Ubiquitous New Guy "this or that" Thread

[JoeOef]

So here I am. I am Joe, from Minnesota. I have been lurking here for a while and have found a ton of great and helpful information and given my wife a headache listening to me talk about GJ.

I was a diesel equipment tech in the Army for a handful of years and recently seperated. I spent a few months moping around and fishing and the time came to find a job, so I got one. I start in a couple weeks as a technician for a small shop maintaining government equipment. While in the Army, all tools were provided, and my personal assigned set was all SK. I have a pretty concise home shop and tool collection, but it's a hodge podge of Craftsman, HF, SK, old hand-me-down Snap and some stuff made by companies that no longer exist. Aside from not being professional quality in it's entirety, it pains me to imagine breaking it up.

That said, I am in a position to buy tools. I've got around $1200-$1500 in the fund right now. I don't really have the time to source used tools and am cutting it short even for shipping right now.

Tool Storage is not within the budget as I've already got a professional grade box just sitting around. Here is the list as it sits, looking for what changes to make, and where it's worth spending more or less money. Thanks for putting up with a new guy. All prices are rough estimates.

SK Wrenches SuperKrome Sets, Metric and SAE $260
1/4,3/8,1/2 Ratchets, extensions, universals from Williams $300
1/4,3/8,1/2 Socket set from Craftsman $115
Wiha or Williams Screwdrivers $50
Williams Cast Iron Pipe Wrenches $50
Hammers (Undecided, guessing around $100 for dead blow, mallet, ball peen set-up)
Pliers (Undecided, looking at Craftsman USA, Channellock, Knipex, guessing around $140 for an inclusive setup)

Still looking at pry bars, punches, nut drivers etc, guessing with middle of the road tools I would have no trouble going over budget, which is what I would like to avoid. Like anybody, I just want to get the most bang for my buck, and have the ability to upgrade over time.

If you've read this far, I am already indebted to you, and I would be moreso if you've got any advice as to where to trim the fat or where I should spend more money. Thanks a million.

 

[d_rock]

looks like a good start. I use mostly channel lock pliers with some matco ones but I was playing with the new knipex made ones on the truck that are offset. man, the flat pliers with the side cutter could cut through a penny using one hand. but at 140 bucks for the 3 piece set I passed. lol

 

[JoeOef]

Yep, to someone unaccustomed to buying new quality tools, such as myself, the sticker shock can be a little much.

 

[rusty65]

For sk check out tooltopia.com they have the best prices on sk from my experience and welcome to garage journal.

 

[JoeOef]

Tooltopia.com will be getting my money for the wrenches for sure.

 

[I van putski]

And don't go crazy till you know which tool trucks visit your new shop.

 

[tomshep]

Honestly, starting out I would look hard at Craftsman to get started. Their professional stuff is decent and will buy you time. See what tools you are using the most at your new job and start getting higher-end tools as needed.

Tom

 

[davesnothere]

For prybars, punches, nut drivers and whatnot, check out harry epsteins. The wilde prybars are a damn good value. Lots of good prices on usa made tools there. And they will make you sweet box art of whatever your little heart desires.

 

[BuckHenry]

I think Channellock is the best bang for the buck in pliers. You should look at the Wilde pry bars/punches/chisels that Harry Epstiens sells. Craftsman offers rebranded Vaughan and Nupla hammers at reasonable prices.

 

[greasegorilla]

SK Wrenches SuperKrome Sets, Metric and SAE $260
1/4,3/8,1/2 Ratchets, extensions, universals from Williams $300
1/4,3/8,1/2 Socket set from Craftsman $115
Wiha or Williams Screwdrivers $50
Williams Cast Iron Pipe Wrenches $50
Hammers (Undecided, guessing around $100 for dead blow, mallet, ball peen set-up)
Pliers (Undecided, looking at Craftsman USA, Channellock, Knipex, guessing around $140 for an inclusive setup)

Still looking at pry bars, punches, nut drivers etc, guessing with middle of the road tools I would have no trouble going over budget, which is what I would like to avoid. Like anybody, I just want to get the most bang for my buck, and have the ability to upgrade over time.

My recommendations arent going to be USA on many things, which might displease some people here. But, I know where youre coming from starting a job, needing tools yesterday, and having a limited budget. In my case I went and got a loan and picked up a used retired mechanics complete set. If I was doing the same thing over, heres what I would recommend, enough to get started, and then upgrade to better stuff as you get into the job.

