Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Do bug deflectors really work?

Internet has mixed opinions... so do I. Who's got some real world experience?

Absolutely.
Why do you think the everglades airboat drivers sit behind the passengers?

I see hood protectors value not so much for bugs but to protect the hood and windshield from rocks. They do deflect rocks.

Remember bug screens? Dad had one on our '55 Chevy that looked like he drove through the backstop at the baseball field.

I have one, and they work to some extent.

However, I like to use Rain-X or Prestone windshield rain repellent, and not having the wind directly hit the windshield makes these
treatments ineffective. If I had it to do over again, I would not have installed the deflector.

Where's that like button?

In 88 I bought a new xj cherokee. I had a daily 110 mile round trip work commute m-f. I installed one that was a mostly flat slab installed close to verticle slopped back at maybe 15 degrees. It was not rounded and scupted and aerodynamic like most you see today. It worked really well. Kept the windshield clear everything particularly of snow to while at freeway speeds. I do not know if these new ones that are so "form fit" to the front of the hood would be as good.

Yes old style really worked, new formed ones to a point but not as well

I never installed one on purpose, vehicles already had them or not.

I'd be lying if I said I noticed any difference with one on/off - even on the same truck.

Deer whistles intrigue me - my grandfather was a believer but it seems like no one uses those anymore.

I have a formed one on my '15 Colorado. I don't feel like it helps with bugs, but as stated earlier, it does help with rock chips on the front edge of my hood and I like the looks of it! Lol

Yes they do work!

Definitely help deflect rocks

1984 chevy blazer.
2:73 rear end highway gears.
Worthless on the low end. Worthless for towing.
19 mpg on the highway.
Windshield was a bug stop.couldnt drive the thing around the block without dead bugs....
Installed straight up old style bug deflector .
No more bugs.
Never got more than 17 mpg after the install....

dave

Yep - I had one on my '04 F-350 and it did a decent job of deflection of both bugs and rocks..

I've got two trucks of the same body style.... one with and the other without deflector. The one with I've had windshield chips fixed twice but the leading edge of the hood is fine, the one without I've not had any windshield damage but the front of the hood has several rock chips through the paint to bare metal. From now on all of mine will have a defector... the ins. co. will pay for any windshield chip repair but to fix chips on the hood my deductible comes into play.

I had less windshield chips on my truck after installing a bug deflector.

People that have them, swear by them

They don't do squat on love bugs! But they do a great job of separating you from your money.

One of these was on our Toyota Highlander when we bought it. I think it's more of a hood protector than for bugs, though. We very rarely get a bug on the glass but the shape of the hood might be more the reason for that. I've never driven the Toyota without it for a comparison.

I like em for rocks,works ok on bugs.