I've realised that _not_ having of one of these is making my life 10x
harder than it needs to be!

Uses will be cutting 4x2, joists, floorboards, skirting, architrave
etc and anything else that comes along and fits it. (Pity chipboard
won't!)

I've been put off by the price of a decent mitre saw for ages (from
reading the FAQ I didn't think there was much point buying a poor one
which can't cut accurately), but I've realised that the amount of time
I've spent fiddling around with a mitre block or making a mess of
things with a cheap jigsaw means that one would have been a good
investment six months ago, and may still be worthwhile now (i.e. as I
start to second-fix the house).

I've found these two, which seem to be the cheapest "good" makes...

HITACHI C8FSE
http://www.toolsave.co.uk/product.ph...240&cat_id=722

Bosch GCM800S
http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/scripts/...product=121321

Both start at about £220.

Has anyone had any experience with either? Am I wasting my money
getting something so "good"? I reckon the 312mm cut of the Hitachi
might be useful occasionally above the 270mm cut of the Bosch, but
maybe not that often.

I need a stand too. There seems to be some badly thought of junk out
there (Axminster seems to fall apart). The Bosch comes with a stand at
£305. There are cheap stands on eBay. I'd be happy with a second hand
stand. (I'd be happy with a second hand mitre saw, but the good ones
don't seen to come up often, or be that cheap when they do!). To state
the obvious: I don't like spending money.

It seems like the kind of thing that will get a lot of use for a few
weeks, then go away for a couple of years, then come out and get
thrashed again for a month, then go away again. So I want it to last
and not rot away, to get my money's worth.

Any thoughts / advice?

Cheers,
David.