Try SCSS instead? It provides much better errors for debugging (by virtue of not being javascript-based). "when it goes wrong, which it does regularly" require

Try SCSS instead? It provides much better errors for debugging (by virtue of not being javascript-based). "when it goes wrong, which it does regularly" requires more substance though; LESS or SCSS have never presented a real problem for designers or developers I've worked with. These are valuable tools that address a deficiency when crafting CSS, and should not be discredited so quickly.