REVIEW: 2005 wiper blade technology
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From: NV
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REVIEW: 2005 wiper blade technology
This is for anyone who feels their wiper blades aren't performing like they should. I've had mine chattering, skipping, smearing, and just about everything you can imagine. On my quest for the perfect blade, I've tried many different types and now its time to tell you about them. Each brand will have a description followed by the main points, and finally a real-life review of performance. All wiper blades tried were new, and the windshield was cleaned first with No Touch Auto Glass Stripper followed by a coating of diamondite glass spray to prevent chips and facilitate water beading. I've heard rumors that rain-x eats away at rubber, so I decided to use this spray instead. Onto the reviews:
1. PYLE brand (El-cheapo)
Plastic frame, rubber wiping element, felt like it would fall into pieces. These worked well for the first 5 minutes before chattering. They wouldn't stay on the windshield.
Rating: 1/5
2. Trico (Napa) Exact fit
OEM spec, metal frame with rubber blade. Performs well in dry/sprinkle weather, but cannot handle heavy rain. Starts to chatter and skip after getting wet and remains that way.
rating: 2/5
3. Rain-X brand
Has a curved metal frame, with more contact points than stock. Standard rubber wiper. Performs great in dry weather, but seems flimsy in normal/heavy rain showers. Heavy chattering and very noisy.
rating: 1.5/5
4. Silblade brand
Very stable assembly, shiny finish. The blade is made completely out of silicon instead of rubber with a special pfte coating. They stick to the window very well, in fact too well. In dry weather, they don't even make it down to the bottom of the windshield. In wet weather, they start to wipe well, but then begin to slip on the wet windshield. These were the loudest chattering wipers I've ever heard. Although the most expensive, they are the worst wipers you can buy for this car and may damage the wiper arm motor with continued use.
Rating: 0.5/5
5. Trico teflon coated
At first this seems like a good idea to reduce friction. But after a day of use, it seemed like the coating wore off and they were back to chattering like the standard trico blades.
Rating 2/5
6. Trico innovision style
The new "beam style" wipers that have a curved steel frame only with the rubber attached to the bottom. Supposed to make better contact with the windshield. In dry/mild rain, they stick to the windshield very well and don't chatter at all. After some heavy rain, they get wet and start flapping around everywhere. The style doesn't even look that good. The middle mount is actually quite high and doesn't blend in with the black windshield strip like oem does.
Rating 2.5/5
7. Bosch micro edge
Wouldn't you know it, the last blade I try works the best. The metal frame is very beefy while maintaining the oem look. The best aesthetic feature is the hidden metal tension bar. All other wipers have a visible silver strip to hold the wiper in place. The rubber wiper is coated graphite and feels much smoother than the rest. They wipe flawlessly in light and heavy rain, with very little chatter. By little I mean you can see them start to vibrate, but they never get bad enough to make moise. Normal people would say they are perfect. Also the fastest moving wiper due to the least amount of friction. It sweeps fast and clean without streaking.
Rating: 4/5
1. PYLE brand (El-cheapo)
Plastic frame, rubber wiping element, felt like it would fall into pieces. These worked well for the first 5 minutes before chattering. They wouldn't stay on the windshield.
Rating: 1/5
2. Trico (Napa) Exact fit
OEM spec, metal frame with rubber blade. Performs well in dry/sprinkle weather, but cannot handle heavy rain. Starts to chatter and skip after getting wet and remains that way.
rating: 2/5
3. Rain-X brand
Has a curved metal frame, with more contact points than stock. Standard rubber wiper. Performs great in dry weather, but seems flimsy in normal/heavy rain showers. Heavy chattering and very noisy.
rating: 1.5/5
4. Silblade brand
Very stable assembly, shiny finish. The blade is made completely out of silicon instead of rubber with a special pfte coating. They stick to the window very well, in fact too well. In dry weather, they don't even make it down to the bottom of the windshield. In wet weather, they start to wipe well, but then begin to slip on the wet windshield. These were the loudest chattering wipers I've ever heard. Although the most expensive, they are the worst wipers you can buy for this car and may damage the wiper arm motor with continued use.
Rating: 0.5/5
5. Trico teflon coated
At first this seems like a good idea to reduce friction. But after a day of use, it seemed like the coating wore off and they were back to chattering like the standard trico blades.
