maniax

iTrader: (3)

oem lexus blades are the absolute worst refills ever. streaks unattaches itself..........everythin u can think of.

Mayb cuz i didnt buy the 97-01 instead bought the ones made for 92-96

now i have a set of silblades in room. it has a 5yr warranty so ima give that a try

dshahs420

trico innovisions are the best

Maxx941

iTrader: (1)

I have been using the PIAA Super Silicone Wipers for almost 3 yrs now on Various vehicles I owned, and some that my family owns.

I have absolutely no complaints about them whatsoever. Yes they do cost a slightly higher premium than most others, but I have found them to be The Absolute Best in Foul and Inclement Weather.
Theres nothing worse than crappy wipers when its downpouring in Florida.

Invest in a set of these bad boys and you Will Notice a difference.
Sets of wiper blades lifespan is suppose to be around 3-6 months I think

All my vehicles still have them some over 1.5 years later and still perform smoothly.

I understand that a few more companies offer similiar products, But I am sold on the PIAA blades and how well they perform, and last in the Florida sun.

Only bad thing I can possibly say is when I had a Carbon Fiber look set, after about a yr or so, some of the fake carbon fibor paint was beginning to flake off.. But what do expect after so long in the sun and rain... But there Black set doesn't have that issue

amf1932

I had my previous car, an '03 ES for over three years, and I had the original OEM wiper blades on this car when I traded it in! These blades didn't streak my windshield or create any problems at all, so I fail to see why some people need to get aftermarket blades, unless they're impressed by the advertising hype of how they're so much better then OEM blades.
As far as I'm concerned......I'll always use OEM blades!!

steviej

iTrader: (1)

Alan,
I can't agree with you more. I have tried them all. PIAA, Toyota, Bosch, Trico, Valeo (supposed to not freeze but they did), and I keep coming back to Lexus OEM.

Alot of your wiper performance depends on what you put on your windshield: RainX, Aquapel, and don't forget those detergents, waxes and sealers from the automated carwashes.

steviej

Maxx941

iTrader: (1)

Advertising Hype? I stand by my opinion and believe the PIAA wipers Exceed OEM performance.
Not just in quality but longevity in consistant harsh climates.
OEM is good for some, others prefer something better.

steviej

iTrader: (1)

My experience with PIAA's blades were favorable as well. They are a great wiper and worked as well for me as the OEM. I just can't justify the cost anymore. PIAA blades come as a set (rubber insert and bracket) for $20-$30 per blade depending on where you get them and what size you need. For that money I can get three OEM rubber inserts. I can't see rebuying the metal bracket each time.

just my $0.02

steviej

fju2112

lexusfreak - thanks - so 22" and 18" driver/passenger is the official size if buying blades? i don't have easy access to the manual as my wife works different hours than me and need to go pick some up. now i'm thinking after reading this thread, I may wait until I can visit a Lexus dealership...the OEM's sound fantastic but I know last time I replaced blades they were aftermarket so I don't have the OEM housing.

fju2112

2x per MONTH? isn't that a bit much?

I'm personally not a fan of rain-x. On my Benz I tried applying that stuff to the windshield and exterior mirros. I wasn't really impressed...as a product it did okay, but you have to rub it in so damn hard to make the glass clear (maybe I let it dry too much?) that I ended up having obvious fogging that I couldn't get out. That car ended up being totaled before i fixed the problem and I just told myself I wouldn't bother with rain-x on my windshield again. I'm fine without it and don't want to bother with it again.

MyfirstES

I've been using Bosch for years, but I think their quality is starting to slip. I used to get 2 years out of the replacement blades, but now their not lasting as long.

In this month's edition of Consumer Reports, they recommend Michelin Rainforce and ANCO 31 series.

MyfirstES

You shouldn't have to rub so hard to apply Rainx. I never had a problem with fogging. I have been using Rainx for years as it significantly helps me with night vision in rainy weather.

fju2112

Didn't work for me - didn't like it. Just fogged up my windshield and wouldn't go away; that's just my experience (and I'm sure I misapplied it, but it's still something I wouldn't bother with again). I have auto-sensing wipers on my other car anyway so.. A decent set of wipers every six months (the Lexus is only driven a few thousand miles per year, if that) seems to work fine.

MyfirstES

I was wondering about those auto-sensing wipers. I'm not sure I'd like them. I use the Rainx for rain vision purposes as I'd otherwise drive off the road. An added bonus with Rainx is that the wipers aren't always on. Since I do a lot of highway driving, the Rainx is perfect!

fju2112

Just my $0.02 - but I can't live without the rain sensing wipers now that I have them on the Benz! As I mentioned, the application didn't go so well the first time I tried it so for now I'll stay away from the RainX.

cbh2

I tried regular Michelins and wasn't so happy with them. I then replaced them with Michelin frameless baldes, which seemed to work OK for a few months, but now, a large patch in the middle of the driver side's blade's coverage area doesn't get wiped. I bought NAPA's top-of-the-line frameless model, but that didn't even fit! I guess I will stay with the Michelin's until they nag at me too much!