Hi Ed. I had no problems with heel (parallel to fence) or blade angle, out of the box. They were spot on. I didn't mention it, but the packing for the tool was very well done, so that makes a difference. I made quite a few cuts last week at 0 and 45 degrees and they went really well. That said, I'll be moving this around and I'm guessing over time things can get out of whack, especially if carted around in a truck and brought to job sites. The instruction manual has directions for adjusting both. There are hard to find screws that are used to adjust these. Since you are shopping, you might also want to consider the DeWalt mid-range if the price is right. Last weekend I was using one at a Habitat for Humanity build. It is almost exactly the same. It looks like the main workings are from the same basic manufacturer. That's kind of odd because the parent companies of the brands are different. Anyway, the only differences I saw were: 1) The stand folds and stores different. 2) The throat plate on the DeWalt has a lock/unlock instead of just a clip. So, yes, I still like the fence and it is (so far) true. It is a huge improvement compared to the "clip and secure" fences on the lower end models. Those will drive you nuts. My one dislike so far is that the locking mechanism for the folding table doesn't grab well. I think that may have even come through in the video.

Right now its 279 at home depot

how's the dust collection on it?