Silicone wiper blades

[MillCreek]

https://www.thedrive.com/reviews/28214/best-silicone-wiper-blades

I needed to get a new set of wiper blades at short notice.  I did some online research and found a set of Michelin XT endurance silicone blades at WalMart for $ 17 each.  I am in love with the connector for the hook arm: the connector opens like a hinged lid, you fit the hook arm inside and then snap the connector closed.

I will be interested to see how these stack up against my former PIAA silicone blades, which lasted me a good four years or so.

[Kingcreek]

You use them a lot out there, iirc.
$10 a year seems pretty cheap for something as important as seeing what’s in front of us while driving.
Last ones I bought were Bosch. I just buy good quality and replace both at the first hint of degrade.

[Ben]

I have been using the Costco wiper blades - can't remember if they are Goodyear or Michelin - to good result.

I have to get an oil change on the 4Runner next week and the dealer is advertising a special that includes wiper blades inserts. I've never done just the inserts before, but will try them to see how they work. If they are crap, I'll just get a wiper set at Costco.

[RoadKingLarry]

I used to just get the inserts but 6-7 years ago I started just replacing the whole wiper blade assembly. The inserts were getting cheaper and flimsier and I seemed to manage to slice at least one finger fooling with them.

[Ben]

The inserts were getting cheaper and flimsier and I seemed to manage to slice at least one finger fooling with them.

This is why I won't do inserts myself. The one time I tried, like 30 years ago, I sliced myself up good. The full replacement is just way better.

[K Frame]

Well, if you bleed all over the windscreen at least you have fresh wiper blades to remove it.

[Ben]

Well, if you bleed all over the windscreen at least you have fresh wiper blades to remove it.

I prefer to just leave the blood fully visible and drive around that way. 

Which for some reason, has triggered an old memory from the oil patch days. Working morning towers offshore in a really crappy schedule, where we, as contract employees had to do the 12 hour shifts, 1800-0600, daily, not being able to bunk on the rig and had to drive an hour each way back and forth from our yard to catch the boat, had just ended a shift and were driving home.

Three of us in the car all grumpy, me and the driver in front, and this Mexican guy with an attitude that was always mean and grumpy anyway in the back. Earlier in the shift, he hurt himself somehow and had blood all over his white tshirt and didn't have a change of clothes. The driver, who was a speed demon anyway, just wanted to get home and get to sleep, so he was doing like 90+ on the freeway weaving in and out of traffic.

Lights and sirens. We figured we were just getting pulled over for speeding, then the next thing you know, the cop looks in the back at the Mexican guy, shouts to his partner, and guns are drawn. Two other cop cars show up, we are all cuffed and sitting on the side of the freeway. Apparently a few hours before, there was a murder in the area, and our Mexican coworker - with the blood on his shirt - matched the description of the killer.

Me and the driver are cooperating, but this moron bloody shirt is copping an attitude with the cops. It was only because the cops were cool that they called both our employer and the rig to verify our whereabouts that we didn't end up in the pokey awaiting investigations. Funny story looking back, but boy did me and the driver want to kill bloody shirt after it was all over.