nope no breaking, just make sure you pull 2 limbs when dragging it to the moving truck. If you pull on them too soon they will break but after the cement cures about 4-5 days the stuff is as hard as..well concrete.
I have about 2-3 bucks in ALL 10 of these, NOT per top but for ALL 10. Normally they are expensive but I got the pipe for almost free and everything else was free (including the cement), so yes normally PVC tops are a lil expensive. The key is to either purchase bulk DAMAGED pvc pipe or find/salvage scrap PVC for free. If you try and buy each stick it would be almost too expensive to consider. We use PVC almost all the time BUT I will/have used metal poles from fences, tents, etc. We've used fiberglass rods from tents too. Works the same but the pipe is too rigid and doesn't flex at all or the fiberglass is TOO flex and not strong enough to support the 70 pounds if you pick it up by a limb AND it will splinter in your skin. Anything round will be snag proof and that's my goal. Along with durability as I can get free Bamboo all day long but it has to be replaced over time. So much goes into each drop I NEVER EVER EVER want to have to go back and "freshen them up"...Doesn't make sense to me.