Michelin Stealth Wiper Blades

Just thought I would pass along a little info. I did a search to see if covered in other threads. Nada.

 

I picked up a set of the Michelin Stealth Wiper Blades and they are really good. The standard blades didn't work all that great in that they would

skip around a bit when the car is at speed. I liked the look of these for winter use as they remind of the old rubber encased winter blades. In addition they have a spoiler on them and it seems to work !! The blades clear the glass great, form to and stay planted on the glass, and hopefully they will be a little more resistant to ice buildup than a standard blade. Just my opinion. YMMV.

how much for a pair?

Price isn't bad on Amazon, about $12 each. Anyone know how these compare to Valeo Ultimates? I've been using the Valeos and I find they don't seem to last very long.

ive also put these on and they seem to do very well, thus far i like them

looking at the Valeo website, I would say they are pretty much the same thing.

Price isn't bad on Amazon, about $12 each. Anyone know how these compare to Valeo Ultimates? I've been using the Valeos and I find they don't seem to last very long.

I actually picked up a set of these last week at Walmart for $12 a pop. I would have waited for a 'buy one get one free' sale, but I was needing to replace the wipers pretty bad (especially in the Colorado winters). So far, they work pretty good. Had some snow today (very light snow), and have no complaints so far.

I was happy with them too. I bought them because they were the only ones that stated a guarantee on the package. Last time I bought wipers, they didn't have one of the sides in stock, so I bought the Rain-X ones instead. I'd have to say the Rain-X ones are a bit better though.

I went from rain-x to silblades to bosch icons. I gotta say bosch icons are the best i've ever had. Quiet, effective, and design looks great. But after 2.5 years, they're now due for replacement.

Price isn't bad on Amazon, about $12 each. Anyone know how these compare to Valeo Ultimates? I've been using the Valeos and I find they don't seem to last very long.

 

My Valeos didn't last long either.

I have found some amazing wipers that will last years. If you have a Nissan dealership near you the mid 2000's and up I believe have Mitsuba wipers that are a solid blade that is very heavy duty. They are an amazing design used on the gtr's for very high speed use, they are super quiet and the blade rubber inserts are replaceable for 5-$8. I think the blades are about $30 each but it is well worth it. I have them on my LGT and danger ranger. By far the best blades I've ever used.

Have you compared them to the PIAA/rainx ones?

No I have not but honestly I don't really believe you can compare them to any other wipers that don't have replaceable inserts for less than $10. Next time you see a maxima or murano pay attention to the wipers. There are 2 kinds, hard plastic ones that look like a solid blade type but have joints and then there are flat black rubber like ones that are the ones I'm talking about. I'll try to post some pictures of mine when I get a chance.

Bosch Icon the best I've ever used. Expensive though!

Bosch are awesome. I tried the rainx but they are awful. Constantly skipping and supposed to be streak free but that's a lie.

No I have not but honestly I don't really believe you can compare them to any other wipers that don't have replaceable inserts for less than $10. Next time you see a maxima or murano pay attention to the wipers. There are 2 kinds, hard plastic ones that look like a solid blade type but have joints and then there are flat black rubber like ones that are the ones I'm talking about. I'll try to post some pictures of mine when I get a chance.

 

I second the Nissan flat blades. I used to work for Nissan, and I still use them. I've tried the rainx, cheap blades, Michelins, and the Nissan blades. The mich ones are the only other decent ones I used, but they seemed to wear out quick. I may try the boush ones based on the comments here.

 

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I prefer the Valeos to the Bosch or RainX. I'm not sure what's different, as looking at them side by side they look identical. However, the Bosch/RainX both tend to pick up 2 persistent streak spots, and also lift at highway speeds on the back stroke of the wiper. For whatever reason, the Valeos didn't.

What do you mean by lift at high speeds? Just curious if it's something I should be looking out for.

What's there to explain? When the car is at higher speeds, wind gets under the blades and causes them to lift up and away from the windshield.

I prefer the Valeos to the Bosch or RainX. I'm not sure what's different, as looking at them side by side they look identical. However, the Bosch/RainX both tend to pick up 2 persistent streak spots, and also lift at highway speeds on the back stroke of the wiper. For whatever reason, the Valeos didn't.

