Michelin wipers

[Some Guy 0]

I searched around here and it seemed like a lot of folks have gone with the Michelin wipers from Costco. Well... most of those threads were a bit old, and I'm thinking maybe the Michelins aren't what they used to be? It says "New!" on the packaging, and THEY REALLY SUCK! The ones I got are called "Stealth."It says "Super flex design fits windshield better!" Well, they have a super flex alright. They are so strongly arched that about an 8-inch section in the middle floats above the windshield. The gap between the glass and the wiper blade is big enough that I could put coins on my windshield and these useless pieces of junk wouldn't even wipe them off!My mom put some on her vehicle a while back and really likes them. But hers are 24-inch, so maybe the extra length helps bend the middle into place better. The 21-inch are definitely crap!I put my worn-out Bosch Aerotwins back on for now. I liked them, but they're a bit pricey and I wasn't thrilled that they only lasted me about 8 months (and none of those were winter months). Has anyone found a good wiper? Or is finding a good wiper kind of like looking for good rap music?

[smartzuuk 167]

The 451 wipers are excellent BTW, 50,000 kms on the original set I think..... I've never replaced them!

[fordnut71 1]

ya i have these wipers on the wifes escape an they clean very well. i have them on my smart an cant see a thing when it gets misty on the drivers side. i have this 4"strip right in my line of vision.i bent the arm trying to add more pressure but still its crap. i need the old style steel wipers again . iv never had any problems making them work on a car.

[Leadwing 565]

The spring that holds the wiper to the windshield on the smart is not as strong as it is on bigger (particularly domestic) cars. This would account for the wiper blades holding their shape (curved) while the same blade on a different vehicle will conform to the shape of the windshield.

[lebikerboy 96]

I used to use the original Michelin Radius wipers that Costco carried which were great.The new Stealth version really sucks...

[Some Guy 0]

Ah, so they *did* change! The one time this forum's search function actually finds me useful posts, they're no longer relevant. :-(

[MightyMouseTech 0]

Time for my yearly wiper rant... LOL!The best traditional wipers I have ever used are Honda OEM blades.Get two drivers side wipers from a 2005 Honda Civic. Fit perfect and you can buy refills for $7. The frames will last many many many years.

[ragnarawk 0]

Are these what you're referring to? Or would one have to buy and install the wiper arm, too? I'm confused by "refills" ...

[MightyMouseTech 0]

Are these what you're referring to? Or would one have to buy and install the wiper arm, too? I'm confused by "refills" ...

Those are the complete wipers. The refills are just the rubber portion of the wiper.The complete wiper is #16 in the picture, the refill is #17 in this pic.https://www.hondapartsdirect.com/index.php?...DSHIELD%20WIPERThe rubber portion just slides out, you transfer over the two stainless reinforcement strips to the new refill, and slide it back in. Looks like they have the refills for under $4.00, and that is the part of the wiper that actually wears out. So for $3.81, you essentially get a new wiper each time. I keep spare refills in the car, and change them at the slightest amount of streaking. Edited December 6, 2011 by MightyMouseTech

[ragnarawk 0]

So, if I understand correctly, I can order the complete wipers this time and subsequent times only the refills. Or - this may be a stupid question - do I need to get the complete wiper at all? Will I be alright with just the blades?For reference, what other wipers have you tried, Chris?

[MightyMouseTech 0]

So, if I understand correctly, I can order the complete wipers this time and subsequent times only the refills. Or - this may be a stupid question - do I need to get the complete wiper at all? Will I be alright with just the blades?For reference, what other wipers have you tried, Chris?

You need to buy the complete wiper first, from then on, only the refills.I have tried pretty much everything on the market.I now use OEM Honda blades on; the smart, the GF's Civic, the Suburban, and even had them on my Mazda3.

[Alex 21]

Who could doubt Mighty Mouse? I picked up a set of those Honda wipers, and yup, they fit well, the frame articulated just right to work with the curvature of a smart windshield and the spring force, nice full coverage. Even at 110 km/h when I always had a little miss right in the center of the stroke before. And refills readily available. What's not to like?Thank you Chris!

[MightyMouseTech 0]

Who could doubt Mighty Mouse? I picked up a set of those Honda wipers, and yup, they fit well, the frame articulated just right to work with the curvature of a smart windshield and the spring force, nice full coverage. Even at 110 km/h when I always had a little miss right in the center of the stroke before. And refills readily available. What's not to like?Thank you Chris!

Glad to be of service!

[Francesco 71]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah /Al from Happy DaysI tried the Michelin Radius, the Rain-X Latitude as well as traditional "winter" blades. They all sucked, exactly as stated in the OP: they all leave about a 10 cm smear right in the driver's line of vision.My old OE blades were very worn so on the advice of Christopher (MightyMouseTech) I went to the local Acura dealership (it's closer than the nearest Honda, and the cashier is smoking hot), and acquired a set of Civic/EL blades. They are fantastic, as good as on any Honda (which I've always noted have the best wipers on any cars). I've now had them on my car through two winters as well; they rarely ice up like the OE frames did.

[fordnut71 1]

i went to whitby-oshawa honda yesterday an picked up a full frame wiper for my car. $35.00 with taxs wow but it fits the car well an with the wet weather comin later the week im sure its going to get a work out.

[Alex 21]

$35 bucks now, but don't forget for the rest of the cars life all you need are the economical refills! I'm still enjoying the best wipe I've ever seen, and I am very picky about my wipe.

[ragnarawk 0]

Who could doubt Mighty Mouse?

I wasn't doubting, just seeking more information. I may still get the Honda blades, but I have precious little time to run around these days. :dunno:Anyway, I was in Parts Source this past weekend and decided to try a Bosch wiper for kicks (Bosch Excel+). I am happy with the results so far. I don't have to douse the windshield with fluid to clear it up because the wiper gives complete coverage. It does well cleaning up road spray, too.Silly me, though, I only got one (thinking they were packed in pairs ... yeah, I've never bought this before, which explains why I asked Chris for more info). But this allowed me to test it against the old one, which is still on the passenger's side. The difference between the blades is striking. The top and bottom of the blade don't seem to completely clean the windshield, and I think it leaves a bunch of residual liquid at the side of the windshield when it completes its arc. I think this is due to a deeper blade, compared to the stock wiper. These are very acceptable trade-offs compared to the stock wipers, since none of these areas are right in the middle of the driver's vision. Edited December 14, 2011 by ragnarawk