Speaking from the point of view of a Canadian accustomed to carrying a couple of snowbrushes/ice scrapers in the car, and another one kept inside the garage for those days that you have to scrape just to get into the car, those ice scrapers are, frankly, lame.  Where's the longer handle for leverage?  The solid nylon blade with the square ice breaking blocks?  Any Canadian hardware store would laugh at the thought of carrying those scrapers.... though they might give away the cheap little yellow one as a giveaway stamped with the store logo.
 
This is the minimum I'd call a scraper:  http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/ice-scraper-0304401p.html#.Uvu7Jc6mXjI
This is like what I keep in the car:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/snowbrush-scraper-26-in-0304426p.html#.Uvu7Yc6mXjI
And this is great for bigger vehicles, like Vanagons:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/ultra-maxx-snow-brush-27-in-0304451p.html#.Uvu70M6mXjI
 
James
Ottawa, ON
 
> Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2014 09:47:10 -0800
> From: syncro@GMAIL.COM
> Subject: Re: DIY windshield de-icing solution?
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> 
> I watch this ice scraper evaluation episode in DW TV last night. Guess which one the testers preferred? The �1 squarish one or the heated ones? See for yourself.
> 
> http://www.dw.de/spot-it-de-icing-the-car-does-a-heated-scraper-do-the-job/av-17423941
> 
> 
> BenT
> sent from my electronic leash
> 
> > On Feb 12, 2014, at 6:09 AM, Tom Buese <tantonbz@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> > 
> > I am thinking Mr. Squirrel needs a real ice scraper, not 1 of those SoCal
> > leftovers or even a Banana Belt Oregon model.  One like we use in Maine,
> > where the ice is hard & thick, & the wimin are the same.