Never heard of them and I live on L.I. and have been in the building material supply business for 30 yrs. But if it is anything like the other related "impact or hurricane products" the cost will more than likely outweigh the $ in insurance premiums.

Here's a link to one product.

We're in the Midwest (although I grew up on LI! I envy you your delis and bagels!) and hail storms here are quite common- at least 2-3 per year. I'm not sure I ever saw hail on LI.

Here is a link that might be useful: IKO Armorshake shingles

Always read a warranty - never assume what it covers.

The warranty for IKO's "Armourshake" shingles excludes the following:

"Any damage caused by Acts of God or other causes beyond IKO's control, including, without limitation, lightning, gale or wind (except for the coverage in the Limited Wind Resistance Warranty), hail, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, explosion, flood, fungus contamination, solid objects falling on the roof, or any other causes."

Similar exclusions are found in the warranty for Owens-Corning's "Impact Resistant" shingles:

"1. Acts of God, such as hail, strong storms (hurricanes) or winds over the maximum windspeed listed in the chart at the end of this warranty, or ice damming above the area covered by leak barriers or flashings."

For GAF Timberline "ArmorShield" II Shingles, "impact resistant" means the shingles passed the UL 2218 Impact Test with a Class 4 rating but the warranty excludes "(a) acts of nature, such as hail, winds (or gusts) over the applicable wind speed listed above, or ice damming above the area covered by leak barriers or above flashings."

Basically all of these roofing systems are algae resistant, thicker and use better installation standards but none to my knowledge are warrantied against damage from hail. And some of these shingles are not even offered for sale in certain parts of the country, like near the ocean or the mountains.

Don't assume anything about a warranty - you must read it carefully.

So if they're not warranted, they're no improvement even if they meet the higher UL standard?

I guess you have to balance any insurance discount against the extra initial costs. And consider the large deductibles on your home insurance policy in case there is a claim. Standard deductible here is $5,000.

The main drivers for me would be to have a higher quality shingle and save $350/yr on my home insurance (and more than that if they save me a claim). I understand that the manufacturer can't promise they'll withstand a hailstorm, just that they are more impact resistant than standard shingles. They do appear to be available in my area, and the fact that the insurance companies offer discounts for using them suggests there is a benefit statistically.

I was hoping to find someone who has used them or considered them and decided against them. Anyone?

I know this is a dated thread but how well do you like the Atlas StormMaster Shingles? I plan on having my roof done with them in a couple of weeks.

Also considering Atlas StormMaster Shake shingles (http://bit.ly/2dhVx8S) and would be interested in hearing any feedback.

Sounds like you've got your mind made up!