This thread isn't as Zexy as a long discussion of hybrid electronics, or the inanity of forcing auto manufacturers to use water-based, bacteria-friendly coatings on their A/C evaporators to allegedly "save the environment" but I needed to do the front wiper blades on the '10 FEH today. The back one is still OK.

I was astounded by some of the prices online - $27 and up for ONE wiper blade?!?! Man, those have to be some Super Hurricane Force Post-Apocalyptic Wiper Blades!

I went with Rain-X "Expert Fit" B-20-2 Beam blades, 20 inch, from WalMart (which is what their little flipbook recommended). 163 5-star ratings can't be wrong, right? And I actually traveled to the store and walked around, which was kind of an amazing experience during coronavirus. My local Walmart is **perfect** inside. It looks like a model store right now, presumably because they haven't had as much foot traffic. And they had some good deals, too.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rain-X-Ex...40011/32254394

After getting the old blades off (raise wiper arm, push in locking tab at top, squeeze tabs at bottom, slide up) I was initially befuddled by the outer "shell" on the connectors for the Rain-Xs. It's there because these wipers can fit three different types of wiper arms.

Simple: Push in the tabs toward the bottom (opposite the UP arrow) and slide that doohickey off. Escapes use "I-L" type arms with the tab and the hole. Then, with the "doohickey" removed, slide the new blade onto the wiper arm tab, pushing it down so that it seats, while grasping the two locking tabs at the bottom and squeezing so they seat in the notches. After that the arms are securely anchored. It's harder to describe than it is to do, but initially when I took the blades out of the package I couldn't see how to attach them. Remove the doohickey.

$10.88 each. They are virtually silent in operation, truly very quiet and with a cleaner sweep than the old ones, which my PO reported were only replaced 2x in 11 years - but the car was always garaged. Aside: Why is there so much difference in the way wiper blades connect to wiper arms? Isn't this just reinventing the wheel endlessly?

 

I bought Xtraclears for $18 a pop. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Carquest-...Inch/142474951
Mine were missing the rubber piece completely. And yes that connector was a trip. I don't think it ever took longer to figure one out. Really need to start ordering more parts online rather than just getting it NOW. Still haven't changed the back but it's still got some life left and I don't really use it.

 

It's funny, I find myself using the rear wiper blade a lot, esp. in highway driving in the rain. The water does not bead on my rear glass. I think I will clay bar it and then put some Rain-X on it, should cut down the use of the rear wiper.

I was surprised at the very low noise and cost of the Rain-Xs as an in-store, walk-in product. Let's see how they last. They are really quiet.

Sorry to hear about your store-bought ones missing the rubber. People open these things up and steal. I was also kind of surprised that they don't package them with a seal you have to break, to alert you if someone has tampered with them.

 

Also it's funny because the WalMart website says they do not fit my 2010 Ford Escape but it was in their Flipbook in the parts department for my year, and they clearly DO fit the car because they're on there right now.

 

No, the store bought ones were fine. The old ones were completely missing the "wiper" part. Shows the excellent maintenance the did on this car. I bet they were original wipers.