It is not that hard on a console either. The controller vibrates just before the pick is about to break, so you can stop in time. After a couple of tries with the same pick though, it may suddenly snap without any warning.
At 35 skill and no perks, I have no issues unlocking upto expert locks. I could probably crack open master locks if I really wanted to, but I don't have the patience. And so far, I haven't seen much of a difference in the quality of loot behind locks. It is quite unsatisfying to spend all that time on an expert lock and get about 20 gold and a weaksauce potion out of it(happened quite a few times).