-Wrenches, I would get the gearwrench 18pc SAE and 22pc metric set. You're not wrong going for SK, but to me, gearwrench is cheaper, as effective, and I would upgrade wrenches to tool truck brand later. SK is still a great choice.
-Ratchets/sockets, ect. I would pick up the gearwrench 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 boxed sets. Maybe even skip the 1/2 for now depending on what I knew i was going to be working on. I'd look into SK for a good reasonably priced breaker bar
-Screwdrivers are great with williams or wiha, wiha is my preference. Not something to cheap out on starting off.
-Hammers, If you have a local harbor freight, go there. Its a hammer. You beat on things with it. I'd grab every one of my hammers from harbor freight for a starting off set.
-Pliers, definitely go for channellock and knipex. Not something to cheap out on.

Other stuff- Locking pliers, get some grip-on or other rebrand like protos, dont cheap out. Prybars, Id probably pick up a craftsman set for 24" and under, over that, start looking at Mayhew. Imapact sockets- grey pneumatic. Impact guns- Harbor freight 1/2 earthquake impact.

As far as buying stuff, check out amazon. 95% of the time they have the best price, and you dont have time to **** around looking for bottom dollar prices. If you havent used a free 1 month trial of amazon prime yet, it would be golden right now. Free 2 day shipping on most anything you need.

 

[JoeOef]

Thanks for all the advice so far. Shop is small, been open for four years now, and no tool trucks have it on a route presently and it doesn't seem a priority for the other techs to make that happen, which is just as well, more money in my pocket I guess.

I'll check out those Wilde pry bars, and GearWrench was my second choice for wrenches, and I still might swing a couple sets of ratcheting wrenches in addition to the combo wrenches.

Would you guys pick the GearWrench ratchets over the Williams/Williams USA ratchets? For what reason? All the Williams ratchets I've looked at have been 36 tooth, so fine tooth ratchets would be nicer, but pricier if I recall.

 

[jeremy v]

The only changes/comments I could think of that I would make to your list if I was in a similar situation would be the following:

I would make sure to get a Williams rebranded SnapOn ratchet screwdriver (WRS-1, $25-35 new online) and a nice quality bit kit and use it whenever possible. The ratchet feature will come in handy a lot, and using the ratchet screwdriver when possible will take 90%+ of the wear off of your regular screwdriver sets so they last a lot longer as well. Cheap good quality replacement bits are very easy to come by. Then you can also combine it with a 1/4" deep socket set and a 1/4" hex to socket adapter you have a nice set of ratcheting nut drivers for very little money.

If you have time buy used Ridgid pipe wrenches from Ebay, Craigslist etc. You will end up paying the same amount and end up with a better product in my opinion. I don't know about Williams pipe wrenches specifically, but they are pretty cheap, and a lot of the cheaper pipe wrenches are not forged, so if you put a cheater pipe on them and/or stress them too much the handles will snap instead of just bending like the Ridgid ones will. It is a safety issue, so at the very least verify that they are forged.

My general philosophy when I am trying to do something like you are doing with a limited amount of money is to spend the bulk of the money on good quality stuff in the areas where you will be completely stuck if something breaks, like with ratchets (if you don't have multiples), your core sockets, etc. Any tools that are not a job stopper or that have an alternative option if they break can be purchased more cheaply and replaced later as funds allow. Things like dead blow hammers, just get the harbor freight ones for less than $10 for now, they will work just fine for a long time and when they break then get a nicer one if it is warranted.

One thing to remember as well is that good quality tools will accomplish more work than average quality tools before wearing out, but the more actual tools you have, the less any one specific tool is used, so the less the overall quality of the individual tools matter up to a certain point. Another way of saying this is that there is just as much value in having a large selection of tools as there is in having high quality tools, so as long as you gain selection, redundancy, alternate options, or quality with your purchases you are on the right track.

Channellock is a great brand in my experience. I own a lot of their stuff and use it at home daily and have used it professionally as well. They are great well made tools for the price, they are very easy to find used, and there are very good deals to be found on them new online with just minimal searching. I think the main issue people have with their tools is they are not finished as beautifully as knipex, NWS, etc. but functionally in my experience they will work just as well and last just as long which is what matters most.

I would do the same as you are thinking with Craftsman sockets for now.

