Compound miter saws are nice for trim work or cutting small widths. Sliding cpd. miter saws give a bit more cutting width but are expensive. I have a DeWalt 706 (12" dual tilt, non-sliding) and I love it. This rides in my truck everywhere I go and has not been knocked out of alignment yet.

Would I recommend Dewalt for the average guy? Maybe. There are very nice non-precision tools to be had at a fraction of the cost. For example: My workhorse cordless drill cost me $20 at a grocery store. It's a no-name 24V drill that has two gears and a hammer function. I thought for the money I could use it a couple of months and toss it when it dies. Well, two years later I finally toated the low gear setting when running a 2' long 3/4" bit through 8" of solid wood (I was running electric through a coffered beam.) I think I got my $20 worth.

As for circ saws, I have a B&D and a couple of Chicago brand (Harbor Freight.) I cannot tell the difference. I don't use quality blades, since they are for rough framing. Again, go with what Bob said.

My table saw is a Grizzly G0575 with a thin-kerf Freud combo blade. I've had about 6 months, but just last week had a chance to really use it. This saw makes a hack like me look good. I must have stared at the first box I made for over an hour. I could not believe the joints. They were all dead on. I'll post pics on the Pi forum later tonight. I'm anxious to show off my work.

You're right about the screws. Use them (or biscuits) on all joints. I mention the brad gun strickly from a home improvement stand point. If you're doing trim work (crown, chair rail, etc) the good ones will leave a nice little hole where the nail went in. Cheaper ones will tend to shatter the wood, even at a lower PSI setting. Porter Cble makes a nice two gun/compressor combo that is just fun to use.

If you know what you want, check Amazon.com for really good deals. Hope this helps......Colin

PS. I've rehab'd a number of condos. Nothing dress them up like trim work. Put some trim up watch the SAF go way up. The'll be begging you to buy more tools ....C