armor all wiper blades??

[BenChan]

Hey guys, today i went to CT to get new wiper blades for my car, i WAS going to pick up the reflex but then i saw these new blades they just got in. Armor all wiper flex blades. Has anyone tried these yet? Anyone know if they are good or not? I just need new blades. My old reflex are going bad. Thanks

[kaval]

I haven't heard very many good things about them to be honest.

I'd look into the PIAA wiper blades. They are a bit pricey, but the quality is definitely justified. I ordered mine from www.stagefourmotorsports.com.

[yearoftherat]

I saw those also today @ CT and decided to stick with my rain-x latitudes.

I hear that the michelin ones from Costco are pretty good

Kaval: The prices are'nt that bad considering that a decent replacement arm/blade combo will run you $20

[mazdas3sporte]

anyone know whats the life of the stock wipers, i kno it depends on use of the car but in general if i drive 200-300 K amonth, ive noticed my passenger one is pretty much gone already.... maybe it needs adjusting or something,
PS. if Kaval u check back here I somewhat fixed the little paint chip on the underneath the door thanks for the advice u gave, i took it into castle auto cause a friend of mines doing co-op their so he said they would fix it, its finally fixed.

[BenChan]

well i want to get some wipers that will last me a good while .. these reflex ones i got from CT last me 1.5 years so far and they are going bad .. thats ALL right i guess 1.5 years .. but i want a set that will last me longer. So far im looking at the Michelin from Costco, RainX from walmart, Reflex, Armor All from CT. Which ones do you guys suggest? Those Armor all have 2 year on them though. But no one ever used them before? herd of them? dang ... And i need the rear wiper blade too .. suggestions? would be great!

[mit-gee-mui]

In addition to the links at the bottom of this page, here are a bunch of wiper-related-recommendation threads (Some are new, some are old):

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=29109&highlight=wiper%2A

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=21017&highlight=wiper%2A

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=21514&highlight=wiper%2A

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=16666&highlight=wiper%2A

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=12137&highlight=wiper%2A

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=13948&highlight=wiper%2A

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=12009&highlight=wiper%2A

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=8305&highlight=wiper%2A

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=9099&highlight=wiper%2A

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=8602&highlight=wiper%2A

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=7574&highlight=wiper%2A


:)

[Thrizzl3]

damn:whoa

[kaval]

I saw those also today @ CT and decided to stick with my rain-x latitudes.

I hear that the michelin ones from Costco are pretty good

Kaval: The prices are'nt that bad considering that a decent replacement arm/blade combo will run you $20

Honestly, completely taking quality out of the picture, purchasing the PIAA wiper blades is a very cost effective thing. Spend more now, and thank yourself later. I absolutely LOVE these wiper blades, they knock the socks off others I have used such as the Reflex blades, the RainX ones, the Costco Michelin ones (closest to match).

You don't even need to use products like 303 Wiper Wipes either. They are epicness in a box.



PS. if Kaval u check back here I somewhat fixed the little paint chip on the underneath the door thanks for the advice u gave, i took it into castle auto cause a friend of mines doing co-op their so he said they would fix it, its finally fixed.

Glad you got it fixed!!!


well i want to get some wipers that will last me a good while .. these reflex ones i got from CT last me 1.5 years so far and they are going bad .. thats ALL right i guess 1.5 years .. but i want a set that will last me longer. So far im looking at the Michelin from Costco, RainX from walmart, Reflex, Armor All from CT. Which ones do you guys suggest? Those Armor all have 2 year on them though. But no one ever used them before? herd of them? dang ... And i need the rear wiper blade too .. suggestions? would be great!

It's really hard to say how long the blades will last you because it depends how often you use them. For me, I barely turn on my wipers, and if I do, I never turn them on without activating the spray nozzle first, or leave them on to dry wipe...there is always lubrication helping the blade to swipe across the glass. With that said, I can easily make a set last me two years, like I had with the Reflex blades.

The Costco Michelin blades were great as well. They lasted the same amount of time for me as the Reflex blades, but only because I damaged one of the blades by accident. I am sure I would have obtained 2 years out of them for sure. They are the only set of blades I went out and bought twice, but more so because I go to Costco so often.

As for the Armor All Blades - I have not used them yet, and I probably won't, judging by the reviews they have been getting. For that reason, I can't really comment on them. What I can express is this - you mention something of a 2 year warranty on them, which is great. However, if they fail within 2 years, are you necessarily going to use them again if they failed before the time they were supposedly designed to last for? If the answer is no, why waste your money?

