Aftermarket wipers

[HummerJim]

Anyone had good success with a premium aftermarket snow/sleet wiper blade? I was out in the sleet and ice yesterday and the stock wipers were marginal even with the defroster all the way up keeping the windshield as warm as I could. I had to pull over twice and scrape the windshield on my way back from Thanksgiving at the relatives.

[IRA51]

The PIAA wipers are the best ,but they ain't cheap.

[IRA51]

HUMMER - H2 03-07
Drivers Side Passenger Side Rear
Inches: 17 17
mm: 430mm 430mm
Adapter: C1/C11 C1/C11
Super Silicone Blades
Blade Number: 6 6
Black Part Number: 95043 95043
Carbon Fiber Part Number:
Super Sporza Blades
Blade Number: - -
Black Part Number: - -
Carbon Fiber Part Number: - -
Graphite Blades
Blade Number: 6G 6G
Black Part Number: 93543 93543
Silicone Refill
Refill Number: 6 6
Refill Part Number: 94043 94043
Graphite Refill
Refill Number: 6G 6G
Refill Part Number: 94543 94543

[Intercooled]

I bought the Bosch Icon wipers. the best they made and they weren't cheap. They didnt work worth crap. the passenger wiper woudn't even wipe the whole middle section of glass. Dont ask me why it did this. I switched wipers thinking maybe it was a bad wiper. But the same happened when switched, the driver side worked fine. I then bought the Triple seal silicone wipers for half the price and they work great. Bought them at Wallyworld. Havnt used them in sleet and snow yet though.

[SummitUp]

For what it's worth, this just out from Consumer Reports:

Even good windshield wipers fade fast

You don't have to spend a lot of money to get good performance windshield wipers, but you might need to replace them every six months or so. In a group of 15 wiper models we tested, three of the top four were among the least expensive. That includes the top-rated Valeo 600 Series, the Anco 31 Series, and the Michelin RainForce.

We also found that all of the windshield wipers provided very good or excellent performance when new, but most quickly degrade after six to nine months of regular use. The RainX Latitude was the only wiper that began with very good performance and maintained that level through six months. All others dropped in performance after six months.

Depending on the model, that deterioration showed up on the windshield as streaking (leaving lines of water behind), smearing of the water (instead of clearing it), or missed areas of wiping.

We tested the windshield wipers on 185 staffers? cars. About half came to us with wipers that needed replacing, showing that drivers often don?t notice the slow degradation and leave wipers on longer than they should.

The tested windshield wipers included six beam-blade models, a relatively new design. Unlike conventional wipers, beam blades have no external frames. As a result, they are promoted as providing more uniform pressure on today?s curved windshields and therefore better wiping performance. Beam blades usually cost more than conventional wipers, but overall we didn?t see a notable advantage in regular use.

We also evaluated the wipers on ease of installation and removal. All of the cars in our test had a common hook-type mount, in which the old wiper is simply pulled off of the metal wiper arm and the new one is snapped into place. In our test, only the Michelin Optimum, Trico Exact Fit, and Trico Teflon Blade proved somewhat difficult to remove, sometimes requiring tools.

Bottom line
All recommended models deliver good performance. But we advise you replace your wipers every six to twelve months. Check the owner?s manual for the correct size and installation method.

[HummerMann]

I had the same problem with both my '03 and my '06 H2. Driving in slush and ice the windshields get icy and slushy more than any vehicle I've owned. I drive in a lot of snow and slush up here and after trying lots of different blades, I've found that heated washer fluid is the best answer. I got mine from JC Whitney two years ago. They make a unit that is easy to install and I've used it for two years without any problems.

[[__--MUD--__]]

I have the bosch icon wipers...but I rain-x the **** out of my windshield every month and also use the rain-x windshield washer fluid. I can drive in complete downpore and clearly see out the windshield w/ out the wipers running. Nothing really sticks to my windshield in the winter either. I'm sure I could put the cheapest wipers they make on and have no difference in visibility. So i'd say forget about the wipers and go rain-x.

[NJ H2]

I have the RainX Latitude for about 4 months now and so far they are the best blades I ever used. You'll pay a pretty penny though :eek: