My take for what it's worth:
Buy individual top quality sockets from a good auto parts store as needed. You will find you probably only need a handful of sizes. My Roadmaster wagon has a lot of 10mm and 13mm and the Hondas my wife and I ride use 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, and 17mm. Plus a huge one for the rear axle nut that I can't remember.
I would rather have those sockets with lifetime warranty than 50 tools that break or strip.
Typically, whenever I have a new project or repair I will pick up one or two sockets or open end/box wrenches with it - I now have just about everything. (Well, an Indian Roadmaster to go with the Buick Roadmaster would be nice...)
Quick follow-up -- I got the SK set a few days ago, and have used it on the couple of jobs that I needed to do right away -- my initial impressions are that it's REALLY well-made and just a great tool set. Exactly what I needed. The cheapo and incomplete socket set that I had is going straight in the trash.
It wasn't cheap, but I think I got what I paid for.
bloke wrote:If you throw your other socket set away, what do you plan to do when you need TWO ratchets and TWO of the same size socket at the same time?
Call my father in law?
Maybe I'll hang onto a few of the sockets, but the rest is junk. Actually, it's not even really a socket wrench, as much as it is a ratcheting screwdriver set that also has sockets.
