I have a love hate relationship with Gearwrench. Every situation is different and it really depends on what tools you need and how quickly you need them.
Personally, for me, if I was starting out, I'm not sure I'd buy a whole set from Gearwrench, but I also don't think you did bad on the price and at this point, I'd probably just keep it. I have some Gearwrench stuff that's great, and other things that aren't very good. However, I'm not sure you'd do any better with Tekton either. To do better, I think you'd need to seek out used higher quality tools such a USA made Craftsman, Snap On, Williams, SK, etc. However, it'll take quite a bit of time to get a complete set at decent prices from brands like this. So if you need them immediately, it's not always an option.
My biggest complaint about Gearwrench is the warranty. I've had to use their warranty three times. The first was on a set of pliers I bought from Advance Auto Parts. They warrantied them, but it took getting a manager to get it swapped out. It was a hassle, but the best experience I've had with their warrnaty. I had a screwdriver break and to warranty it was a nightmare. No one locally seemed to be willing to warranty it, so I called Gearwrench and they wanted me to send it in, which is understandable. However, it cost me almost $10 in shipping to have a single screwdriver replaced. It was one of the larger ones that did cost more than that to buy individually, but even then it probably wasn't worth it. However, I did send it in and received a replacement. The whole process took several weeks. This would have been unacceptable if it was my only screwdriver set.
Then, just recently I warrantied a ratchet. I called in and they required me to send an email to a warranty email. After about a week with no response, I sent another email to follow up. It was at that time that they told me they'd send me a new ratchet. I got the new ratchet about a week later. Then the new ratchet has the rubber soft handle at an angle. None of the pictures online show this, and it feels really awkward. So I emailed them back about the issue. Again, no response. So I sent a follow up email again, only to be told that that's normal and how they are supposed to be on this model. If that's true, and they insist it is, it's a really stupid design. So the warranty has gotten better the sense that I didn't have to pay to mail the broken one back, but it I don't feel that I should have to follow up multiple times and wait weeks for a replacement.
I have a lot of Gearwrench sockets and I use them often. I have no complaints. Heck, I often keep this by my tool cart and use them over my Snap On and USA Craftsman's that I keep in my box. It's not that they are better, but they seem to work just as well. They work well, seem tough, and I've never broken one. I really think you'll be fine here. I don't use 12 point stuff very often, but it is nice to have if you need it. I've needed them when doing clutch jobs and things like that.
I've also been extremely happy with my Gearwrench wrenches. I do prefer my Snap On set of non ratcheting wrenches, but I think you'll be just fine in most cases with the Gearwrench ones as they are good enough for a fraction of the price. I prefer my Gearwrench ratcheting wrenches over the Snap On set that I've used. Although I will say that my ratcheting wrenches from them are probably 17 or 18 years old.
I will say, I think their flex head ratcheting wrenches are a must have, but I don't see any in that kit. They are great!
I also have some Gearwrench screwdrivers. I've used them a lot over the years and I've had pretty good luck. I've since replaced them with Snap On which are much better, as are others like Wera, PB Swiss, etc. However, the Gearwrench ones are a level above others such as Craftsman, Kobalt, etc. I suspect they'll probably be good enough for the occasional user.
When it comes to their ratchets, I'm not a fan. I originally got one full sized and one stubby 3/8" drive ratchet with the first set of sockets I bought about 10 years ago. These were excellent. They feel great, have been reliable, don't slip, etc. I was highly impressed. In fact, I was so impressed that I bought several more and it's been nothing but a nightmare. The 2nd 3/8" stubby I bought tends to have the lever flip on it's own when you're backing the ratchet up. So for example, if I'm tightening something then pull the ratchet back, the lever will flip to reverse. This makes it a pain to use. The 1/2" drive ratchet I bought didn't last long before it started slipping under pressure. This leads to busted knuckles, which isn't fun. While some of their ratchets are obviously great, I just don't think their quality is consistent. I'm not willing to take the chance with them anyway. Couple this with the fact that their warranty is a hassle and it takes weeks to get a replacement, I just don't think they are worth it. I also don't want to find out that I got a bad one when it slips and busts my knuckles, or worse.
I have those crescent wrenches in that kit and they are also ****. The handles are poorly glued on and on every set I have they want to slip off. The wrenches also have more play in them than I'd like.
The only set of pliers I've ever used from them have also been ****. It's an extra long set of double jointed needle nose pliers. They don't claim together tight, the metal seems to be weak as the teeth wear off quickly, and the jaw bent out extremely easy on the first set I had. The replacement isn't any better, but I haven't bent them. I rarely use them because of how bad they are.
I also have some long hex sockets with ball ends on them and I'm not really impressed there either. They are decent I guess, but I find the ball doesn't usually fit tightly and wants to slip and strip out the fastener. I've had much better luck with Snap On bits.
So, in conclusion, I thinks some of the stuff Gearwrench makes is excellent. I wouldn't trade my wrenches from them for $1,000. However, the quality just doesn't seem to be consistent. While other stuff they make is complete junk. Then you factor in the warranty that's hard to deal with it and takes forever, and it just makes me shy away from purchasing stuff from them most of the time.
This is also why I shy away from kits. There aren't many companies that make the best of everything, so I prefer not to limit myself to one brand. For example, I LOVE my old US made Craftsman sockets, but their screwdrivers and ratchets ****. I love my Snap On ratchets, but I think Knipex makes significantly better pliers, etc. That's why I prefer to piece together a kit that's exactly what I want. However, this takes a lot more time and doesn't work if you need the tools immediately.
