Where is a good place to buy wiper blades?

[NZ BMW 368]

Hi Team,

Where is a good place to get wiper blades?

I purchased some from Repco which I had to cut down to size and they didn't really fit that well. They do the job but they have not really lasted overly well.

Are there any over the counter options for the E39 to use those one piece wipers which lots of modern cards are spec'd with?

Thanks,

[my_e36 43]

Buy them from the likes of BNT or partmaster, they will stock the likes of Bosch one piece wipers.

Repco ones are average at best, also get a glass polish and water repellant like RainX to throughoutly clean the windscreen when you replace the wipers.

[Allanw 1051]

Buy Bosch or Wurth real rubber ones.

(I used to be a Wurth rep, so am a bit biased!)

The steel backed Wurth ones are brilliant! Quiet, streak free etc!

Cheap shitty ones are cheap and shitty. Unless they're from Ripco - then they're expensive and shitty.

Bosch from Partmaster are a good price.

[NZ BMW 368]

Thanks guys, I'll head over to parts master tomorrow. They're close to where I live.

I was worried it was going to be a dealer only option. I still recall going to the MB dealer and being told that I could not purchase inserts for my car, only full arms/blades @ $400 plus GST for the set!

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

i priced them for my E30 at Jeff Gray for a laugh, they were around $100, cant remember if that was each or for the pair, either way a joke! they are nothing special either, same as 90% of the cars on NZ roads. $20 at ripco and i was laughing all the way to the bank

[RustyItalian 11]

I bought OEM ones (you can buy just the rubbers) when I got my E39. Within 18 months they had shrunk so the metal strips stick out 10mm from the end. More shite quality from BMW. I'll throw them on the pile with the vanos seals, remains of the underbody plastic shields, broken sun shade sliders, the fabric that fell off the C pillars etc...

[my_e36 43]

i priced them for my E30 at Jeff Gray for a laugh, they were around $100

For $100, you can buy a pair of the latest Bosch AeroTwin wipers (those one piece thing with a single spine)

While on the one piece wipers, many have LHD and RHD versions where the shape of the aero spoilers on them face opposite. Make sure you ask if you are buying on TradeMe or if you buy from overseas, buy from UK (or a RHD country)

[yng_750 247]

I bought some for my e39 as supercheap

The tridon refills they sell seem to be of good quality, quiet and last well

IIRC they use a midback tapered (the most common to run out of stock)

if you have a less than common euro car generally something will work but dont expect the guys at the counter to automatically know what works, it is supercheap after all not the dealership. if they tell you its normal to have to bend your clips to fit then walk away

there is usually a tridon book sitting there somewhere

also when using metal backed refills keep in mind that the rubber stretchs while you are pulling on it

if you dont give it a chance to settle back before you cut them off you will have the rubber shrink and retract 10-15mm fairly quickly.

(give them a push in and flex the blade both ways abit should move the rubber back)

[hotwire 352]

I bought OEM ones (you can buy just the rubbers) when I got my E39. Within 18 months they had shrunk so the metal strips stick out 10mm from the end. More shite quality from BMW. I'll throw them on the pile with the vanos seals, remains of the underbody plastic shields, broken sun shade sliders, the fabric that fell off the C pillars etc...

My 99 Jap E39 still has the originals on. Still working quite OK but nearly ready for replacement. I can get refills cheap as chips through work but I will probably go OEM. I have never had after market blades work or last as well on other cars.

Just come back from the Show/shine today at MT Maunganui with the E12 - raining on the way home -the blades are shot. Tridon metal back, about 3yrs old, hardly used & never really seen the sun.

As below - good point on fitting blades - if not fitted correctly - the rubber will retract

I bought some for my e39 as supercheap

The tridon refills they sell seem to be of good quality, quiet and last well

IIRC they use a midback tapered (the most common to run out of stock)

if you have a less than common euro car generally something will work but dont expect the guys at the counter to automatically know what works, it is supercheap after all not the dealership. if they tell you its normal to have to bend your clips to fit then walk away

there is usually a tridon book sitting there somewhere

also when using metal backed refills keep in mind that the rubber stretchs while you are pulling on it

if you dont give it a chance to settle back before you cut them off you will have the rubber shrink and retract 10-15mm fairly quickly.

(give them a push in and flex the blade both ways abit should move the rubber back)