Rating 2/5
6. Trico innovision style
The new "beam style" wipers that have a curved steel frame only with the rubber attached to the bottom. Supposed to make better contact with the windshield. In dry/mild rain, they stick to the windshield very well and don't chatter at all. After some heavy rain, they get wet and start flapping around everywhere. The style doesn't even look that good. The middle mount is actually quite high and doesn't blend in with the black windshield strip like oem does.
Rating 2.5/5
7. Bosch micro edge
Wouldn't you know it, the last blade I try works the best. The metal frame is very beefy while maintaining the oem look. The best aesthetic feature is the hidden metal tension bar. All other wipers have a visible silver strip to hold the wiper in place. The rubber wiper is coated graphite and feels much smoother than the rest. They wipe flawlessly in light and heavy rain, with very little chatter. By little I mean you can see them start to vibrate, but they never get bad enough to make moise. Normal people would say they are perfect. Also the fastest moving wiper due to the least amount of friction. It sweeps fast and clean without streaking.
Rating: 4/5
Last edited by gearbox; Sep 25, 2005 at 12:28 PM.
nice review 
i still recommend using the OEM wiper frames with new OEM rubbers.......the rubbers are only $6 a set...
don't forget to use tissue + 70% alcohol to clean the rubber prior using........
i still recommend using the OEM wiper frames with new OEM rubbers.......the rubbers are only $6 a set...
don't forget to use tissue + 70% alcohol to clean the rubber prior using........
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 51,241
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 The oem just doesn't work that well. I've also found that cleaning blades with alcohol when new makes them chatter more than blades left untreated.
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Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Edmonton
Rep Power: 0 Are you sure it's wise to clean them w. alcohol? Wouldn't that strip off any kind of oils (natural or otherwise) or solvents applied to the wipers to make them dry out less quickly (ie: crack, chatter and generally not work)?
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 agreed. alcohol will dry the rubber and also remove the "powder" coat some blades have. Thats why my bosch says just put them on and use. I tried this with the other cheap ones, and the one with alcohol applied felt alot rougher and sticky compared to the other one.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 piaa is very similar to the silicon ones except they're really rubber with silicone coating. I heard these work, but they wear out very quickly. Never tried those but yea I did buy all those. I was really mad nothing was working. But the bosch are very good for rubber wipers. As good as you can get with our setup. Only reason I didn't get the micro edge excel was the shape and design looked funny. I'm sure they work as good or better than regular micro edge.
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Rep Power: 512 looks like i'm gonna have to try out the bosch ones.. my PIAA ones just dont cut it anymore.. only in heavy *** rain do they work really well.. 
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 51,241
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 so far the bosch work very well in no/light/heavy rain with little chatter. There is some, but its not boisy and doesn't affect the quality of the wipe. The graphite coating is very smooth.
one thing people commonly overlook that will cause premature chattering, smearing, overall crapiness is dirt, ever week or so lift the blade and with a cloth wet or dry just wipe the blade off twice then before setting it down wipe were it sits. this prolongs performance and life more than youd ever believe, in fact hafl the time people buy new ones, they just need to clean the ones theyve got.
(i know this cause people always tell my dad to replace them when theyre having routine maintenence and ill clean them and it works, saving customer money.)
(i know this cause people always tell my dad to replace them when theyre having routine maintenence and ill clean them and it works, saving customer money.)
Just an fYI
I park on the street in small city. I've had bosch wiperblades on 3 cars before the civic and I had to replace them in less than a year. My OEM blades are doing fine after 2+.
I park on the street in small city. I've had bosch wiperblades on 3 cars before the civic and I had to replace them in less than a year. My OEM blades are doing fine after 2+.
the thing is, if u clean.......i mean really, really clean the used rubber with 70% alcohol......i mean, really cleaning it until your tissues are not black anymore....the rubber will work again like new....it always work with me that way......
another thing, maybe its just me........i really like to "play" around with the wiper...LOL....i mean, playing with the water and wiping the windshield even though its not raining...... i think this prevent the blades from "wearing out" due to drying issue and also making sure that my windshiled is not covered with "fungus" like some older 6thgen civic usually does...
another thing, maybe its just me........i really like to "play" around with the wiper...LOL....i mean, playing with the water and wiping the windshield even though its not raining...... i think this prevent the blades from "wearing out" due to drying issue and also making sure that my windshiled is not covered with "fungus" like some older 6thgen civic usually does...
