I have had great luck with the newer Lowrance units. The old ones suck I must agree. They are fairly easy to use and the color is a huge advantage now. I can see fish holding close to structure, I have marked them in the grass too. Its really nice to see the color changes and know exactly what is below you.

I have the LMS 332C with GPS. So far, so good after 2 years. I have used in saltwater and in fresh. Rough days and calm days with zero issues. You can also add the Navionics software to the system (very cool for some water)

I know that Matt and some of my other friends with Pinpoints love them. They seem to be very durable units.