Both brands are durable without a doubt. It is amazing what they put those power poles through in that video. The Talon does have an alarm to notify you if it is in the down position when you start your engine.

From Minn Kota's website....

Deployment Notification Alarm

If you turn your engine on while Talon is deployed, a Deployment Notification Alarm alerts you that the anchor is down. The alarm comes standard, but you can choose whether or not to install it.