If you can afford it, then by all means buy the Makita, DeWalt, or the really high-end Festool--they all are better saws. If you're an occasional woodworker that still demands really high quality output, then this saw represents an excellent value with some modifications. I will upload some photographs of my modifications, which are a culmination of many ideas I picked up on U-tube. I probably have about three hours into the mods, and at least three trips to the hardware store, and several online orders to get all the necessary parts. If you need to purchase this and go to work immediately, then you may be a bit frustrated. Take the time to do the modifications before you need to really use this saw for critical work.The necessary modifications:Remove the guide strips on the track, and place them further apart. If you are careful you can reuse the adhesive, otherwise some double stick carpet tape works well. As an alternative, you can completely remove the guides, and put some UHMW tape on the bottom of the saw. The channels left behind in the track actually help to keep saw dust from building up. My saw had a very slight bow to the base, and was scraping in the center, so this was not an option. If you really want the saw to guide super smoothly, put a layer of UHMW self-adhesive tape on the base of the saw directly in line with the guides. Add a thin layer of paste wax, and you are gold. Bear in mind if you make these modifications you will probably not be able to use the clamp from the accessory kit to keep the saw from coming off the track when you do bevel cuts or extend the saw off the end of the track. A few videos on YouTube mentioned they got rid of the wobble in the saw by simply using this guide, so you may want to try that before removing the guide strips. In my limited experience with this, I found the edge guide binds, so I'm glad I moved the guide strips and added the UHMW tape.Get yourself a decent saw blade; the stock blade is crap. The Oshlum is an inexpensive decent blade to get you started. I'm sure the $50 Freud or Festool blade is even better, but I'm getting some pretty decent quality from the Oshlum, and for $25 it's a pretty good value.Don't assume that the saw is cutting a perfect 90° to the base. Mine was way off. Best way I found to adjust this is to remove the blade guard, which exposes the entire blade, and then it's very easy to adjust using a high-quality square. There's a small set screw to adjust.Dust collection: get yourself a piece of Lexan, not acrylic, and cut yourself a cover for the blade opening. One small screw will hold it in place. (see pic). You will have to drill and tap. On the other side of the blade, get yourself a piece of clear mylar. Transparency film works well, or perhaps some sheet protectors. You want mylar. Make folds about every 3/8 of an inch. You'll have to play around with a template, but within 15 min. you can get something to fit pretty well. A piece of gorilla tape on the top and bottom holds it in place. This takes dust collection to the next level,, so worth the effort in my opinion.Plunge spring. Either cut about a half inch off the stock spring or change the spring for a different one. McMaster Carrr or Grainger both have half-inch springs. I believe the wire diameter is .63. I use the galvanized steel one from McMaster Carr, and very happy with it. Grainger sells the exact same one, but wanted a fortune for shipping. Replacing the spring is better than shortening the stock one-- I tried both methods.Allen wrench holder: I don't know how many tools I have that came with various wrenches, but without a way to attach them to the tool, they end up everywhere except where you need them. I picked up this little thumbscrew off of Amazon. It's an M4 thread. I think I paid five dollars for it, which was outrageous, but finding metric thumbscrews in the U.S. is not an easy task. Bottom line, it works, and I have the Allen wrench when I need it to change blades.Waste side splinter guard: this modification took the most time, but brings the saw to the next level. If you don't want to have to make a 2nd cut to clean up the waste side of your stock, take the time to make one of these splinter guards. The picture should be self-explanatory. I use a 3/8" drill for the larger holes, and then some slightly oversize holes for the shaft of the screw. You want a little bit of wiggle room for adjustment. Use some number six by half-inch screws to attach the sacrificial base. If you change blades, you will have to change the base. I added a small strip of UHMW tape to the bottom, and be sure to bevel the leading edge or it will catch. I uploaded a few images to show the results. Well worth the trouble.With the modifications I'm very happy with the saw. I use a cheap little armor-all $30 vacuum cleaner, and it works great without blowing fuses, and weighs next to nothing. Recommended as well as a cheap companion to the saw.I didn't bother to readjust the depth setting. Some people add a little piece of wood to the depth gauge, but I just made a little note to add a quarter of an inch to the depth-- works for me.Hope these tips help! This is a good little saw when you take the time to modify it. Sure it would be nice if the manufacturer did this, but they don't. Get over and do the modifications--you'll be glad you did!One little update: I purchased two of the Grizzly 55 inch tracks, along with two of the rail connectors. I really didn't think it would be a big deal to join these two together with the aid of say a 4 foot level and get everything nice and straight. I just tried my first eight-foot rip today, and I had one heck of a time trying to get the rails aligned properly. The biggest issue is the connecting guides are on the bottom, and the best place to align things is from the aluminum rail on the top. There is so much leverage on the small rail connectors that it's really easy to knock out of place if you just snug one of the screws and then flip it around. I'm sure there's a solution here, but so far I'm finding it pretty difficult to get to rails in perfect alignment. If anyone has a procedure that has worked for them, please share!