Silicone or Teflon wiper blades, any good?

We have looked at all the new variations: Anco's new one (whose name escapes me) Trico Teflon Rain-X

We went with Trico for various reasons, and they work very well. Personally I like the Rain-X. It has the best design & construction. Metal frame with rivets at the hinge points. The others use crimped metal or are all plastic.

Silic |X-No-Archive: Yes | | Are they any good and which one is better? | |What are some good and bad things about each one of them and how do the |compare to standard wiper blades? | |I picked up a pair of Tripledge silicone blades that claims to last the |life of vehicle, but I'm somewhat reluctant to install it because I am |concerned it might leave a silicone oil residue that's pain in the butt |to remove if not impossible. | | |

Rex in Fort Worth

Approximately 11/15/03 00:56, AC/DCdude17 uttered for posterity:

The silicones appear to last a bit longer and stay soft longer. You still need to clean them frequently and definitely after any of those automated car washes, where even if you don't get the wax or sealer, there is usually some left from the previous guy. Plus just to remove the grud and grime from the atmosphere or even from the rain as it falls thru the polluted air.

Haven't seen any such artifacts. Put mine on during rainy season and about all I noticed was they are a bit quieter and not as likely to streak as the rubber ones will after a month or so. Are now two years old, still clean as good as a brand new rubber style.

Also available in colors if that is a consideration.

I put on a pair of Triple Edge blades and I have been really disappointed. In my case, the blades do seem to have left a residue that is difficult to clean off the windhield (you can easily see it when the glass is dry - looks horrible). This film, when hit from above by a streetlamp, makes it almost impossible to see. Also, the plastic carrier is too thick for my wiper arms, so it doesn't move like it's supposed to and doesn't conform properly to the windshield. So, when I first put them on, I got large unwiped areas and streaks. I had to bend the fingers on the arms out a bit to allow the blade to move freely.

I tried cleaning the blades, but it hasn't really rained since I did so I'm not sure yet how well it worked. I fit doesn't improve, I'll be looking for a new set of traditional blades.