Halfords wipers review

For anyone considering replacing wipers on a w211 I can confirm that halfords own wipers seem to do a good job. If you reserve on line you can put in your reg number and the correct blades are available for collection when you arrive at the store. Total cos £24. Fitting is very easy indeed. Although the wipers are not as thick / heavy as the originals they seem to do a good job. I must also point out that the first pair I was given were slightly faulty, but this immediately apparent and there was no issue with exchange. In short, convenient to order, easy to fit, a fair price and they do the job.

 

The MB ones I got from the dealer for our W209 weren't much more expensive. Oh, actually I've just looked the invoice up - £35...

 

I bought the aero blades for mine from Ebay and very good and quiet they are, a set of 3 for the V70R were £9 but the long ones for my 230 were £22 compared with MB at double that

 

I have to say I'm a real fan of Bosch Aerotwin flat blades. I've fitted these to several cars now and find them markedly superior to conventional sprung blades.
Absolutely no squealing or juddering and perfect conformance to the screen.

I bought a pair for my R170 SLK here for £18.72. I can recommend both the blades and the supplier.

 

I reluctantly bought Halfords wipers for my 211 when I was in there, in a hurry, nowhere near a dealer and they didn't have any suitable Bosch ones. I figured they'd be better than the worn Bosch ones I had and it would give me some breathing space to get some from the internet or pop into the dealership.
Initially it was as I'd expected, they were noisy, but after a day or do when they'd bedded in, I couldn't tell the difference. I'm REALLY fussy with wipers. They MUST clear without smearing and they must be quiet - or they're gone. Simple as that.

And ....they're actually rather good. Whether they last as long as the Bosch (MB) ones remains to be seen but at the moment I'd give the Halfords ones a thumbs up too.

 

A man after my own heart

 

I had a 'B' service on my W204 this weekend, and while I was at the dealers I bought a set of wiper blades - £30-something.
Interestingly, when I mentioned that I could not get the wiper blades in Halfords (Bosch), the dealer told me that Mercedes did not use Bosch blades. He said Mercedes make their own. Is this true? I always thought Bosch were good enough quality for Mercedes.

 

Mercedes make there own, never in a million years

 

Mercedes make their own prices more like....

 

The ones Mercedes fitted at my last B service were Bosch.

 

We keep seeing this - someone paid £30 for one blade the other day - but Mercedes has a fixed price for front wipers, £29 for the pair, fitted.

http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/con.../maintenance/repairs/fixed_price_repairs.html

 

Had mine replaced recently at my dealer, fixed price as you say and fitted. Also adjusted, as were the jets, and washer bottle filled .. Not bad

 

So they don't make their own dash clusters, headlights or a myriad of other components but they do have a bloke in the corner of the factory making wiper blades ;-)

Nah, they're Bosch in a Mercedes box. (Or as it would be crazy to rely on just one supplier, no doubt someone like Valeo also supply them).
For the quality £30 is fine and to be fair, Halfords aren't that much cheaper, but the point of this thread is valid, the Halfrauds ones are pretty good. I don't think I'd buy in preference to Bosch but if I'm honest, its probably 10% quality and 90% brand snobbery.

 

I was premature with my assessment - AVOID

After only 1 week the blades are performing very poorly, leaving whole areas unwiped. I have revised my opinion unreservedly and will be returning to Halfords for a refund.
I would avoid these blades - they are very poor indeed.

Sorry if i have misled anyone !!:Oops:

 

Not at all and thank you for posting back, I take it that you have the aero style blades with no metal part

 

Odd - maybe I've been lucky but mine are fine. I do >250 motorway miles a week, mostly in the dark, so any issue and they'd be gone - but I've had mine for 2-3 months now and really can't fault them.

 

Malcom, yes you are right these are the all rubber type i.e no frame and with a single central pin connector

 

My advice, Stick to buying from Branded O.E suppliers that manufacture wiper blades

Bosch / Valeo ( Paul Journee ) / Trico / SWF / Denso / Champion

Don't be foiled into buying from re-packers, you do not know what your are going to receive inside the box, some re-packers are buying on price, some on quality, so in other words its a lucky dip