I personally do not like the look and style of the SAHARA bumper which matters nothing in this case.

I have seen them on a few rigs out here, mainly full size pickups, and I do not like the look.

I think you cannot beat the look of the classic ARB bull bar bumper. That thing simply rocks.

Either way, you can't go wrong with the bumper.

 

Here's a pic of my sahara bar that's painted to match:



It's the Prado Sahara Bar. I got it for $1070 shipped, but that was before when they still came with the fog light kit. Now, they come with black plastic inserts and the fogs are extra. Supposedly, the price dropped a little when they yanked the fogs. As far as the chrome hoop is concerned, yes, it only has one bolt per side, but also, it's changeable. Hit something in an ARB Bull Bar and damage the welded hoop, and you're SOL. If I damage this one, then I just order a replacement. As far as being a Mall-Crawler bumper - what-the-hell-ever. It may not have welded protection for the headlamps, but neither does a TJM T-17. I don't see anyone here calling a T-17 a piece of junk and comparing it to a brushguard. Oh, and by the way, the same hoop is available as as OPTION on the T-15. The Sahara Bar is made of the same gauge steel as the Bull Bar, so the strength is there. Also, it's airbag compatable if that matters to you at all. That means that your airbags won't go off in a 10MPH impact because the mounts have "crumple zones". This protects the bumper and the frame from extensive damage along with reducing the possibliity of airbag deployment in low speed crashes.

If you're planning on getting one painted to match, then I'd suggest getting the damaged one out of the classified section from FEAR's rig. FYI: they come in a powdercoat metallic gray - NOT BLACK - so if you have a black rig, then you may want to consider painting it. I had to wait TWO MONTHS, but it was worth it to me...

 

You know when it really comes right down to it, they are ALL nice bumpers made by huge companies in Australia.

What ever you get will be nice and you will be happy with it.

I think it is so funny when people say brand X has a micro meter thicker metal or brand y is made better. There the same.

If you really want something different hire someone to make you one out of good old plate steel. Come up with an original design and have something unique. A completely custom front winch bumper made from steel would be the same 1000 bucks that the Sahara is.

Just an idea.

 

Steve makes an excellent point. Here is a pic of the bumper we prototyped with Hanson Enterprise for under $1000. It is exactly what we wanted, strong, relatively light, winch compatible and not overly bulky looking.(pic on next page)

 

I'm glad to hear the input from everybody. I'm totally assured it's a completely safe, and well made bumber. I'm thrilled with the way it looks, and with the air bag compatibility.

Yes, I hope to get to painted to match if the price is right.

I did however pay $1039 for my bumper plus $75 shipping. Whatever, it works for me. A local shop quoted me well over $1200 PLUS I'd have to pay shipping to their shop, and they'd only sell it to me if I paid the $125 install fee.

I can't wait to get it. No ETA yet. We'll see. I'll be out of town for 2 weeks, so that should make it seem like less waiting.

OOH I'm so excited!!

Edit: I got the fogs too.

 

for some reason the attachment didn't post, try again...

 

Good deal! They only ship them over when they're ordered, and it takes time to get it on a ship from Austrailia. It's a 20-day trip, by the way. Then it goes through customs, then to ARBUSA for inventory. Then they turn it around in about 48 hours and get it on a truck and ship it to you directly. If I were putting money on it, I'd say that if they had any on-hand, then you're looking at 6 weeks. If they have to make one, it can take as long as 10-12 weeks. It was well worth the wait for me. Just be patient. Keep an eye on ebay for a set of IPF 900 driving lights. They will match the fogs. I picked mine up with the wiring harness for $140. They're usually just over $200.

Good Luck

 

Oh yeah, you are sure right about that. It took 5 MONTHS for mine to get here. The ship had motor trouble or soemthing and had to stop off for repairs!

Like the bumper, but the wait is not fun at all.

 

What do you mean about matching the fogs? Light color or what?

EDIT:
They're produced by ARB. I get it now. The 900 HID'$ look cool. $$$