Four Paws Allen's Spring Action Dog Scooper

I've been using this type of scooper for 8 years now and it's the best design I've found so far. I have both models, the one for grass and the one for flat surfaces, and use whichever one is called for depending on the circumstances. However as many have pointed out it does have some design flaws. The first time I bought one of these the thin inner handle broke at the center of the top after only a couple months. To avoid buying another one right away I fixed it by drilling small holes in the handle on each side of the break, both top to bottom and side to side, then I used thin wire through the holes to pull the handle back together. After fixing the break I wrapped the inner handle with the grip tape that you'd use to wrap a tennis racket handle. The tape reinforces the thin handle and keeps it from breaking, and it's much more comfortable on the fingers during use as well. The other problem with the design of this product is the plastic washers that they use on the pivot points on each side of the scoop. They tend to pop off and unless you see it happen and pick them up to put them back on you'll lose them and the scoop will start to fall apart as it's used. The plastic in other areas has snapped as well, but this type of plastic does seem to work well with super glue, so depending on where the break occurs you might be able to fix it and keep using it longer with just a couple drops of glue.Now whenever I need to buy a new scooper I fix the weak points before I ever use it. My "fixes" to the scooper can keep it working for many years rather than risk it breaking after only a couple months. First thing I do is pop off the scoop pivot point washers and use a few drops of super glue to glue them back on. This holds them on for the life of the product and does not affect how it works at all. You have to be careful not to use too much glue though as it can leak into the pivot joint area preventing the scoop from opening. Then I wrap the top corners of the inner handle with electrical tape. Start as far down the inner handle as you can manage. It's not the easiest thing to do with the outer handle in the way, but it can be done. My last scooper broke at one of the corners because I didn't tape it in that area, I had only wrapped the top with the grip tape. I then wrap the thin inner handle with the grip tape that's used for wrapping tennis racket handles. It creates a nice cushioned grip and reinforces the handle to prevent it from breaking. When putting the grip tape on try to start and end it on each side below the corners. This will reinforce the corners and keep this product working for much longer than if these "fixes" aren't done. You could probably just use electrical tape on the top of the whole inner handle if you wanted to, but the grip tape looks nicer and provides a nice cushioned grip which I prefer over just thin electrical tape. Plus I think the grip tape reinforces the handle much better than the electrical tape would.I hope this information is helpful to anyone interested in buying this product, or for anyone who already owns one and would like to "fix" the design flaws before they experience them.