I have 4 tip ups, they get used rarely.
It is so much easier to just set out a dead stick with a tall bobber, or strike alarm.
The line freezes, they never stay rolled up when you store them, and hand over hand fish fighting can be a bitch, but remember I am slightly retarded too, so that never helps anything(sorry for the insensitive language used to describe my mental inability)
I didn't know there was a difference between the orange and black one other than color. I personally despise the newer style of pro thermals. I like to buy the older ones when I find them. I like the yellow ones with the black flag because it shows up better in the snow. The insulation is also much better with the frabills.Not a big fan of the orange Frabills because you have to push the spool down when you set up and I find them hard to put away when frozen. (The boy got them for Christmas last year so we use them) I am however a huge fan of the black Frabill tip ups. They are set and ready with just a flip. They also have the cork on the end to make rolling them up easier.