We put down our laminate flooring about 4 years ago. We got a bunch of cheap stuff at HD (I think it was a Shaw brand, but I'm not sure). We figured that we could use it for now and upgrade the flooring later.
Install was not too bad - I'm definately with the crowd that saws get the install tool kit. Also, ours was advertised as "snap together" but it worked alot better as "hammer together"!
It has held up very well, with the exception of a few places where the kids spilled something on it, didn't clean it up, and it sat there and soaked in. Now there are little swollen areas at the joints. However, these are just a few spots, and it has otherwise held up well daily wear and sweeping/mopping.
Of course, neither I nor my wife like to sweep or mop, so it's probably only been mopped about twice a year!
I would definately use laminate again. However, I've seen expensive laminate that rivals the cost of hardwood, so I'm not sure I would spend as much or more on laminate as opposed to hardwood.
Kays Suppy Plumber Man (Reed? maybe) - what happened with laminate that has caused you such trouble? Is it moisture related?
Good luck and take care.