The Hoopless vs. Full Hoop Debate: The Predator vs. Toro bull bar

Which bull bar is right for you?

So, you want to run a new bull bar, and around town you see all these hoopless bars getting around. Cool, right? Yeah, it’s modern and it does look good. Plus, some of these new rigs look pretty sharp stock, and you want to maintain some of that original styling.

But then you remember all those keyboard warriors on Facebook giving people sh!t, saying it doesn't protect anything, that it's weak, blah blah blah. Well, are they right? Is there some merit to these trolls, or are they just living in the past and haven't caught up with reality?

Let me break it down for you.

Hoopless bars are technically more of a winch bumper than a traditional bull bar. But in today's age, we can still call them a bull bar because, essentially, they're doing the same job—just in a different way. To explore this further, we need to go back to the core reasons why anyone fits a bull bar in the first place:

• Animal protection

• Accessory mounting (winches, lights, antennas)

• Off-road vehicle protection

• Aesthetics (looks)

These are the main reasons people bolt on a bar, and guess what? A hoopless bar achieves all of them, though admittedly not quite as well as a full hoop bar.

The Reality of Animal Strikes

When you hit a kangaroo or a wallaby, believe it or not, most of the time the poor sucker is on the move. They aren't standing at full height; they're either trying to get away from you or they noticed you too late. It's also worth noting that Skippy's centre of gravity is pretty low—the head, shoulders, and arms aren't super big compared to those massive legs and midsections. (I know they aren't the brightest creatures, and they get nailed a lot in regional areas).

Because of this, the main base of the bull bar usually takes the brunt of the hit, protecting the vehicle and a large portion of the radiator not ever touching any hoops. However, you can get unlucky. If Skippy is jumping through oblivion, he might take out a headlight or the top of your bonnet. That definitely sucks, and while the car is usually still drivable, it's not always a guarantee.

When Does a Hoopless Bar Make Sense?

Let’s say you live in the burbs near a major city and don't regularly drive country roads where roos are constantly getting nailed. You want to save a little weight on your 4WD and get that sleek, modern look. You still hit the tracks on weekends and need some protection from the odd animal, but mostly you just need somewhere to mount your winch, lights, and antenna, while preventing your stock bumper from getting ripped off. You're into wheeling after all. 

Well, a hoopless bar is perfect for this. They’re usually about 10kg lighter, look modern, handle accessory mounting and off-road protection perfectly, and still do a reasonable job with basic animal protection.

The Case for the Full Hoop

Also, keep in mind that if you hit a massive roo at high speed, even a full hoop bar can take such a massive impact that it folds backwards—meaning the hoops themselves can end up damaging your bonnet and headlights. Yep, I've seen it happen plenty of times with all brands of bars. This is because due to modern vehicle dynamics with airbags we actually need to design some movement in the bull bars and they can't be too strong so your air bags still work when they are meant to. 

Typically, though, a full hoop bar (like the Toro) is stronger because the hoops act as gussets to the wings of the entire bar, using that structure to push Skippy away. They’re also great for keeping the sides of the vehicle clear of embankments and trees while off-roading.

The Verdict

• If you drive country roads a lot and tackle harder, tighter off-road tracks, do yourself a favour and get the Toro or a hooped bar.

• If you want to prioritise looks but still want good, solid protection and accessory mounting, the Predator is the one for you.

And if the troll online gives you sh!t about getting the hoopless bar, tell him you're more of a wheeler than a country road driver anyway, and bought it to head off road, not just country roads. 

Predator bar

Toro bar