I use them and they are my go-to tipups when there is little or no snow. First couple of walters for the season hit the ice Saturday night, caught on them. I bought 18 of them four years ago thinking they would break and I would need replacements, still using the first six. They do have more plastic than the polars, I had a set of those as well but gave them away because there were more moving parts which are a pain when it's cold. It isn't cold enough around here to worry about the trap freezing in the ice, I live 15 miles from you and fish many of the same lakes. From a value perspective I look at it that you can buy two for the price of one polar, if one breaks as things are want to do in the cold, no big deal.