Funny Justin, I was at Lowe's last evening shopping myself.
One thing that I have learnt over the years is to make sure you look at the items you normally wouldn't and ya get what ya pay for.
Example:
My cheap ass Skill Jigsaw and circular saws. They do the job OK.... but who woulda ever thought that I should have looked more closely at the cords when I was buying them. They are a stiff plasticized PITA and get in the way of cuts constantly. My Milwaukee stuff has a nice, soft, pliable cord. They are also removable, replacable, and interchangeable.
Three brands I wouldn't hesitate to suggest:
Milwaukee
Hitachi
DeWalt
Lowe's has some great deals right now on a couple of Dewalt Compound Mitre Saws.
There is also a
12" Hitachi for a steal.