Silblade Premium wipers - a first on-car look.

[cantunamunch]

Previous wipers used:
Bosch Icon
Bosch Insight
Bosch Microedge
Rain X Latitude
Rain X Fusion
Trico Force

When I first opened the package, these things looked primitive, almost a throwback to 1980s wiper styling, and I almost wished I had gotten the compact design Flex Blade instead. I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the minimalist mounting hardware, and, of course, no instructions were supplied with the package(s). There is far less stuff there than on either the Microedge or the Latitude.
The supplied clamp block has to be removed from the blade for installation and there are two possible installed orientations - expect about a minute of fiddling to replace two blades. Prong-style attachment is easier than the U hook.

First use was almost a wow moment - the windshield was scraped both clean and dry with the first stroke. Then the second stroke squeaked. Loudly.

No observed lifting at 50mph - couldn't get any quicker due to traffic.

Pros:
Better wipe than Rain X Latitude, Bosch Icon
Light weight

Cons:
Squeakier than any of above except Trico
Price

TBD:
- snow performance
- icing performance
- summertime/high ozone resistance
- mounting clamp and tension spring durability

 

[cantunamunch]

Nothing but frost so far, but these things have a few quirks. They break free easier than other wipers, but they tend to float up and over any icing. This is a good thing if there is plenty of fluid in your antiicer tank. It's a bad thing if you want the wiper to scrape at the icing like might happen if the tank runs dry.

 

[cantunamunch]

Well, it's been two months that these have been on the cars, and we have a pretty good idea of their winter performance. When I say cars - my car has had a new Bosch Icon in the drivers' position - the passenger side has a Silblade, installed on the same day.

We've had 4 major multiday storm events, with considerable icing. Salting has been - sometimes late, sometimes sporadic but always generous.

In case you're wondering, both my one Silblade and her three still squeak on a dry windshield. Advantage: Bosch.

What the Silblades don't do is leave haze when the windshield gets warm - and the Icon *does* leave haze, especially in the lower area near rest position. When the road is salted that haze turns into a white curtain. Advantage: Silblade.

Another thing the Silblades don't do is carry ice on the wiper itself as the windscreen is warming up. The Bosch does, and the wiper skips and dances and leaves patchy unswept patterns. They're usually no more than an inch wide, but they're annoying. Advantage: Silblade.

As I'm squeaking anyway from the passenger blade, I think I'm going to dump the Bosch before winter is over.

 

[cantunamunch]

Almost a year now - still going strong!

 

[crgildart]

"Ummm hummm.. I recon...." I've been getting about 2 years tops out of the RainX. Pretty limited to that because other stock blades don't stay clipped on my Forester arms. Car was at the dealer yesterday for belts and I asked them to replace driver's side because last two times it took many tries, different brands to get them to stay clipped. The RainX is brand that fits best. Tried Bosh and a couple others. Dealer put in a RainX LOL! I was expecting a stock Subaru one. Only charged me about $5 more than parts store for the same blade.. ummmm hummm I recon.......

 

[cantunamunch]

Hah, we must have *much* more ground-level ozone than you do - the Bosch barely lasted 4 months before completely falling apart; the RainX Latitude got to mid June.

I am seriously not buying another non-silicone wiper again unless we move, it's a complete waste.

 

[crgildart]

Hah, we must have *much* more ground-level ozone than you do - the Bosch barely lasted 4 months before completely falling apart; the RainX Latitude got to mid June.

I am seriously not buying another non-silicone wiper again unless we move, it's a complete waste.

It's sand and road salt that shred wipers on my car. One wicked ice storm and lots of driving in the aftermath with white sandy slime blinding us every 30 seconds for a couple hours will kill a set of blades.. mummm hummmmm I recon...

 

[cantunamunch]

Well, we definitely had our share of those, remember Black Ice Thursday? LoL, the only winter event we had without salt and slime and sand was the morning when all the salt trucks got stuck in traffic

 

[cantunamunch]

2 year update: Colored blades are due for replacement; they're not bad but they are just starting to streak enough that cleaning them is a weekly thing. Black blades still going strong, no fuss, no muss.