Been using Ubuntu LTS (NEVER the October releases) in production for years. As smooth as Debian for upgrading.

If you're breaking your system every six months, that's probably because you're using the October releases instead of sticking to the April ones (which are usually the LTS ones and have fewer experimental packages).

My rule of thumb is to only set up October releases for playing around and getting a feel for what's coming down the pipe, and NEVER use them for production. Only the .04 ones.