Best non-beam wipers with a conventional frame besides expensive NWB

[slacktide_bitog]

Those beam wipers don't work on some windshields, especially older cars with worn wiper arms that get weak with age. Often, the beam will miss the bottom right corner where the passenger side wiper rests.

Therefore, the conventional frame wipers are usually the best to use on older cars with weak wiper arms.

NWB is great, but they are expensive and not always widely available, though Parts Geek sells them. Since they use Worldpac, anyone lucky enough to have Worldpac access should be able to get them, too. AAP sells them, and some sellers on eBay

I wish Trico would make some of their non-beam wipers in the US (only their top tier premium beams are US-made, the Ultra, Titan, and Maxx). Since the Trico Exact Fit is meant to be exact OE replacement, they should start there.

The only US-made frame wipers are Goodyear, which aren't that great, and not easily available anymore. They are made by Saver Automotive, who got a license to use the Goodyear name on wipers.

Denso Designer hybrid wipers (a conventional frame wiper with a plastic cover) are made by NWB (which in turn is a subsidiary of Denso), but they are extremely expensive even on Rock Auto ($15-20 each, before shipping). Rock Auto doesn't seem to sell Bosch wipers anymore.

I am using Valeo Titanium frame wipers right now, since they are only $3-4 from Rock Auto. They also have Ultimate wipers, but they are more expensive, as are the SWF 800-series. They are mostly made in Indonesia. Has anyone here found anything better than Valeo's offerings in this category?

So far, I want to stick to OE suppliers such as Trico, Valeo, Bosch, and NWB/Denso. I know Mitsuba is also an OE supplier, but they don't offer anything in the aftermarket, and I'm not that impressed by Mitsuba's wipers anyway. Are there better wipers from companies that don't make OEM wipers?

Anco seems to have been bought out by Trico, though I know they were popular (Walmart's Super Tech wipers used to be the Anco 31-series)

OE suppliers
Valeo Titanium or Ultimate
Trico Exact Fit
NWB
Bosch Excel+ or MicroEdge

non-OE suppliers
Anco (31, Aerovantage, 97-series)
Goodyear
Hella
Michelin/Pylon
Rain-X
etc

 

[Jetronic]

Project farm tested wipers years ago, seen those tests?

 

[PimTac]

Trico is First Brands.

 

[dogememe]

I've installed a lot of wipers on a lot of cars and yes, while I do notice that often the very end of the wiper doesn't sit on flush on the passenger side, nobody really seems to be care, because you don't look out of that 2" section anyway?

Personally I'd rather have a better wiper (a good beam blade) instead of a technologically inferior blade (hybrid or conventional) and be missing that tiny section that doesn't matter anyway. Or am I missing something obvious here?

 

[Pelican]

Those beam wipers don't work on some windshields, especially older cars with worn wiper arms that get weak with age. Often, the beam will miss the bottom right corner where the passenger side wiper rests.

Therefore, the conventional frame wipers are usually the best to use on older cars with weak wiper arms.

NWB is great, but they are expensive and not always widely available, though Parts Geek sells them. Since they use Worldpac, anyone lucky enough to have Worldpac access should be able to get them, too. AAP sells them, and some sellers on eBay

I wish Trico would make some of their non-beam wipers in the US (only their top tier premium beams are US-made, the Ultra, Titan, and Maxx). Since the Trico Exact Fit is meant to be exact OE replacement, they should start there.

The only US-made frame wipers are Goodyear, which aren't that great, and not easily available anymore. They are made by Saver Automotive, who got a license to use the Goodyear name on wipers.

Denso Designer hybrid wipers (a conventional frame wiper with a plastic cover) are made by NWB (which in turn is a subsidiary of Denso), but they are extremely expensive even on Rock Auto ($15-20 each, before shipping). Rock Auto doesn't seem to sell Bosch wipers anymore.

I am using Valeo Titanium frame wipers right now, since they are only $3-4 from Rock Auto. They also have Ultimate wipers, but they are more expensive, as are the SWF 800-series. They are mostly made in Indonesia. Has anyone here found anything better than Valeo's offerings in this category?

So far, I want to stick to OE suppliers such as Trico, Valeo, Bosch, and NWB/Denso. I know Mitsuba is also an OE supplier, but they don't offer anything in the aftermarket, and I'm not that impressed by Mitsuba's wipers anyway. Are there better wipers from companies that don't make OEM wipers?