 

Apparently someone doesn't use a Rain-X type solution or keep a very clean windshield. I barely ever have to use my wipers above 40 mph but then I am very particular about having clean windows. I have used the PIAA, Rain-X, cheapies, and Bosch. The Rain-X are nice because they come pre-treated, the PIAA come with a treatment solution (and are probably the most pricey), the cheapies are trash, and the Bosch seem to be the route I always go. I have never had any problems with the Bosch or the PIAA while the Rain-X sometimes tended to smear. I replace my wipers every spring in order to take FULL advantage of their wiping abilities in the rainy months and not have to worry about destroying a brand new set of wipers through the winter months.

 

My recommendation, Stoner window cleaner, treat your windshield(s)/wipers every 3 months or so, Bosch wipers (or PIAA if you want to spend a couple extra $$), and every time you gas up do a quick clean with the squeegie and gently wipe the blades with a towel to get any loose grime/dirt off them.

 

I don't think I've seen "lift" of my wipers at anything less than 90 mph in any car and with the wind peeling everything off your car at that speed why would you be wanting to use your wipers anyway???

The nissan blades wont get lift, there used on the gtr.

I don't think I've seen "lift" of my wipers at anything less than 90 mph in any car and with the wind peeling everything off your car at that speed why would you be wanting to use your wipers anyway???

 

My car sits outside in the elements, it isn't garaged, and Chicago's weather is not notoriously friendly, nor is the rain/etc particularly clean. RainX type treatments last on my windshield for a matter of hours.

 

You must not get much in the way of storms there, or ice/snow. RainX solutions don't hold up to the weather in Chicago, and don't do a thing against snow and ice.

 

I've had the Bosch and RainX both lift at around 50mph on the backstroke. Bear in mind the effective wind speed is probably much higher, as the wind is often gusting at 40+mph as well.

I daily drive my car and it's parked outside at least 2/3 of the time. I live in NYC.

 

Some things that help:

1) Rain-X orange washer fluid. But it's definitely not cheap. The blue generic stuff is about 1/2 the price. But the orange washer fluid cleans really well and more importantly, keeps "refreshing" the coating of Rain-X on your windshield.

 

2) Consider switching over to Aquapel, which is more permanent compared to RainX. It withstands the elements a bit better because it bonds to the glass somewhat.

 

When I was doing RainX only with the orange stuff, the water on my windshield didn't slick off much anymore, BUT it did still bead up somewhat, which made my wipers a LOT more effective. And no windshield chattering or anything even at higher speeds.

 

I use Valeo blades.

My car sits outside in the elements, it isn't garaged, and Chicago's weather is not notoriously friendly, nor is the rain/etc particularly clean. RainX type treatments last on my windshield for a matter of hours.

 

You must not get much in the way of storms there, or ice/snow. RainX solutions don't hold up to the weather in Chicago, and don't do a thing against snow and ice.

 

I've had the Bosch and RainX both lift at around 50mph on the backstroke. Bear in mind the effective wind speed is probably much higher, as the wind is often gusting at 40+mph as well.

 

I'm from Kansas and have lived the last year in Ohio. Wind, storms, ice, and snow are NOT new to me and I haven't had a garage for the last couple years. I will second what iNVAR mentioned about using Rain-X orange washer fluid and re-iterate what I mentioned before about keeping your windshield and wipers clean and also about re-applying every so often either Rain-X, Aquapel, or Castrol's window silicone product.

 

Believe it or not but silicone windshield products do help with snow and ice, easing the removal of them at least. Again, if you have a well taken care of windshield you shouldn't need your wipers much above 40 mph.

There are always going to be some exceptions to not having to use your wipers over 40-50 and when it happens its nice to know you won't get lift or stuttering from your wipers. The Mitsuba blades are designed to push against your windshield with more headwind and are also heavier than aftermarket blades which really helps.

Believe it or not but silicone windshield products do help with snow and ice, easing the removal of them at least. Again, if you have a well taken care of windshield you shouldn't need your wipers much above 40 mph.

 

They help, but it's not going to keep you from using your wipers. I'm not disagreeing the products are useful/helpful, but claiming that you won't need to use your wipers over 40mph is absurd. If I'm going 40+mph, I'm probably driving in traffic. That means the road is going to be wet, and the cars around you will be kicking up more than just water off the road. That spray goes all over your windshield, and is a lot more than just water. You get dirt, oil, salt/chemicals, anything you can imagine. In a significant storm, it's obscenely rare here to not need your wipers at all, and it has nothing to do with the water sealers used on the glass.