In terms of the rear blade, I would not cheap out on this at all because the rear hatches are usually the most dirty part of a vehicle This equates to a higher chance of scratches in your glass from debris being dragged across the glass when you turn the wipers on. The excellent thing about the PIAA blades is the chemical that is applied to the glass to help reduce friction so the blade swipes more freely.

Anyways, my choice is the PIAA blades. Their upfront cost is a bit more, but they have made it very convenient to purchase replacements at a price point that is cost effective. The quality can be spoken for by doing some searches for reviews by current users.

Just my $0.02.

[mazda lover]

I haven't heard very many good things about them to be honest.

I'd look into the PIAA wiper blades. They are a bit pricey, but the quality is definitely justified. I ordered mine from www.stagefourmotorsports.com.

Only see refills for the PIAA, is that what you are talking about, did a search and thats all I got was refills
Thanks

[kaval]

I believe if you keep scrolling through the pages, you'll see the actual blades in different lengths as well. That's how I ordered mine. Maybe they are doing some changes to the site. Try tomorrow I guess and see if it works. Keep us posted.

[kaval]

I contacted Stage Four Motorsports regarding the website issues and they told me the wiper blades have been taken off the site for now to take care of some administrative changes. They asked for anyone wishing to purchase the blades, to send an email to info@stagefourmotorsports.com

Hope that clears up any confusion!

[kevcol74]

I use the Michelin Costco blades, and are quite happy with them! Aside from breaking one by my own fault, they have been good for a couple years. I expect a year out of a set, no more, so 2 years is a bonus! And they happen to be on sale last time I was in there! ($9.99/blade, reg $12.99, last Thursday I was there) Running them on both cars, 3 and the Escape (Escape for 2 years running)
Of course, got my rear wiper about 3 weeks before CT decided to sell them... $30 later from the dealer... DOH!
just my $0.02

[BenChan]

the Michelin Costco blades lasted you 2 year?!?! these reflex ones i got from CT last me like a year only. On both my Honda Accord and Mazda3. They are going pretty bad now. Man your lucky, 2 good years with a set of wipers. I hear good and bad things about all wipers. I guess its a matter of playing the game of risk. Get a set of which ever brand and find out how it goes. Ill take a chance with the Armor All at CT i guess, or Michelin at Costco. Either one im fine with. But HEY if anyone else tried the Armor All set, let me know how you like them!

[kaval]

^It all depends how you use them. I never let the wipers dry wipe over the windshield. This will kill the life of the blade.

I spoke with Stage Four Motorsports and they have the PIAA blades back on their site.

[Flagrum_3]

I bought the ViewMax Plus Frameless at WalMart last winter after my oem's finally bit the dust, think they cost like $16 apiece.....Excellent wipers is all I have to say!! ....considering all the precip this past year they've probably got like 2 years worth of work on them already and still work perfect! :)

Just wish they had these for the back wiper....that would be sweet!


_3

[silvermist99]

costco is now carrying a new michelin of blades, the hydroedge! They are awesome, they used to carry the radius, not sure how those were I never tried them. I had the hydroedge for a week already, they are soooo much better then stock (I bought my car in March and it has about 11000km) I definately recommend them for 13~ each. now the windhshield is crystal clear on the first wipe.

edit: I've had flagrum's viewmax plus wipers before for 1.5 year and imo the costco ones are a bit better. Price wise they are very similar.

[Noisy Crow]

costco is now carrying a new michelin of blades, the hydroedge! They are awesome, they used to carry the radius, not sure how those were I never tried them. I had the hydroedge for a week already, they are soooo much better then stock

I bought a set of those... the connector is too small for the hook on the wiper arm... am I miissing some adapters, or is there a trick to putting them on... :bang

[silvermist99]

I bought a set of those... the connector is too small for the hook on the wiper arm... am I miissing some adapters, or is there a trick to putting them on... :bang

did you push them up hard? It took me 5 mins to change both wipers. Don't need those adapters that came with the blades on our mazda. Just push it into the car's wiper blade arms, into the hook. Or maybe you had them upside down/wrong side or something?

