If you had it to do over....

[air]

Proto and SK

I'm really starting to dig Cornwell ratchets though...

 

[slip knot]

I'd do the same thing I'm doing now. Hitting the estate and garage sales for good USA made tools cheap. Any major brand is OK as long as it was made here. Probably 1/8 of my lastest tool purchases have been new tools.

 

[lotsoftools]

I'm really fond of Armstrong tools right now, so I think I would go with them for wrenches, ratchets and such. I'd stick with Channel Lock pliers.

 

[netcaretaker]

Mostly either on sale or used and the brands I would look for would be -

Snap-on (almost always used)
Proto
Williams
Craftsman
SK

 

[Exceller8]

If I had to start over I'd buy everything used. I wouldn't worry too much about matching brands as long as I had quality tools. For me craftsman has been just fine, but I've been getting some really great deals on Snap-On and S-K stuff lately. I picked up a 11/16 S-K combo today for $3. I bought a nice Snap-On 9/16" combo for $10. It might take a bit longer to get what you need but in the long run your $$$ will go so much farther.

 

[NC-Fordguy]

All my friends know I'm really into tools. It was their lack of willingness and ability to carry on extended conversations about them that led me here in the first place. However, when they are in the market for tools they usually ask my advise and I'm kinda proud of that. After gauging their frequency and degree of use I typically find myself suggesting Kobalt or Craftsman and once in awhile, SK. Now I'm curious, if you were starting out today without a single tool to your name, and knowing what you know about the various brands, what line would you invest in for the majority of your core hand tools? The Proto tools I've had for a significant length of time have given me great service and I feel they've been a good value over all. I'd likely invest in them all over again. How about you?

Sounds to me you need to find better friends

 

[Conductor562]

Sounds to me you need to find better friends

I do. I don't have any of those lifelong friends left. One ended up in prison, one ended up being a drunk ***, and the other died in a car accident last June. Just a few buddies from work and that's about it. I've always been very conservative in distinguishing friend from aquaintance.

 

[MachYou]

I only changes I would do would be buying a 42" HF box in the beginning and SO ratchets.
I started with a 300+ piece craftsman set that had everything I needed for basic jobs and I bought tools as needed for the job I was doing. I kept putting up with craftsman ratchets over the years and would wait till I broke several of them to go and exchange them, I finally broke down and bought a couple SO ratchets and haven't looked back. For pliers I've stuck with channel lock and Klein and starting to buy SO pliers.

 

[Rooster66]

Aaaahhhhh, spoken like a true Mountaineer. Friends? Two. True friends? 0. All others, hundreds. Don't think it's a hillbilly thing because I don't know any body else that feels this way. Sorry about the thread hijack, Williams makes and has made some mighty fine tools.