Bosch Wipers are Horrible!

[cutter]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Originally Posted By: cutter
Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
Bosch Micro Edge blades are great, they just don't last very long.

This.

In fact, cheap anco lasts longer imo.

Blades should be changed every 6 months. Yes they may last longer than that, but performance will suffer.


Both are 6 month blades, but one is about $8 more. I don't see eight dollars more clarity or performance. Maybe it'll scrape a few more atoms off the windshield, but naaaah.


For every dollar I pay for a wiper, I want it to last an equal amount of months.

 

[HerrStig]

Clay the windshield, then see how the wipers work. Gotta get the grease and grime off. I suspect the better the blade for wiping the more it is affected by drit, grease, and grime. I clayed my windshield several months ago and the wipers haven't chattered or squeaked since.

 

[supton]

How much does pitting make a difference? I recall a couple of itmes, after replacing the winshield, of being amazed at how much better the wipers worked. Was it the lack of grease, or the perfectly flat surface?

 

[NHGUY]

I get a couple years plus out of a set of Trico top level beam blades.I find the Tricos are made better than the Ancos.

 

[bigmike]

Originally Posted By: BISCUT
I heard a few very positive comments about the new Bosch wipers. I paid the high price for them and out em on my F-150. They are horrible!! Worse wipers I've ever had.

Since they are driver side and passenger side specific I tried switching them up and still horrible!!

Angry consumer!


You didn't specify which model of wiper, nor the size. I find this post uninformative until you give us more information.

 

[bigjl]

I have had good results from Bosch blades for years. Set on my previous car, Mondeo, now owned by a mate lasted nearly four years. In fact the passenger side one is still on.

My current Volvo has the new spangled spoiler type blade, bad description as forget the proper name, as fitted to new cars.

According to the printout they are original from.early 2008.

Still work.fine. As car was a leaser I doubt the previous user changed them.

As there are printout entries for everything including bulbs i suspect it would have been itemised.

The rear wiper needed changed when i bought the car, but as car is an estate i suspect it may be due to contaminents being left on there then the wiper.used to clean the screen of filth.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: supton
How much does pitting make a difference? I recall a couple of itmes, after replacing the winshield, of being amazed at how much better the wipers worked. Was it the lack of grease, or the perfectly flat surface?


Pitting will put micro-gouges or whatever you want to call them on the rubber. As a result, they don't provide a clean and consistent wipe.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: SLCraig
I have had perfectly fine luck with Bosch Icon blades in the past, but honestly I just now use the OEM blades, they are always great, and long lasting from the factory.

My Honda OEM blades are still fine, 1.5 years old now and lots of miles annually.



IIRC the OEM Hondas are NWB = Nippon Wiper Blade, which are very good too.

Bosch is a huge OEM, obviously. (along with Valeo-SWF and NWB)

 

[Papa Bear]

I found the uniPoint wipers from TSC work great on the van.
I got the 22" & 24" wipers for ~@$.6.00 on sale. No complaints.

 

[grampi]

I've used a lot of the "premium" wipers and what I've found is none of them work any better, they just cost more...I'm back to using Ancos...

 

[DBMaster]

My old car was a great tester of wiper blades. It had over 350,000 miles with the original windshield. It had lots of little pits and scratches. Also, by then the wiper arm springs must weaken just a bit. Bosch blades never worked well for me. Michelin did not, either, even though Consumer Reports thought they were pretty good a few years ago. I had the best luck with Rain-X Weatherbeater blades (for retail store blades) and PIAA inserts for the factory blades. All I used was the "Super Graphite" PIAA inserts, which they have quit making. I guess I'll try their silicone insert next. There is a company called Jamak (http://www.jamak.com) that makes its blades in the U.S. with silicone wiping elements. I have used them on newer cars with pretty good luck. They last 2-3 times as long as natural rubber wipers.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
Beam blades in general are pretty bad in my experience, not just Bosch-branded ones.

Standard Bosch Micro Edge blades are great, they just don't last very long.


I agree. I love the Bosch Micro Edge, but they last only 6mos to a year here in Texas. I don't like the beam style on any vehicle that was not originally equipped that way.

 

[DBMaster]

Here in Texas, if you park outside, six months is about average. Nine months would be good. When I used to park outside all day I had a pair of Sillblade Flexblades (beam blades with silicone element). They lasted three years on the old Honda. I got them for $20 on Craig's list from a guy who no longer had the car he bought them for. When I replaced them I ordered the same thing online and they were lousy from day one. And, on top of that, I paid the full price of $50 for the pair.

