Replacement windscreen wiper blades

LordSutch

I need a full set of wiper blades for my car, but where can I buy them?

OK, so I can go into Halfords (or my local garage) and get a full set of wiper fittings (including the blades) for €50 or €60, but all I need is the little rubber blades, as the rest of the fittings are fine! Would be great if you could buy a roll and then cut as needed to the desired length. One wiper on my car is 28" long and the other one is shorter, the rear one is a different length too . . .

I think its crazy to buy the whole wiper assembly, when its only the rubber blade that's perished.

Can the blades be bought independently of the fitting/assembly?

bop1977

Go to your local motor factors. Much cheaper than halfords and they will probably fit for free.

LordSutch

Wow - You mean just the basic rubber blades (without the metal assembly)?

mickdw

Its a false economy alot of the time to just fit the rubber.
Unless you have the one piece flat blade wipers, you really are better getting the complete assembly because the many little metal sections that make up the wiper tend to get ever so slightly loose at the pinned connections and this all results in a poorer performing wiper in terms of squeeling and jumping off the screen.
Replacing the whole blade guarantees a wiper like a new car. Replacing rubber is hit and miss at best and will often result in buying the complete blade immediately after.

LordSutch

Many thanks for that, but I still think €50 - €60 is a lot of money, when I could be buying the rubber blades for a fraction of the price.
I will continue my search, but I take your advice on board . . .

JohnBoy26

LordSutch wrote: »

Many thanks for that, but I still think €50 - €60 is a lot of money, when I could be buying the rubber blades for a fraction of the price.
I will continue my search, but I take your advice on board . . .

You will get a set of wiper blades in most motorfactors for under 20 euro. halfords are overpriced when it comes to wipers and those wiper refills you are after are to be frank, rubbish.

biko

You're looking for wiper blade refills.
Refills are less and less common these days.
50 is crazy money for wiper blades, I get factor blades at 12 a blade or so.

sean1141

vw/seat/skoda/audi sell lenghts of refills for the flat wipers.

mickdw

sean1141 wrote: »

vw/seat/skoda/audi sell lenghts of refills for the flat wipers.

Yes and very successful they are for the flat blade type wiper. Different story with the old style wiper though.

Red Nissan

http://www.wiperblades.co.uk/nissan-terrano-years-1993-to-2006-wiper-blades/

Have a look an decide. I bought the Bosch Aero [Icon] and they are the only blades I've ever bought that lasted two DOE tests, great wipers and worth the extra.

One can get refills for ordinary wipers, not worth the extra bother IMO, the refills seems to be inferior and get used up rapidly, can't remember the price but so much cheaper than cheap kits, not.

Halford's do know how to price stuff, but I've found them many times to be in error, pricing cheap wipers at Aero or Icon levels.

Xantia

Saw some in Aldi the other day, they probably still have some.
I did not get a set because my specific car was not listed but if I had the lengths with me I could have got a set.

Atlantic Dawn

If you want wipers to rub rain off the window you can buy cheap sets at the likes of Tesco and often in the specials at Aldi and Lidl. Buying the replacement rubbers involves so much hassle fitting them that it's not worth it and it's unlikley you will get as 100% fit without damaging either the blade or rubber.

If you want a perfect wipe of your windscreen with level balancing across the blade go for the Bosch Aerotwin, they are the best I have ever used and well worth they money.

sean1141

If you buy the bosh areo twins its very easy to replace the rubbers on them the next time when they are worn. No need to buy the whole blade again.

Zoney

€26 for new blades for me even at Halfords and choosing Bosch rather than their own brand ones.

Didn't want to muck around with the wipers as I'd not changed them before and the stalks only pull back a small bit from the screen on this car. Felt silly paying €4 to have them fitted but got my money's worth - blades were virtually welded to the stalks and fitter was at it some time! (actually checked my car's manual to be sure he was going at it the right way - they really were just well stuck on!) Car is reasonably low mileage and seems it might have been off the road almost a year - so the wipers may have been old enough despite cleaning OK (just changed them cause of the squeaking/make sure windscreen didn't get scraped). Battery seemed to be original too and checked out great (another reason for Halfords, they were doing a free "winter check" - the battery check being something I had meant to get done anyway).

Wouldn't you know it - thought the back wiper was grand for now - didn't it just start squeaking today!! Another trip there I guess!

haymur

I fitted a set of Bosch Aero Wipers at the beginning of September and now they have started leaving fine lines of water after about a dozen uses . I am a low mileage driver and clear the debris from my screen before setting off on a journey. These wipers 750/800 cost up to 65 euro a set and the last wiper set lasted 12 months (unbranded) fitted by garage. Has anyone else used Bosch aero and had this problem

JohnBoy26

haymur wrote: »

I fitted a set of Bosch Aero Wipers at the beginning of September and now they have started leaving fine lines of water after about a dozen uses . I am a low mileage driver and clear the debris from my screen before setting off on a journey. These wipers 750/800 cost up to 65 euro a set and the last wiper set lasted 12 months (unbranded) fitted by garage. Has anyone else used Bosch aero and had this problem

No but I have uses standard bosch wipers. When I got them first they were brilliant but after a while the rubber on the blades hardened causing noise and issues like you describe.

Red Nissan

haymur wrote: »

I fitted a set of Bosch Aero Wipers at the beginning of September and now they have started leaving fine lines of water after about a dozen uses .

Mine are on over a year now, I'd consider myself average mileage, mine have gone through record rain events and this summer, record heat. I do treat my windscreen and wax it and use wiper wipes.

My wipers are still good and streak free. And silent. Until I fitted the Aero I never had silent wipers and so far, never had a set last as long, being a wiper replacement person every six or eight months.