I realize I'm shooting myself in the foot here, but am I really the only one who's never broken a hydrometer?
I am not 100% sure, but I believe that I, personally, have never broken a hydrometer. I have had 3 or 4 hydrometers however and all but the current one were broken by others, sometimes through no fault of my own, sometimes because I left it next to the dish drainer or somewhere else it wasn't safe.
Well, if we're gonna split hairs about who actually broke the hydrometer...LOL. Anyway, I've broken almost everything at least once- carboy (went back to plastic for awhile); thermometer ( glass, floaty POS that came with my first kit) went digital after that one; auto-siphon (plastic); burner...ok, after 15 years it rusted and just gave up.
Yep, I typically brew alone now. Safer for everybody