WTF w windshield wipers?

mommucked

mommucked

Endeavoring to persevere
Joined
Sep 26, 2011
Location
Rural Apex n.c.
Why in the hell are the cheap ones never in stock most of the ones that are in stock are $30-50 for 2?
Why in the hell are they charging so much for them? the brands must be making 300/400% or more profit for each one.
 
I miss the old days when you could buy just the rubber strip for $6 and slide out the old one and slide in the new one.
 
Also pro tip - buy a bottle of Rain-X spray washer fluid. Use it like you would windex to wash the windshield occasionally, but you get a free rain-X application.... and now you rarely have to use the wipers, and the blades last a lot longer,
 
order OEM ones from Amazon...or from an online auto dealer. they may cost $25 but they last foreverever.
 
Ron said:
order OEM ones from Amazon...or from an online auto dealer. they may cost $25 but they last foreverever.
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First set on my truck went like 2 years. Second set of OEM from the dealer were no better than parts store, streaks within months. Tryco Onyx are the best I've found lately, but they're due for replacement now.
 
I buy new blades for everything from rockauto about once a year. I usually get the $2-3 closeout Ancos or Tricos or something for the Jeeps, the Bosch mono beam ones for the truck, etc. Costs me less to buy them for everything than a pair would cost at the store, assuming of course that the store actually had them in stock.
 
RatLabGuy said:
Also pro tip - buy a bottle of Rain-X spray washer fluid. Use it like you would windex to wash the windshield occasionally, but you get a free rain-X application.... and now you rarely have to use the wipers, and the blades last a lot longer,
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I buy that stuff 2-3 gallons at a time.
 
shawn said:
I buy that stuff 2-3 gallons at a time.
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WTF? How much time a year do you spend washing windshields?

Or are you talking about the Rain-X brand washer fluid for the car reservoir? Does that stuff actually work? I usually use whatever cheap ass stuff is on clearance, and add some cheap vodka to it during the winter.

Oh, there is a Rain-X wipe too, come in a pack like baby wipes. Those are great, and idiot proof. But you still have to wash the windshield first, and cost a lot more per use, so you don't get the 2-birds 1 stone effect like w/ the spray cleaner
 
Re: wipe blade life.... keep in mind, if they lasted forever, nobody would make money selling them. Tryco et al make way more money by ensuring they have a limited life span.
 
@RatLabGuy yes the RainX for the reservoir works great! I typically apply the original style rainx to my windshield about once a month or so. I hardly ever use the wipers, the rain just beads right off, that coupled with the reservoir being filled with it is awesome. And you get used to it and don’t realize how great it is till you ride with someone else in the rain and they’ve never applied anything like that to the windshield and you can’t see anything!
 
Good to know.
I even use the spray cleaner on the inside of the windshield when I have to clean it... it keeps fogging down.

Another convenient side effect is that during winter, ice will not stick well. Although it accumulates, it slides off in one big sheet.
 
a_kelley said:
Advance and get the kleenview or carquest they keep hidden in back. Like $7 each. If you got a commercial account they are cheap cheap. Last a year or two.
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I stopped the Dump truck at Advance a few days ago. Boss has commercial account there. Replaced both wipers, as the rubber was falling off both. I Was surprised at the $32 price, & couldn't even tell you the brand! If it had been My money, I might have looked closer.
BTW, What's up with Oil prices? Went to Wally & got sticker shock! Also had to drop by NAPA, & their High oil prices, were about the same as Walmart.
 
rodney eppes said:
I
BTW, What's up with Oil prices? Went to Wally & got sticker shock! Also had to drop by NAPA, & their High oil prices, were about the same as Walmart.
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The one that really got me recently was brake fluid. When did it become normal for it to be $6-7 for a small bottle?
I blame California.
 
For vehicles you don't drive often, motorhomes, trail rigs, etc that have to sit outside, get a pool noodle ($1 from the dollar store), cut to length, slit lengthwise, and slip over the wiper blade. Blades will last forever without the UV exposure. Noodles will last a couple or three years at least.
 
I think I usually pay $4-5 for a cheap o wiper. Oil... Well I get a good discount. Cheap enough that I can do a 5qt oil change with meet/exceed oem spec filter for $35 and make 1/3 of my hourly rate.
 
rodney eppes said:
BTW, What's up with Oil prices? Went to Wally & got sticker shock! Also had to drop by NAPA, & their High oil prices, were about the same as Walmart.
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Walmart is usually by far the cheapest for oil, unless things have changed in the last few weeks. All the parts stores have high prices, and the really good oil change specials almost get the price down to Walmart's regular price. Oil is actually the only reason I go there, because its not worth the trauma to go there for anything else.

I get Trico or Bosch wipers on RockAuto, sometimes the private-label closeouts. The good grade of NAPA-brand wipers are made by Trico, and that's what I usually get if I need to buy locally. I usually replace once a year and use rain-X a few times a year. I don't need to use my wipers as much with rain-X either, so that's a good benefit.
 
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I buy the Rain-X hybrid wipers from Walmart. I think they're 9.99 a piece. I can live with that. Oil is kinda high it seems, but I've started running Amsoil in just about everything, so it doesn't bother me much.
 
My little car gets them from FCP Euro. Lifetime warranty on all parts including wear items like wipers and brake pads. Wish there was a murican version for the Jeep.
 
pay attention to which formulation of the RainX washer fluid you get, it all works well, but there is a summer and a winter blend, the summer “bug remover” blend does freeze. you can mix them, so that’s not an issue.

i just stick with the orange winter blend and not worry about it anymore.

it doesnt freeze hard down here, but it does kinda suck when you can’t just de-ice and go.....

and the summer stuff will thaw as the engine compartment warms up if the outside temp isn’t too low....
 
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