quality of wndscreen wipers?

I've used bosch wipers on my car for ages. They are expensive and need replacing every year but they do a good job.

Having said that one ones I have got now seem to have deteriorated after only 4 months use so I wonder if the quality has slipped off a bit or if it was just a dodgy batch this time around...

Halford refill kits have always been good enough if swapped every year.

Bosch ones do a better job wiping the glass, and don't initally smear like the Halfrds ones but still need swapping yearly and cost a lot more.

Yes I noticed that too. They are still better than the Halfords ones though and not that much more expensive. FSVO expensive, most wipers are hideously over priced considering what they are.

The manager at my local Motorcade says that Bosch have softened the rubber to make the wipers more effective. However, he gets too many complaints about short life so he's stopped recommending them.

FWIW

Another Dave

Refill kits are no use whatsoever, to be effective, a wiper has to be held straight onto the screen. The frames of the wiper blades wear out just as quickly as the rubber does, meaning the little bit of wear in all the pins and joints allows enough movement for the rubber to drag along the screen, rather than being pulled along at the correct angle. Putting fresh rubber onto old frames is just a waste of money.

I've tried the lot including Bosch (great at first, useless after a month with massive streaking due to soft rubber deforming), Halfords (OKish, tend to judder but do last), Champion (somewhere between Bosch and Halfords) and various cheaper ones from motor factors and petrol stations. The best and longest lasting were the cheapest; Equip from Tescos but only one size 18", but I haven't seen them in their shops lately, they now stock Autocare but they look very similar so may be the same, dunno. £4 for 2! I haven't noticed any problems using a shorter wiper than OEM either (mine are supposed to be 20"). No juddering or streaking, still perfect after 15 months.

A make I wanted to try because they won an Auto Express magazine test was Trico but I couldn't find them on sale anywhere.

I have used Lucas wiper blades on most vehicles for a number of years. They wipe perfectly and generally last very approximately 20k miles and more. Buy

Huw

Can't find Lucas blades in stock, any suggestions south Birmingham?

LSUK Birmingham who can be found on this phone number

Huw

Hmm, I suppose that would depend on the local climate. Many of my friends believe that wipers are second only to tyres for importance on a car. Or they use Rain-X! :)

I've used a number of brands over the years and I've found that most last well for the first six months, then they occasionally streak for around a year, then they just die.

The Ford Motorcraft ones worked _very_ well with the Mondeo, but Ford don't do spoiler blades for the Ka so I used an alternative (well known brand but it escapes me at this juncture).

If you don't have a spoiler blade on the drivers' side, it's may be worth investigating. The spoiler blade on the Ka means that on a rainy motorway with a crosswind the blade still works properly, rather than skipping about.

My old Bosch ones lasted an age, the replacements I bought a few months ago need replacing already.

--Nick.

I heard Lucas was in the hands of the receivers

Are you sure that you are not thinking of LSUK who are nothing to do with Lucas?

Huw

Not sure just heard Lucas

Hmm, you'll probably gonna laugh, but I've never replaced my wipers, and I've never noticed any problems with them (apart from when they were running off the edge of my screen :-( ). I've had my car almost 2 years now, so the wipers are probably a lot older than 2 years. They do squeak a bit sometimes, when it's not too wet, but they clear the screen OK. Is it likely that they need replacing, and I'm just used to having wipers that never work properly? My parents never replace thier wipers, and they laughed when I was considering replacing my ones :-(

This is the only test I use for my wipers:

When they move over the screen once is the screen TOTALLY clear? No smears, no waiting for it to move over it again in the opposite direction. Just one wipe = CLEAR.

If it's not then they're more of a hazard than a use, especially if it's bucketing it down and one is on a motorway.

--Nick.

That's potentially stupid, not changing wipers...

Yes they are important but when you consider they are just steel stampings with inserted rubber mouldings and are probably churned out in an Asian sweatshop for 3'/6d...