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I go in for tire repair and the man asks about my windshield wipers.... ???

Detective D said:
Wiper blades are $17-30 bucks a pop even on amazon.
In a retail setting add 30%.
I recall in High school buying new for $2.99. 15 years later they were $7.99
Apparently covid and inflation have perhaps exceeded the 5% mark that is claimed.

Want to get rich? Design a nice metal wiper and sell refills like razors for about half of what they other guys sell for. I have been trying to find a refill for my factory '13 Charger wipers for about 5 years.
Click to expand...

That's the problem.

"They" are getting rich by doing the opposite.

Refills used to be cheap and easy.
Now they are a pain in the *** and don't work on 80's and earlier cars.
...and they're hard to find
They are basically forcing you to buy complete blades.

I buy blades at thrift stores.
A couple of years ago, I found about 20 sets, all for either 2 or 3 bucks.
Modern, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24", and one pair of old school 16" refills.
I use all those sizes on my Dakota that takes 20's but the smaller ones work.
My wife's car takes one 24 and one 20.

Last week, I found a pair of old school 18" refills new in the package for 50 cents.

When one of my windshield blades starts to go bad, I cut it down and use it on the rear.
I hardly ever use the rear wiper, but it wears out faster than the fronts.
 
...and why do they keep changing the attachment point??

Is that necessary, or just forcing you to by a more expensive product.

Neither of the ones on my 2000 or 2015 vehicles works any better than the ones on my 1973 and earlier cars. Just more difficult.
 
What? with all these add-ons they were pushing and none of them mentioned blinker fluid?
 
Instead of wood blocks, use tennis balls. They don't scratch **** when you forget to take 'em off before the wipers turn on :thumbsup:
 
33 IMP said:
Has anybody got any proof that the $30 wipers last longer/wipe better than the $12 ones?
Click to expand...
I know for sure that they don't. My buddy put a set of fancy blades on one car for me as part of a service. They lasted no longer than the regular cheapies I use.....and they skipped across the screen also making a horrible noise. Never again.
 
I remember the days almost "all service writers"
(some not so honest, some completely & 110% right,
I knew some really good & honest service writers/service managers)
1st thing after the customer would tell the writer what they think is going on
they would check for any moisture by the oil pan, front or rear
& recommend a front seal change (up-sale), or the rear crank seals too
especially if it was a manual transmission...

Up-sales, service writing 101, it happens everywhere
part of the automotive business, caveat emptor "buyer beware"
now it's the wipers at $175-$220 an hr labor rates
even if it only talks a few seconds to change, it's billed as a 1/2 hr min.
quick $100+ bucks almost every car
& they make double +, what the parts cost, on the parts
easy jobs
that make good margins
all labor very lil' parts cost

sensors in the wheels/tires now, have warnings & people panic
or are just stupid, instead of checking the PSI, with a cheap *** $10 gauge
& putting some air in,
instead they don't know sh-t & they go to a tire-shop
or god forbid the local dealership, sometime a nice guy will just fill it up for them
the rest try & sell them some BS

happens everyday 10,000 + times a day, day in day out

People that didn't take at least 1 auto-tech class in school,
are screwed, most don't know sh-t about cars,
except to put it in gear & drive them
75% of them can't even do that well, on their cell phones etc.

I made my girls, my GFs &/or significant others too, especially women
the son & my nephew too...
They all learn all the basics, yeah it was a simpler time too
they had to pass or didn't get to drive
to spot leaks & identify what fluid it was,
antifreeze, engine oil, trans/power steering, rear diff, brake fluid etc.
I'd have them identify the alternator & if it had a separate voltage reg,
& tell me what it supposed to do,
same thing water pump, belts, the radiator & associated houses
same thing with the oil filter & air filter, carburetor & TBs etc.
same with the dist. cap rotor wires plugs etc.

1st check it when dark look for arching, if it's convenient,
not broken down...

So if something is obvious & easy !!
So they won't get taken by the crooks out there...
Same thing with the master cylinder & brakes, what to look for
& why, even had to learn to jack it up & change out the spare tire
by themselves, look at the brakes shoe were harder, but the thickness of the
disc pads was easy to see, tell if any leaks too...
 
Budnicks said:
I remember the days almost "all service writers"
(some not so honest, some completely & 110% right,
I knew some really good & honest service writers/service managers)
1st thing after the customer would tell the writer what they think is going on
they would check for any moisture by the oil pan, front or rear
& recommend a front seal change (up-sale), or the rear crank seals too
especially if it was a manual transmission...

