Hi David :wave:
Short answer - it depends on the task
. Long answer below
The stock skids (2012 at least) don't offer as much protection on tougher obstacles as after market skids. The additional protection was chosen based on what is normally hit on the FJ when driving over rocks or up a shelf. The rear diff is the lowest spot & the cost for the skid is less than replacing a busted rear diff housing. Mounts for shocks & control arms are also common areas to take abuse. And the stock tail pipe is easily squashed when going over a high shelf/step - raising it almost completely eliminates that risk.
I don't (yet) know how to fix things myself so it was worth it to me to invest in some extra protection up front
. So far, I believe it's all paid for itself. There's visible evidence that all pieces of protection have taken some hard hits - especially the skid plates and rear diff skid.
Cheers,
Tanya