The best luck I had was with inserts for the OEM blades. Amazon sells several brands.

 

[dailydriver]

When Bosch first came out with the Icons, they were GREAT, one of the best I've ever used, and at least the equal to, if not the better of, the PIAA super silicone (or graphites) before them.

BUT, as soon as they switched the production from Belgium to Sinoland they became the ABSOLUTE WORST blades I've EVER used!!

The most infuritating part of this is that they either kept the price the same on the China made carp as the Belgique made product, or even increased it!!

When I am at one of the very few places which still carry the Micro Edges (or M.E. plusses), and look at the back of the package, they still say "Made In Belgium".
Maybe that is WHY they are better than the Icons??

 

[dparm]

Beam blades are nothing new. The design has been around for decades. They are sometimes called "winter blades". The biggest advantage they have is they do not clog with ice and snow. Their downfall is that they do not exert very even pressure across the entire length of the blade -- that's why I don't really care for them except for during the winter months.

Metal armature blades provide the best quality wipe. The metal arms push down with more even pressure so you get maximum window-clearing. Their biggest problem is that they can fill with ice and snow if left outside. I still recommend these to everyone for the spring/summer months.


Be glad you have a choice. A lot of newer German cars have unique "aero" blades which are a strange hybrid, meaning we have to get refills from the dealer. Not much more expensive, but we have no choice in the manner.

 

[Carmudgeon]

Originally Posted By: cutter
Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
Bosch Micro Edge blades are great, they just don't last very long.


This.

In fact, cheap anco lasts longer imo.


As do Trico.

I keep my glass very clean, and the car is garaged.

I stuck with Bosch, both aftermarket and OE for years.

Switched to Trico, found they worked just as well, and lasted longer. Cheaper, as well, whether one is replacing them every 6 months or 6 years.

 

[Racerjk]

I've used Anco blades on pretty much everything I own with good results. They're 4 bucks or so at Wal-Mart or Atwoods,and I change them every 6 months. Can't argue with that IMO.

I did buy OEM blades for my wife's G8 because they supposedly fit and work the best according to the folks over at G8board.com.
They're not terribly expensive either.

I'm glad now I didn't put Bosch on her car like I thought about doing.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Beam blades are nothing new. The design has been around for decades. They are sometimes called "winter blades". The biggest advantage they have is they do not clog with ice and snow. Their downfall is that they do not exert very even pressure across the entire length of the blade -- that's why I don't really care for them except for during the winter months.

Metal armature blades provide the best quality wipe. The metal arms push down with more even pressure so you get maximum window-clearing. Their biggest problem is that they can fill with ice and snow if left outside. I still recommend these to everyone for the spring/summer months.


Actually, many "winter" blades are metal armatures...they are just covered with a rubber sleeve so they do not clog up.

 

[CharBaby]

I think that wiper blades are vehicle specific. Meaning, even the highest rated wiper blades don't work well on every single vehicle. And the owner needs to find what works best for that vehicle.

I don't really like the wiper blades with the contact points...Never have! And to tell ya the truth, I really only like brand new wiper blades for the first 6 months or so. Then, after that, they deteriorate quickly especially in the colder months in way too many cases.

But, I have been using Rain-X Latitude/Repel beam style wiper blades on 3 different vehicles and thay have been the best blades that I have used in many, many years. I don't expect that everyone will have the same feeling as I do. They are working well on all 3 cars that I put'em on now for over 2 years.

Sure, I keep the wiper blade rubber clean but, I always have! It's not just how long the wipers are lasting, it's mainly how well they wipe the windshield STILL!

And also, good windshield maintenance is a factor as well. But here too, I always have!

 

[mechtech2]

Originally Posted By: Racerjk
I've used Anco blades on pretty much everything I own with good results. They're 4 bucks or so at Wal-Mart or Atwoods,and I change them every 6 months. Can't argue with that IMO.

I did buy OEM blades for my wife's G8 because they supposedly fit and work the best according to the folks over at G8board.com.
They're not terribly expensive either.

I'm glad now I didn't put Bosch on her car like I thought about doing.


Yeah... 6 months is about it, esp for a non garage kept vehicle. High priced ones don't seem to last any longer, and they can chatter when new as much as a cheap blade.