Winter Windshield Wiper Preference

Did some looking and didn't see anything new on the subject.

Does anyone have up to date winter windshield preference? I'm in SW Montana and my stock wipers are going to get swapped out for some good winter blades. We get -30F snow, ice, slurpee snow grit and wanting to get a quality set.

Bosch, Michelin, Trico? To go silicon or not?

Thoughts?

 

I live in the high elevations of Colorado and use Toyota OEM replacement rubber inserts and RainX washer fluid with no problems.

 

Switched to Bosch Icon a number of years ago. They are pricey but the best wipers I've ever used. Before that bought a set from Costco. I think they were Michelin and they were trash.

 

X2 Bosch & Rain-X wash fluid.

 

I had Michelin blades on my truck, they sucked

 

Keep the oem and use the inserts.

All wipers fail after 2 years regardless of quality after a harsh winter.

I'm running Toyota "winter" blades and they are pretty good, but the oem with replaceable inserts are the best.

Bosch was the best for 1 year and worst on the second year.

 

I should try buying the OEM toyota arms, to go back to stock? My truck came with trico's on them from previous owner

 

Yes. Ebay for Toyota dealers selling either just rubber blades or arms with blades.
On my fist gen I experimented with many aftermarket from Bosch to Napa to Goodyear. Whether spendy or not, none seemed to have the correct arm pressure distribution across the windshield. I remember one of the Bosches being acceptable, but for the price I could buy OEM inserts every other year for the same cost and have better results.

 

I used to downsize my blades by 2" on each side, so that the wiper motor wouldn't have to work as hard. Worked great during blizzards on my previous SUV's, but haven't done it on the Taco.

 

They're designed to work the way they are and work fine for me in Alberta blizzards. Not like tires.

 

I use Bosch Icon on all my vehicles because they look cool They work fine in snow and ice in Canada.

 

Bosch Icon Winter blades.

They are expensive, but they work and they last, and Walmart has them for almost half the price of: "other well known national chains".

I leave them on and they easily make it through two winters.

 

Imo, don't bother with the silicone versions. I think they tend to develop chips easier which the result in streaks.

I stuck with the beam style arms, they typically have a more consistent force than others on the blade for me

 

On my 2017, same factory wipers with new blade inserts as needed. No issues.

 

After my OEM's melted onto the windshield last summer I replaced with Bosch, they held up this year with even hotter temps.

 

+1 for beam style regardless of brand. All of the little support arms on the exposed style wipers will pack with ice and the streaking is a pain in the ass when that happens. They never last more than two winters anyways in my experience, so I just get whatever “premium” brand beam style is on sale when I need new ones.
I also got in the habit of removing the wipers completely and putting them in the cab when they have ice stuck to the blade. My assertion is that tugging on the ice or bending the blade to remove it makes wipers streak more quickly. The ambient temp of the cab melts the ice while I’m at work and I don’t have to deal with streaks on the drive home. Pair that with lifting the wipers when it’s snowing so snow doesn’t melt on the hot windshield and freeze into a block of ice stuck to the blade overnight, and they seem to need replacing less often.
You can also pull and quickly release the wiper controls in the cab while driving to get the blades to move partially up onto the windshield where the defroster blows on them. It’s tricky, and takes some practice, but helps a little when there’s ice on the blades while you are driving but don’t need the wipers to be going because it’s not actively snowing

 

I like to use the Rain-X -30 Degree De-Icer Windshield Washer Fluid. It does what it says it's supposed to do as far as washer fluid.

I have used the Bosche, Trico, and the OEM's in the past and it comes down to price I guess. Most have the same issue of if you don't get all the ice off, which is hard when its's sub zero temps, and the ice nicks the blades and causes streaks.
On my '23 Taco, the OEMs did a good job last winter, then my windshield had two chips and two major cracks and have chewed them up, so time to replace before winter kicks in. One thing I have seen with blades is the 2-3" at some point streak, if I use some windex or soap and make sure all the grim and grease is removed it helps, but it's like the wipers don't have enough pressure to get all the water off and I get 3" of streaking, but that seems to be an issue I have had on my last 3 Tacoma's.

I will keep an eye out for some of the "new tech" and see where the cost/performance lands me.

 

I don't have the OP's weather concerns, but the Toyota OEM inserts work the best for me, plus the appropriate temp Rain X wiper fluid. Glad I kept the stock wipers when I tried some others. I immediately noticed the stock wipers as being better than any other I'd had on any vehicle.

Part numbers for the inserts:
50cm Right 85214-0E140
55cm Left 85214-04030

 

Thank you for the suggestion on Ebay, I have been trying to find a good deal on the OEM.inserts The online dealers have them but the shipping costs almost as much as the blades, and the local dealer parts shops only wants to sell them in 10 packs.