How Long Do Your Windshield Wipers Last? (auto, tires, replace)

[guy1]

I don't replace them very often. I've gone years at a time without replacing them. Obviously, performance suffers in such cases, and now I'm being more vigilant about replacement.

The local auto store says the cheaper ones only last a couple of months, whereas the higher end ones last a year or longer.

I have a hard time believing that there is such a large discrepancy. Windshield wipers are all made out of rubber, and unless the costlier brands have stumbled onto some kind of "super rubber" compound which lasts 6X as long as regular rubber, I find this claim to be a bit specious.

FYI, I've used a "cheaper" brands of windshield wipers and they seem to be holding up quite well at the one year mark...

[whiteboyslo]

well, there ARE different grades of rubber or rubber-like materials, FYI.

when living in CA where it rarely rains and the sun really beats down on rubber products, i found myself replacing blades every 6 months or so.

now that i live in NC, i think i've changed wiper blades once.

i'm not terribly brand-loyal on wiper blades, but i have found it worthwhile to spend a couple of bones for better ones because the rubber piece on the cheaper ones always seems to fall apart after a short while. the part of the rubber insert that actually does the wiping would always seperate from itself.

[Nativechief]

There is a difference in the quality of the rubber. I found the cheap ones make a terrible noise on my wifes car so I got some that were about 20 bucks and solved it. You never want you wiper blades to go bad because the first rain will RUIN YOUR WINDSHIELD when the metal cuts into the glass. Check them every 6 months for cracks.

[cdelena]

It also depends on location and use. Here where we have light rain much of the winter and we use the car and wipers regularly they wear. I replace the blades on both cars about once a year. I have been most pleased with the performance of Michelin wiper blades.

[Drover]

Whenever my wipers start to streak, I take some 200-grit sandpaper to 'em. Haven't changed a set of blades in 2 years.

[dsrich98]

Originally Posted by guy1

I don't replace them very often. I've gone years at a time without replacing them. Obviously, performance suffers in such cases, and now I'm being more vigilant about replacement.

The local auto store says the cheaper ones only last a couple of months, whereas the higher end ones last a year or longer.

I have a hard time believing that there is such a large discrepancy. Windshield wipers are all made out of rubber, and unless the costlier brands have stumbled onto some kind of "super rubber" compound which lasts 6X as long as regular rubber, I find this claim to be a bit specious.

FYI, I've used a "cheaper" brands of windshield wipers and they seem to be holding up quite well at the one year mark...

Of course there are different types of rubber. Theres a big difference between rubber bands and rubber tires isn't there?

[TheViking85]

They say on average 6 months, I don't change mine that often though, but whenever they stop working too well I do.

If you drive around with really worn ones, you damage your windshield, and after all, that's far more expensive than new wipers every 6 months.

...that said, sanding them can work too.

[deepcynic]

When I lived in the midwest it was a couple of years, of course I used the sand paper trick.

Here in sunny SoCal it is more like 6 months, sand paper or not.

[Bigg Mann]

I just recently switched to Rain-X wipers at 38.00/pair and love them. Don't know how long they will last but they clear water and snow off better than other brands I've had.

[KC6ZLV]

Northern California and I have to replace them every year, including the better grade wipers because he Mexicans with their leaf-blowers blow dust and other abrasive material all over the place and it settles on the windshields and wears out the blades.