[Noisy Crow]

did you push them up hard? It took me 5 mins to change both wipers. Don't need those adapters that came with the blades on our mazda. Just push it into the car's wiper blade arms, into the hook. Or maybe you had them upside down/wrong side or something?

Thanks...

They bottomed out in the hooks.... at least I was sure at the time, I'll have to double check. Right now I have a set of Cdn Tire Reflex blades that clipped right in, no problems.

[x_o_k_x]

anyone know whats the life of the stock wipers, i kno it depends on use of the car but in general if i drive 200-300 K amonth, ive noticed my passenger one is pretty much gone already.... maybe it needs adjusting or something,
PS. if Kaval u check back here I somewhat fixed the little paint chip on the underneath the door thanks for the advice u gave, i took it into castle auto cause a friend of mines doing co-op their so he said they would fix it, its finally fixed.

you should be changing them every year, no matter how long you use them but basically every 24k. They get old worn and dried up after 1 year and you are not getting the best peformance out of them

[matt9]

I have my stock wipers for over 2 years and don't really have ANY problems with them. Maybe I'm just missing how "good" it could be. Ignorance is bliss?

[yearoftherat]

I had the rain-x lattitudes and decided to give the michelin ones a try..

[dentinger]

i work at CT, and i absolutely HATE these blade.
they have the worst clip design i've even seen. sure, it looks good, but its an absolute bitch to put them on, and half the time, the one clip it comes with, isnt even the correct one.

[yearoftherat]

i work at CT, and i absolutely HATE these blade.
they have the worst clip design i've even seen. sure, it looks good, but its an absolute bitch to put them on, and half the time, the one clip it comes with, isnt even the correct one.

For a company that makes so-so car cleaning products, I wouldn't expect their wiper blades to be any better.

[5_Alive]

I have always used, and am currently using Bosch Micro-edge wiper blades. Best blade I have ever used.
As for changing blades, I change mine around every 6-12 months, at least.
It will help preserve your glass in the long run, and keep giving you streak-free wiping.

[Go_Habs_Go]

I'd look into the PIAA wiper blades. They are a bit pricey, but the quality is definitely justified. I ordered mine from www.stagefourmotorsports.com.

Hi Kaval,

Do the PIAA blades come with everything you need to put them on the Mazda 3 (i.e. are there any adapters necessary)? The web-site doesn't seem to say but I assume they are a universal fit for any car?

Did you have any difficulties installing them on your Mazda3?

Thanks!!

[whiteomega]

I had the Michelin blades for about a year or so before the rubber gave up the ghost and they stopped working properly. I tried the cheaper RainX ones (not the latitudes, just the regular ones) and they didn't actually have a clip to hold the wipers in place on the wiper arms, so out those went.

In the end, I went back to the OEM wiper blades. As long as you keep the rubber fresh (ie replacing them when they start streaking badly or chattering a lot), they seem to work fine for me.

My friend tried the Armour All blades and said they were terrible; he wound up exchanging them for another pair of Armour Alls because they were so bad he thought they were defective. It turns out, they weren't defective, they were just terrible wipers. He went back to the OEM ones because of that.

[kaval]

Hi Kaval,

Do the PIAA blades come with everything you need to put them on the Mazda 3 (i.e. are there any adapters necessary)? The web-site doesn't seem to say but I assume they are a universal fit for any car?

Did you have any difficulties installing them on your Mazda3?

Thanks!!

The PIAA blades come with everything needed. They are a universal fit, so you will receive adapters to mount them to your Mazda3. This way the cost stays pretty much the same regardless of the car you put them on.

I don't have a Mazda3 myself, but I'm sure installation is easy. How hard are wipers to install really :bana2

[btown-mazda]

I bought the Armor all edge ones today, little pricey @ $25.99/blade. Installation was quick and easy, took me all of 5mins per blade. I gave them a quick test and it seems to clear the windshield quite efficiently, well at least alot better then the stock ones as those were almost dead.

[Harbour Rat]

I installed CTC Flex blades a week or so ago. They work fine and don't freeze up the way the metal skeleton frame OEM blades did.

[Go_Habs_Go]

The PIAA blades come with everything needed. They are a universal fit, so you will receive adapters to mount them to your Mazda3. This way the cost stays pretty much the same regardless of the car you put them on.

I don't have a Mazda3 myself, but I'm sure installation is easy. How hard are wipers to install really :bana2

Cool, thanks for the reply. I think I will be ordering a set soon... :)