All Brushguards are worthless?

I'm looking for some place to mount some extra lights, and maybe get a bit of protection, but no need for a winch.

I'm toying around with the idea of a bunch of stuff - the artic bar, the warn trans4mer, an n-fab light bar, the randy ellis light bar, or maybe a kennesaw / arb / all-pro-type replacement bumper.

The bumpers seem like the best (super solid, tow points, winch capability for later, etc) but they look like hell, imho.

Whereas I think brush guards look awesome.

There's really not a functional brush guard out there? The only way to get front-end deer/sapling/etc protection is with a replacement bumper?

 

I haven't seen one that would stand up to more than tall grass yet I had the WAAG and loved the way it looked, but it got bent the first time it encountered a rock in even a minor way

I have seen a bunch of various brands on the trails over the years, but pretty much all of them feared stout blackberry bushes. They are GREAT for fending off shopping carts, but that's the extent of it.

Sorry

 

I'm currently leaning towards a modular brush guard and leaving off the headlight guards. At least the brush guards mount to 4 points instead of 2 for the bull bars. The other I was thinking about was the Avid light bar.

 

With out a bumper, this was the last brush guard I saw that had purpose...


Bumper with brush guard, I think the All Pro, ARB and Shrockworks all look good (if it was just for looks, I would leave the guards off. For protection - get em all!

My 2c

 

I had this on my truck for a while. It wasn't as strong as a plate/tube bumper, but it was still a good brush guard. It saved my headlight when i ran up against a tree, I had to get the fender replaced cuz it got smashed in, but the brush guard pushed it away from my headlight. and i was off roading when my truck tripod-ed, it tipped forward and landed on the bottom of the brush guard. saved the stock bumper. so all in all, it saved me a headlight and a bumper....and moved a lot of shopping carts out of the way!

so they're not as pointless as you think.....but still not as strong as a full bumper replacement.

my .02

 

I had a WAAG on my 96 and I beat the piss out of it until I replaced it with a front TJM bumper.

The WAAG stood up to a lot and it protected my front bumper valance.

The way I look at it, brush guards or grill guards are better than not having anything at all. Offroad bumpers are $$$$$$$$$$$$ and not everyone can afford them. Having a brush guard/ grill guard is better than nothing.