# Silicon, teflon, graphite? Which wiper blade performs best **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [April 1, 2008, 4:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443 "2008-04-01T04:40:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![1check43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/b9e5f3/32.png) [@1check43](https://community.cartalk.com/u/1check43)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443/1 "2008-04-01T04:40:32Z")
Disappointed in the performance of my Bosch blades. I want to find some more durable and better clearing properties. Any recommendations to what material is best for wiper blades and your experience with them would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![shadetree51](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@shadetree51](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadetree51)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443/2 "2008-04-01T04:46:51Z")
a new one… ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443/3 "2008-04-01T04:51:38Z")
Wipers are a game. We play until we find out what works. I get ANCO blades and hope they work. Usually they’re OK. ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 11:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443/4 "2008-04-01T11:21:32Z")
Seriously new ones work the best. Just buy the least expensive and replace two - three times(more often) a year. I do this in New England weather and never have any issues with clearing issues. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 11:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443/5 "2008-04-01T11:36:37Z")
What part of the performance were you disappointed with? They don’t last forever and they all need to be replaced from time to time. How often depends on a number of factors including how much you drive, the area you dive in, parking under trees etc. Some people don’t seen to notice until the rubber rips off. I can’t stand them when they start to reduce my visibility. You do want to make sure they are properly aligned pressure adjusted and clean. Personally I like the Bosch blades. ---
**Author:** ![1check43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/b9e5f3/32.png) [@1check43](https://community.cartalk.com/u/1check43)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 11:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443/6 "2008-04-01T11:43:48Z")
I have had reasonable performance from Bosch in the past, but these were not clearing the windshield well after only two months service, leaving streaks, though very fine quite annoying. ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 12:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443/7 "2008-04-01T12:27:53Z")
Sometimes a blade that doesn’t wipe well is because of the road film that builds up on the rubber. Try soaking a small piece of paper towel with Windex (or the like) and run it up and down the blade with your finger tips. The paper towel will likely become black with grease/grit. If so, rotate it and repeat. You’ll be surprised at how well the blades will work after that. ---
**Author:** ![SteveF](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevef/32/2_2.png) [@SteveF](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveF)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 1:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443/8 "2008-04-01T13:11:22Z")
Agreed. Any time you notice that wiper performance has deteriorated, qwitcherbellyakin and just replace them. Whenever Pep Boys is having one of their frequent sales, get several sets of whatever brand they’re pushing. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 1:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443/9 "2008-04-01T13:29:58Z")
The ones I’ve been using the past 2-3 years are Michelin…Work great. Buy at WallMart. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 1:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443/10 "2008-04-01T13:31:32Z")
Speaking of Blades… Wifes new Lexus ES-350 you CAN’T replace the blades. Inserts only. Try to find inserts these days. I found a Lexus dealer on-line and their prices are very reasonable… ---
**Author:** ![mmsamma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ed655f/32.png) [@mmsamma](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mmsamma)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443/11 "2008-04-01T16:55:03Z")
anco premium,silicon 35.00 each,but now going on 2 years and they work like day one…bosch blades are junk…we use them on our used car line only due to the bean counters,they rock too they streak right out of my bay to the lot. ---
**Author:** ![1check43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/b9e5f3/32.png) [@1check43](https://community.cartalk.com/u/1check43)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 9:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443/12 "2008-04-02T09:49:20Z")
Thank you for the help. This is the kind of recommendation I was looking for. I will check out the Anco Premium Silicon. ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/silicon-teflon-graphite-which-wiper-blade-performs-best/12443/13 "2008-04-02T16:30:45Z")
$35/each is really steep if you live in a winter area. What I find is blades are damaged most when winterly weather is happening like freezing rain and your wiper is frozen to the windshield. If you pull the rubber gets damaged usually ruining them. Thankfully my wife’s car they have a wiper area heater so that I don’t run into this problem like my car. Cheap ones for me.