Windscreen wiper blades..?

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stevewestern

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Might be a little bit odd, but my car needs new wiper blades and I'm just wondering if there is any difference , or any that are way better than others..
My car in only a Citroen Berlingo, but with a lot of motorway driving coming up it would be good to be able to see better when it rains.

So, do I just go to Halfords or is there something better ?
 
I got mine from the local pound shop, for, you guessed it, a pound, and they work fine :)
 
stevewestern said:
Might be a little bit odd, but my car needs new wiper blades and I'm just wondering if there is any difference , or any that are way better than others..
My car in only a Citroen Berlingo, but with a lot of motorway driving coming up it would be good to be able to see better when it rains.

So, do I just go to Halfords or is there something better ?
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I have bought a cheapo pair, they ended up making a mess of the screen. Not scraping the water off the screen. Plus a horrible squeal noise, due to poor rubber quality. Get a decent pair, worth it in the end.
 
Swissy said:
I got mine from the local pound shop, for, you guessed it, a pound, and they work fine :)
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Not sure if I would stick a pair of poundland wipers on my car, I would not trust the reliability of the rubber. I would hate for them to fail, in pouring rain while on motorway.
 
I didn't expect much when i bought them, but they work fine for me.

I have a spare set in my boot.
 
I'm a stickler for as spotless a screen as I can get so I go for the Bosch ones. They last me a couple of years and so are worth it to me. Mrs Nod put cheapo ones on the s***box Clio and they just spread it around a bit so I bought decent ones.
 
Bosch are good, Tesco own brand are just as good but way cheaper.
 
stevewestern said:
Might be a little bit odd, but my car needs new wiper blades and I'm just wondering if there is any difference , or any that are way better than others..
My car in only a Citroen Berlingo, but with a lot of motorway driving coming up it would be good to be able to see better when it rains.

So, do I just go to Halfords or is there something better ?
Click to expand...

Have a wee google at Eurocarparts, you can usually get a good discount off branded wipers from them.
 
I always get a good make, and if I can, I feel the blades. You get to know the feel of a good blade after a while. If the rubber is a little hard, it can tend to squeal and not wipe water off properly.
 
So where does one go for wiper blades with in-built quality ?

Oh, and thanks for the replies so far !
 
stevewestern said:
Might be a little bit odd, but my car needs new wiper blades and I'm just wondering if there is any difference , or any that are way better than others..
My car in only a Citroen Berlingo, but with a lot of motorway driving coming up it would be good to be able to see better when it rains.

So, do I just go to Halfords or is there something better ?
Click to expand...

If opt for good quality blades - they do make a difference - Bosch, Valeo, Citroens own (might not be expensive - prob will be)
 
stevewestern said:
So where does one go for wiper blades with in-built quality ?

Oh, and thanks for the replies so far !
Click to expand...

Look on line - there are a few wiper blades sellers - I generally find out the model number of the last I require and then do a Google search. Beware though, some places charge you delivery, so this can bump up the price.

Eurocarparts are generally good and competitively priced, more so if you can find a discount code - although I did have success last time for mine going into the local store and they discounted the blades more [emoji3]
 
Now, don't laugh and yes I was shocked, but Screwfix do blades and I bought some for my wife's car as we were selling it and needed a replacement as I noticed one was starting to split. To say I was pleasantly surprised was an understatement- lots of multi connectors, good quality blade, a lower profile fixing than the significantly more expensive Bosch aero blades I had previously fitted and worked very well for clearing water.

You just need to measure the length of blade you need and then order - like I said, I was dubious, but very pleasantly surprised [emoji3]

http://www.screwfix.com/c/auto-cleaning/wiper-blades/cat6750003
 
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I am just about to replace mine, and will go for Bosch again from ECP - the local branch is only a few miles away.
 
stevewestern said:
Wow !
Thanks for all the replies.
I'm just looking at the europarts site - While getting an order sorted, what would you suggest for cleaning the inside of the windscreen - are the fancy cleaning sprays worth it, and is a lint-free cloth the thing to wipe it with ?

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/C...943103bb8726b3e4c7f80f11eacbd670cd76c&cc5_108

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/C...-wash-accessories/cloths/?549771611&0&cc5_132
Click to expand...

Regular household glass cleaner and a kitchen towel works for me.

