What is the deal with IOTA transactions?

I know it is said that it is work in progress and early days but why is it so hard to make transactions?
Even on the worst blockchain networks transactions do actually happen. IOTA they just don't I have IOTA
stranded in 2 different wallets. I cannot get any transactions to confirm at all. I have had transactions pending
for weeks and weeks. I have tried every node and reattached so many times it's just silly.  

I wish I had kept everything in the exchange.