Anco seems to have been bought out by Trico, though I know they were popular (Walmart's Super Tech wipers used to be the Anco 31-series)

OE suppliers
Valeo Titanium or Ultimate
Trico Exact Fit
NWB
Bosch Excel+ or MicroEdge

non-OE suppliers
Anco (31, Aerovantage, 97-series)
Goodyear
Hella
Michelin/Pylon
Rain-X
etc

Frankly if the wiper arm's spring is weak it's time to replace the arm no matter the blade.

 

[Jetronic]

Frankly if the wiper arm's spring is weak it's time to replace the arm no matter the blade.

or just the spring....

 

[dogememe]

or just the spring....

Wiper arms are under $20... Why bother?

 

[Jetronic]

springs can be free from any junker

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Frankly if the wiper arm's spring is weak it's time to replace the arm no matter the blade.

Few people with cars that old are getting new wiper arms at over $40 each, if you can even get them anymore

The weak spring is mostly only an issue for beams wipers. They continue to work just fine with regular blades.

Trico just released a line of "high mileage" beams, but they're only sold at AAP for $25+ each

I've installed a lot of wipers on a lot of cars and yes, while I do notice that often the very end of the wiper doesn't sit on flush on the passenger side, nobody really seems to be care, because you don't look out of that 2" section anyway?

Personally I'd rather have a better wiper (a good beam blade) instead of a technologically inferior blade (hybrid or conventional) and be missing that tiny section that doesn't matter anyway. Or am I missing something obvious here?

In the process, they created a problem that didn't exist before. One step forward, two steps back. It sounds like the beam is inferior.

Trico is First Brands.

Even owned by first brands, Trico is still an OE supplier.

Trico could still be kept separate from Anco, who is not OEM on any car.

Wiper arms are under $20... Why bother?

Where can you get wiper arms under $20? The ones I see are all $40 and up, if you can even get one

 

[slacktide_bitog]

springs can be free from any junker

will they really be any better than the springs on the car now?

 

[dogememe]

Few people with cars that old are getting new wiper arms at over $40 each, if you can even get them anymore

The weak spring is mostly only an issue for beams wipers. They continue to work just fine with regular blades.

Trico just released a line of "high mileage" beams, but they're only sold at AAP for $25+ each



In the process, they created a problem that didn't exist before. One step forward, two steps back. It sounds like the beam is inferior.



Even owned by first brands, Trico is still an OE supplier.

Trico could still be kept separate from Anco, who is not OEM on any car.



Where can you get wiper arms under $20? The ones I see are all $40 and up, if you can even get one

I might be biased, I've only ever bought two sets of wiper arms, and they were for a GMT400 Burb and a Crown Vic, so probably the cheapest wiper arms to make, but still, I'm sure you can find them online for other common vehicles for that price

 

[Passport1]

I use Rain-X to compensate for crappy wipers.

 

[newtoncd8]

I know you mentioned NWB, but Denso makes a conventional blade that works well.

https://www.densoautoparts.com/wiper-blades-first-time-fit-wiper-blades

 

[Warstud]

That reminds me...I have to clean the inside of my windshield.

 

[Oro_O]

I use the Bosch "clear advantage" - they are a beam and not hybrid, but I find them to work really well and have them on several 20+ year old cars w/original arms. I am now sold on Bosch blades as I get more for my $$ than anything else I've ever seen or tried. They are pretty affordable, I got the last stash of them on an order from RM European for about $6.50 each. They last several years, even in the PNW with constant use. May not help you but it's a data point.

 

[vavavroom]

What's a beam wiper with a conventional frame? isn't it either one or the other? I like Valeo beam wipers. Some have a colored wear indicator.

EDIT: I looked it up. Can't say I have ever used a hybrid wiper.

 

[benjamming]

Does the car maker offer refills for your application? I do that with my Accord and Highlander and am happy with it as it provides a simple replacement at less than $10 when bought at an online dealership parts department. Some have free shipping too.

 

[paulo57509]

This is the Safari (excuse the dirt):

It was like this when the van was new. It's a GM thing. I could install a shorter blade to try to get full contact when the wipers are parked, but it's not worth the effort.

 

[Jetronic]

will they really be any better than the springs on the car now?

don't know, but $20 wiperarms are non-existant in my place anyway. and the scrapyard will be full of them even if the arms are bent.

 

[PandaBear]

I would probably just use OEM and replace the rubber. I remember the insert they sold at the dealers were Bosch Edge or something like that, works very well when I kept the metal frame.