On the subject of wipers I used to always go for cheap ones from tesco, also the aldi ones are also really decent if they have them in. Don't know what berlingo ones are like but the ones on my Peugeot 307 are a pain, they sweep up and outwards not across the screen and not a common size so not easy to get hold of. I bought some cheap blades off eBay that were really noisy from the beginning. "Proper" Valeo ones from euro car parts cost a bomb (£35!) so put up with it for ages before I gave in and bought them, really glad I did they're quiet and work really well. So I'd pay a bit more if your wipers are not the bog standard type.

Euro car parts seem to have 20-30% discount offers on every week at the moment so don't pay full price either!
 
stevewestern said:
Thanks for all the replies...
I'm just looking at the europarts site - While getting an order sorted, what would you suggest for cleaning the inside of the windscreen - are the fancy cleaning sprays worth it, and is a lint-free cloth the thing to wipe it with ?

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/C...943103bb8726b3e4c7f80f11eacbd670cd76c&cc5_108

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/C...-wash-accessories/cloths/?549771611&0&cc5_132
Click to expand...

The last time I did this, I just used water with a splash of vinegar in it and a microfibre cloth, but I suppose kitchen roll would have worked too. It cleaned off all the 'vinyl fog' and a layer of grime from smoking in the car. Leaving the windows open for an hour or two got rid of the vinegar smell.
 
I find the best window cleaner to be newspaper. Wash the window with a damp cloth or sponge and then dry it with sheets of newspaper, I think something in the print cuts through the grease and grime.

It's hard work but you can't beat it.
 
273K said:
Euro car parts seem to have 20-30% discount offers on every week at the moment so don't pay full price either!
Click to expand...


Yup! Just been to get some and got 25% discount. Now got to wait for some rain, which shouldn't be long here in Cornwall..
 
MartynK said:
The last time I did this, I just used water with a splash of vinegar in it and a microfibre cloth, but I suppose kitchen roll would have worked too. It cleaned off all the 'vinyl fog' and a layer of grime from smoking in the car. Leaving the windows open for an hour or two got rid of the vinegar smell.
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I didn't see this till too late so have got some of the cheapest spray from eurocarparts - I guess anything has to be better than leaving it as it is..
 
Ho ho ho. What's that song..?
I can see clearly now the rain has gone..
Not too difficult to fit are they!
 
stevewestern said:
Wow !
Thanks for all the replies.
I'm just looking at the europarts site - While getting an order sorted, what would you suggest for cleaning the inside of the windscreen - are the fancy cleaning sprays worth it, and is a lint-free cloth the thing to wipe it with ?

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/C...943103bb8726b3e4c7f80f11eacbd670cd76c&cc5_108

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/C...-wash-accessories/cloths/?549771611&0&cc5_132
Click to expand...

For inside cleaning a decent spray works well - I tend to use Autoglym fast glass - works well on outside of Windows too. Mer do one which I use as well and pleased with.

If you've really crappy / greasy windscreen, then a car glass cleaner / polish / cream works wonderful. Again I tend to use Autoglym,s or Mer,s.
 
Bosch ones are utter crap. I've lost count of how many I've been through, just on the current car, but that's all I can get locally. The problem seems to always be the same - the springy metal strip that is supposed to keep the wiper in contact with the screen is either bent and contorted (even straight from the box!) or come out of the end of the wiper during use (or again, even straight from the box some have been found stuck out the end). The best wipers I've had have always been the cheapies I've picked up at Trago Mills when in Cornwall.
 
Another one for Bosch here.

Halford's own brand were good too actually.
 
Mikesphotaes said:
Have a wee google at Eurocarparts, you can usually get a good discount off branded wipers from them.
Click to expand...

yep that where we go for all sorts of bits for the citroen snail.
sign up and wait and you will get discound codes by email.
 
Why is it that having got and fitted some Bosch blades it has not rained once...?

Sitting in my car on a dry and warm day squirting washer liquid just to try them out seems a little sad, even by my standards..
 
This week's Auto Express has a comparison test between a number of different makes. If you can't get round to buying one, you'll be able to sneak a look in your local supermarket.
 
stevewestern said:
Why is it that having got and fitted some Bosch blades it has not rained once...?

Sitting in my car on a dry and warm day squirting washer liquid just to try them out seems a little sad, even by my standards..
Click to expand...

:D:D

Well according to the weather forecast, think mid week next week you should get plenty of opportunity to check them out - with the thunderstorms due to roll in...
 
andyred said:
:D:D

Well according to the weather forecast, think mid week next week you should get plenty of opportunity to check them out - with the thunderstorms due to roll in...
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I'm away in Spain, so they'll sit there, unused and unloved while the storms rage all around..
 
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