Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Looking to purchase either a HANS or a DefNder. Need some feedback on either device.

Thanks in advance.

I spoke to Brian Butler in Indy a few weeks back and he said Butlerbuilt endorses the DefNder and that is the only one they recommend. He had a lot of good things to say about it. Call Butlerbuilt and talk to him if you want more info.

Former Owner/President of FAST and Black Swamp Media
Group. Currently just another fan in the stands.

While I have a lot of respect for Brian Butler, his wife, and what they've done for driver safety, I think that his endorsement of the DefNder would be a lot more credible if he didn't stand to gain financially from selling the product....

While it's probably not a conflict of interest, it just seems like it to me.........

Chuck.....

A friend of mine is sending his DefNder back and buying a HANS. He just couldn't get the DefNder to fit right without it sliding around.

I was wondering the same thing, although, I held a Defnder in my hands last week I can see the pro's and con's to the item, as is, the same with the Hans,

I hate to be too opinionated on here, my reply might get erased. with that being said ,would some of you, with first hand experiance with either items, please reply, I too, am looking to purchase a head /neck restraint, it seems there is a few variations on the market now , I want to know from racer to racer , (not a salesman) what the true Beef is on them , good or bad.

would you consider a Leatt brace,I used a hans didn't like it -but maybe it just didn't fit me right -might be great for another ..laid hard on my collar bone

I sold my Hans a couple of weeks ago and used the money to buy a Defnder. I couldn't be happier with the Defnder. Its way more adjustable and I can get my shoulder belts way tighter with it than I ever could with the Hans. You also don't have to worry about your shoulder belts slipping off of the deal. That being said I still believe everyone has to decide for themselves what works for them.

I personally wear my belts uncomfortably tight, alot of other drivers proubly do,(once your rolling it doesnt seem to matter) if something restricts the adjustment im proubly going to second guess its purpose , I quickly realised the Defnder had a much more softer fit in the collar bone area ,putting much of the forward (impact pressure on the rib/upper lung area) just my observation , I do realise what works for one doesn't work for the other , is the weight and fatigue experience better with the Hans? (carbon model) ,are the Green composite pieces on the Defender designed to aid in a lateral impact such as the conventional (foam) neck brace? thanks for the response , the information is worth its weight in gold., much appreciated

if you use a sternum clamp style shoulder harness, the belts can't slip off.

Thanks for the responses. We went with the Defnder. It arrived yesterday.

Great Choice!

i was told you are NOT supposed to use sternum belts with a hans device,you might check with product rep.

My son tried a DeFnder on at PRI and immediately said it was more comfortable than his Hans. The design is such that it relieved the pressure off his collar bone.

Note: he is very small in stature - 5'11" but only 130 pounds

So he ordered one and we installed the clips on his helmet today. We had a slight problem getting it to fit right on him (due to his small chest size) It was the same problem he had with a 20 Hans. When the belts were tightened, it would pull the device against the back of his helmet and push his head forward. Switching to a 10 Hans solved that problem, but the DeFnder is adjusted all the way back, and its still not quite enough.

Then he went to exit the car (Butlerbuilt full containment seat) and was hung up so much, he immediately said no way was he going to wear it.

I don't want to give up on it just yet, as it has some good things I like about it, and he'll be calling them tomorrow to see if they can offer some advice on adjusting it to fit his chest better. But I would like to ask those who have ran the DeFnder if they run a full containment seat, and if they have the same inteference when exiting the seat. I suspect the fact that his seat is so small due to his size(maybe a 13" or 14" seat), that it creates the problem, though he has no problem with the Hans. He thought maybe a larger driver has more head and shoulder room in the sides, and that gives the DeFnder room to escape. The shoulder belt supports seemed to be the culprit, and as the DeFnder is one size fits all, maybe it is better suited to a larger driver.

Anyone?

The greatest knowledge is to know that you know nothing
at all.