Pocket hole screws vs old school glue-up, no contest
Built two nightstands last month. First one I fought with clamps and dowels for a whole Saturday. Second one I grabbed my Kreg jig and had the frame done in under an hour. The pocket hole joints were dead square, no slide, no fuss. I still use glue on top, but I'm never going back to dowels for simple boxes. Anyone else switch and regret waiting?
Pocket holes are definitely faster, but they are not stronger than a proper dowel joint with glue. For a simple box you are fine either way, but a loose tenon or dowel joint will hold up better over years of side-to-side racking.