I think most any brand has their good saws and their budget line. I'm not sure that any well-known brand will have a stellar reputation, nor one that has people calling them "junk".

After all that, I've never heard anything bad about Delta saws. Their new Unisaw, though well out of your price range, has gained many fans.

If I had more room, I'd be looking at this SawStop cabinet saw. Even beyond the finger-saving technology, the saws have a very good reputation for build quality, ergonomics and dust collection.

::::::: No disrespect to Axiom, but my favorite woofer is my yellow lab :::::::