I know this is car related, but this is the best place I could think of to put this.
I bought a set of Rain-X "Latitude" windshield wiper blades earlier today at my local Wal-Mart. They weren't cheap at $17 and change each, but I am exceptionally pleased at how well they perform.
Our weather is miserable today, with frigid temperatures in the single-digits (7 degrees Fahrenheit as I write this). I had to purchase new blades to replace the "brand new" OEM blades on my 2006 Subaru Legacy. The stock blades that I replaced just 2 weeks ago could not handle the poor weather and extreme temperatures.
The short of it is that the Rain-X Latitude blades excelled far beyond my expectations. I read mixed reviews about these blades on the net. However, they are doing a great job for me. I'll poast back if any issues come up.
Scuzzy; I can see clearly now the rain is gone...
Geez, meant to poast in this when I first read it, but forgot.
I bought some of those last May before heading out to Florida. I got mine on a buy one get one free special. For the most part they do work well, but at interstate speeds, say 60 mph and above the driver's side wiper tends to lift off the window a bit on the down stroke. This leaves some water that's not removed until the next up stroke. I'll likely replace them before long, but after several months they hardly show any wear yet.
Pat, you may want to test the arm pressure on your wiper. If the arm is not putting enough pressure on the blade, it will cause the problem you're having. But if you do not experience that problem with other wiper blades, then it could be that the Latitude wipers are not the best bet for your vehicle.
Our weather has been pretty nice for the last week or so. But I had plenty of opportunity to give the Latitude wipers a good workout through a storm or two, to include at highway speeds.
So far they have not disappointed. The very bottom edge of the driver's wiper (the bottom 3/4" as the wiper is in the "up" position) streaks a little bit on occasion as it nears the bottom of the windshield on its return, but not enough to matter. The rest of the surface is consistently cleaned evenly and clearly. They're much better than anything else that I have tried over the years. Using the wipers at 75 MPH have netted the same results.
Since I'm in Colorado, my blades will get a good workout over the next few months. In time I'll poast back with an update.
QuotePat, you may want to test the arm pressure on your wiper. If the arm is not putting enough pressure on the blade, it will cause the problem you're having. But if you do not experience that problem with other wiper blades, then it could be that the Latitude wipers are not the best bet for your vehicle.
My thoughts exactly, I've tried to fiddle with the arm pressure with limited results. The windshield on the Liberty is sort of steep and I think the wind pressure just pushes the fin of the wiper off the glass. I may try and have a go at adjusting it once more, but am looking at these as a replacement.
PIAA Super Silicone (without fins) (http://www.tirerack.com/wipers/detail.jsp?ID=1043&autoMake=Jeep&autoModel=Liberty+Sport+4wd&autoYear=2002&autoModClar=)
So far this year, while we have had some cold weather, the snowfall has been below average. Way below what we had this time last year. I'd guess we've had about 4 inches total so far. I'm okay with that.
Glad to see this thread since we need to replace the wipers on our Toyota Camry.
Mark H
As of today, the blades continue to perform well for my needs.
As mentioned, the bottom edge of the driver's side occasionally streaks. However, it's minor and mostly unnoticeable in regular use. Otherwise they perform far better than any other blade I have used. They already had several workouts in sleet and snow in extreme temperatures.