If It is cold and blowing snow, they are worth it. I have been out on -15 days and never had my holes freeze. When other guys are constantly fussing with there tilts, I just pick them up and check them. No chopping ice. You do need to make sure the cover is flat against the ice otherwises it won't work 100%. The real advantage is in shallow water. You can check a flag without having to chop ice and potentially scare the fish into dropping your bait. Just my thoughts but I have been using the same set for atleast 5 years now with no complaints.