Up-sales, service writing 101, it happens everywhere
part of the automotive business, caveat emptor "buyer beware"
now it's the wipers at $175-$220 an hr labor rates
even if it only talks a few seconds to change, it's billed as a 1/2 hr min.
quick $100+ bucks almost every car
& they make double +, what the parts cost, on the parts
easy jobs
that make good margins
all labor very lil' parts cost

sensors in the wheels/tires now, have warnings & people panic
or are just stupid, instead of checking the PSI, with a cheap *** $10 gauge
& putting some air in,
instead they don't know sh-t & they go to a tire-shop
or god forbid the local dealership, sometime a nice guy will just fill it up for them
the rest try & sell them some BS

happens everyday 10,000 + times a day, day in day out

People that didn't take at least 1 auto-tech class in school,
are screwed, most don't know sh-t about cars,
except to put it in gear & drive them
75% of them can't even do that well, on their cell phones etc.

I made my girls, my GFs &/or significant others too, especially women
the son & my nephew too...
They all learn all the basics, yeah it was a simpler time too
they had to pass or didn't get to drive
to spot leaks & identify what fluid it was,
antifreeze, engine oil, trans/power steering, rear diff, brake fluid etc.
I'd have them identify the alternator & if it had a separate voltage reg,
& tell me what it supposed to do,
same thing water pump, belts, the radiator & associated houses
same thing with the oil filter & air filter, carburetor & TBs etc.
same with the dist. cap rotor wires plugs etc.

1st check it when dark look for arching, if it's convenient,
not broken down...

So if something is obvious & easy !!
So they won't get taken by the crooks out there...
Same thing with the master cylinder & brakes, what to look for
& why, even had to learn to jack it up & change out the spare tire
by themselves, look at the brakes shoe were harder, but the thickness of the
disc pads was easy to see, tell if any leaks too...
Click to expand...
When I was at the dealer I taught a car 101 class for a local Singles group at church. It was fun and easy. They learned something and appreciated the knowledge.
 
kiwigtx said:
I know for sure that they don't. My buddy put a set of fancy blades on one car for me as part of a service. They lasted no longer than the regular cheapies I use.....and they skipped across the screen also making a horrible noise. Never again.
Click to expand...
The wipers on my 99 Dakota truck
so were the ones on the F350 1 ton dually I traded in too
were or are Rain-X, brand I bought or I got almost 18 years ago Dec 2007
with Summit Bucks from buying other parts, so free pretty much
they are a softer rubber, than the Adco (Anco ?) wipers everyone sells,
I compared & checked
they do work better, they are only like $15+ US depending on which you choose
The ones I got were a swoopy up-grade deal wahoo !! :blah:
they do have wind deflectors too, they were like $18-$20 each still
'allegedly' to help to keep them on the windscreen at speeds & not streak or skip
I'm not sure that part 'does anything', but I have no complaints...
I got my extra few bucks worth...

I don't know if they still make them, I haven't had to buy any since...
When the Gladiator needs them it will get the Rain-X brand too...
Summit Racing still sells the Rain-X brand, not sure what cars they fit now...
Also;
My cars are kept in the garage or under the carport at home always...
not as 'subject to the elements', I'd assume especially the heat, is the worst
& we have some extremes in weather here too
it's cold down in the teens, we get a lot of snow/ice, some wind, downpour rains,
especially the last 3 winters & we get 100*-110* in the hot summers...
Stuff that stays outside, will wear a lot quicker I assume,
I don't leave mine out or rarely do ever...
 
Last edited:
I can't believe how torqued folks are getting about wiper blades.

Wiper blades.

$50-$60 in parts.

Seriously?
 
toolmanmike said:
When I was at the dealer I taught a car 101 class for a local Singles group at church. It was fun and easy. They learned something and appreciated the knowledge.
Click to expand...
:thumbsup: yep good deal...
 
About upselling, but not related to cars…
I had mentioned in a different thread about my time working for women’s shoe stores decades ago.
Upselling was pushed super hard. The creams, lotions and potions for supposedly looking after your shoes. That’s where the big profits were, and every girl had to meet a quota or risk being called on the carpet or sacked. Didn’t matter if you were good at selling shoes, push the shoe care stuff or get out. It was brutal to watch. These girls were expected to dress to the nines every day, make essentially minimum wage, and be treated like **** if you didn’t badger customers into buying overpriced crap that they didn’t need anyway. I guess every business is the same.
 
Never had wipers on my 70 Bee.

That's when I became a big fan of Rain-X.
 
20240229_120216.jpg
 
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