It is way too easy to strip a philips head screw going into wood, so maybe they did mean torx head?
Most of the torx screws you'll find in boxes at a hardware store are deck screws anyway (at least around here), which are really good for attaching wood to wood. Good to be careful though.
A tip it took me too long to learn: using an impact driver will make it easier to avoid stripping Phillips screws than using a drill/driver. The way the impact driver delivers impulses at high torque just makes it easier to keep the bit properly engaged, since it kind of "resets" between each impact. The effect was so dramatic to me that the frustration saved was more than worth the cost of a mid-range cordless impact driver.
But a lot of carpenters do prefer square or torx drive just to avoid the whole problem.
I honestly hadn't thought about this, will give it a shot. I have a decent impact driver that came with my drill, and hardly ever use it. Thanks for the tip!
(although I will keep buying torx screws for the most part :D)
Most of the torx screws you'll find in boxes at a hardware store are deck screws anyway (at least around here), which are really good for attaching wood to wood. Good to be careful though.