Wiper Armitures/Blades - OEM vs Dealer Replacements vs Aftermarket

[NightFlyer]

I've used the Trico blades from DMCNW. They are less than $12 for the pair and work just fine. I have a new pair to put on that I haven't got around to yet.

I'm glad that the dealer replacements are working well for you!

There seems to be quite the mixed reaction to them over on Talk though, with some users praising them, while others absolutely deride them...

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?33...S-wiper-blades

My biggest complaint about them, and any others with a similar mounting system, is how the armitures ride on top of the arms. Having only ever ran the OEM Bosch on my car, I got used to the seamless look of the central mounting design on them (they look like a natural extension of the arm, rather than riding on top of the arm). Putting the dealer replacement Tricos on (or any other armitues with a similar mounting system) just doesn't look right/natural to me. I intend on posting comparison pics when I get the refills for my OEM Bosch armitures to show everyone exactly what I mean.

I know that this is just me and being me, and virtually every other owner won't notice much if any difference in the aesthetics, but after being used to the OEM style for as long as I have, the change is more noticeable to me than even I ever would have thought possible.

Good discussion over a very mundane topic - you gotta love it!!!!

[NightFlyer]

Received the Sixity armitures/blades (which are color impregnated nylon, while the OEM Bosch's are painted aluminum), and while they share the multiple suspension design of the OEM Bosch's, the cosmetics aren't as good of a match as I first thought they would be. The spine of the OEM Bosch's is wider, thus creating an overall larger rectangular hole, though both have exactly the same number of rectangular holes. Also, the pins that create the pivot points of the multiple legs are silver/chrome domed tops on the OEM Bosch's, while the Sixity's use black flat tops. That said, the Sixity's are still probably close enough to fool a vast majority of Concours judges. Note - I have not had the opportunity to test the Sixity armitures/blades in actual rain conditions on my car.

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In the following two pics, the OEM Bosch's are seen on top, while the Sixity's are seen on the bottom.


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Also, for anyone using the OEM Bosch armitures, I can personally confirm that the Bosch 43320 refills, which are readily available online, work GREAT! I paid $10.81 with free shipping for the refills (I know - they were almost as much as the Sixity armature/blade combos).

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On a personal note, I was able to actually test the dealer replacement Trico's yesterday in rain, and they performed very well on my car, though I still don't like the aesthetics of them on the car vs the OEM Bosch's. Previously, I bitched about how the dealer replacement Trico's (and all other aftermarkets armitures/blades using a similar mounting system) rode atop the arms, creating a completely different look/appearance vs the seamless linear integration of the OEM Bosch's. Not to mention that the circular holes in the spine of the Trico's just don't look right with the sharp-angled straight-lined wedge design of the car - the rectangles in the spine of the OEM Bosch's look much more appropriate, IMHO. Here are some pics showing what I mean by this:

Dealer replacement Trico's:

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OEM Bosch:

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Needless to say, I'm once again running the OEM Bosch's with the new refills.

[stevedmc]

I like the super super expensive Bosch ones they sell at autozone. I think they cost $20 or $30 a blade. A total rip off but very nice blades.

[NightFlyer]

I like the super super expensive Bosch ones they sell at autozone. I think they cost $20 or $30 a blade. A total rip off but very nice blades.

Back in the late '90's / early 2000's, I was a Bosch snob, believing that their stuff was superior to other auto parts manufacturers. I've since learned, but I do still feel that way about many of their products, OEM/aftermarket wipers being one such product. But you're right - for a wear item, they're a total rip-off, but very nice.