the passenger side wiper. It always starts to make noise and streak way ahead of the passenger side one

 

Oem.

 

Walmart rainx factory replacements

 

GREAT POST!! One of those things you think youre getting a bargain on by getting aftermarket, but no!

 

That’s probably because the drivers side gets looked through more. Haha

 

2 years, same blades.
OEM all the way.

 

I do the same. I’ve always used Bosch Icons or Rain-X along with Rain-X wiper fluid. I get a few years out of my blades and I like the style of the Icons/Rain-X because snow doesn’t cake into them.

Running a clay bar over your windshield once a month does WONDERS for clarity, and allows the blades (any blade) to glide effortlessly across the windshield. After the clay bar, you can hear the blades “peeling” the water off the windshield. Try it, it’s well worth the 5 minutes it takes.

 

Never done this before. Is there a specific process that needs to be done when clay barring the windshield?

 

Just a little soapy water to act as a lubricant so the clay slides easily is all’s you need.

 

I use a detailing spray, like Meguiar’s or Griot’s, but as seen below, a little soapy water works. I prefer the detailing spray because you just wipe it off and it helps a little with water repellency. No rinsing needed.

Other than that, you grab some clay bar (Meguiar’s is cheap and effective/readily available), spray half the window, mush the clay into a 4-5” circle, rub it up and down on the window covering all areas, then rub back and forth, wipe clean with a microfiber cloth. Fold the clay into itself to trap contaminants, then do the other side. Takes 5 min or less to do the whole windshield.

If you want, do the “plastic bag test.” Put a plastic sandwich bag over your pointer finger, rub it on the windshield. Feel gritty/bumpy? Then you need to clay. This same trick works on your paint. Give it a try, makes a huge difference.

That works, too.