One thing you don't mention is whether or not you need impact stuff. If you need it, Pittsburgh Pro Cro-Mo stuff from HF will work for a long time and then if it does not meet your longer term expectations it can be replaced later on.

I would get a dental pick set. I have the aluminum handled set from HF for $2-3, and I use it all the time for all sorts of stuff from rebuilding ratchets to picking out o-rings.

In as far as the wrench sets that is an area where if you need more money to buy everything you could trim some fat in my opinion. Even a basic US made craftsman set of wrenches will last you months in a professional environment which should give you plenty of time to find some really nice wrench sets used etc. to replace them as money allows.

In as far as ratchets, for my basic set I just recently bought a 3 piece set of the Bahco ratchets (6950, 7750, 8150). They use the exact same internals as the Snap-on dual 80s and I am very happy with them. It was only $100 for a 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2" ratchet, and a $10 dual 80 rebuild kit from snapon can rebuild them. That is a very cost effective way to get very strong ratchets in each size with 80 teeth and a tight swing that will last in a professional environment for very little money.

 

[larryq]

Lots of terrific advice in this thread.

 

[texchappy]

Don't earn my living turning wrenches so take my advice with a pillar of salt. I've been very happy with my Williams USA ratchets and sockets. Also love my Wiha screwdrivers. I've just got one of their drive-lok interchangeable head drivers for Christmas and very impressed. Learned over the last three years that Craftsman wasn't what it used to be in all areas - their USA made stuff is still good but the China stuff I've got from there are real junk.

 

[greasegorilla]

Would you guys pick the GearWrench ratchets over the Williams/Williams USA ratchets? For what reason? All the Williams ratchets I've looked at have been 36 tooth, so fine tooth ratchets would be nicer, but pricier if I recall.

Yes, I would choose gearwrench ratchets over williams. I just like the way the gearwrench feels/works in my hand better.

If youre going to piece together your ratchets separately from your socket sets, maybe look into HF composite ratchets $8-10 each, and I like them almost as much as my gearwrench, sometimes better depending on how the handle design works for what Im doing. Theyre great ratchets for the price.

 

[davesnothere]

As far as new ratchets go, id pick gearwrench over williams all day.
Vintage williams rats are another, wonderful, story.

 

[jeremy v]

If youre going to piece together your ratchets separately from your socket sets, maybe look into HF composite ratchets $8-10 each, and I like them almost as much as my gearwrench, sometimes better depending on how the handle design works for what Im doing. Theyre great ratchets for the price.

I second this advice. These ratchets are not pro quality in as far as breaking strength, but they still feel high quality when using them and they are great bang for the buck as specialty ratchets. The composite coating is perfect for situations where you are working around painted surfaces, electrical terminals, glass, or if you are outside in the cold trying to keep your hands warmer versus holding onto a cold metal ratchet handle.

 

[CNGsaves]

Occasionally on www.govliquidators.com there is General Mechanics tool boxes (top and bottom), complete with tools (some missing) that are sold from Army locations. Recently was watching auction prices for several at Junction City, KS that ended up selling in range of $470 to $740 depending on condition of tool boxes and what all tools were there. Tool Boxes were red Lyon or Waterloo.

Good luck at your new job!

 

[03protege]

The Craftsman prybar set goes on sale for $20 every other week it seems like

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-3-pc...p-00943278000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

 

[03protege]

Unless you are getting the flex head Williams units the Bahco's would probably be my choice.

 

[tank4114]

pliers http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/MiscInventory/002008S1.html

 

[jeremy v]

A couple things I forgot to mention is that regular wobble extensions are I think one of the best tool innovations in recent history. They are worth their weight in gold in my opinion for almost any job that takes place in tight or restricted quarters. If you are going to be sparse in your selection of low profile ratchets, flex head ratchets, roto ratchets, etc. for a while, wobble extensions are of even greater importance to have. At the very least get one super short one (1-2") in each drive size and then add it to the end of whatever regular extension you are using for longer length needs. They go a long ways towards helping a bulky or non-flex ratchet complete a task that would otherwise be impossible with just regular extensions. Stacking a couple wobbles also allows you to form an arc with the extensions to reach awkward spots that a u-joint could never handle well.

In as far as regular extensions, everyone makes (and just about every store with tools sells) the 3",6", and 9"+ inch extensions and they are a dime a dozen new or used, but I find one of the most valuable sizes of socket extensions in all drive sizes is a 1-2" extension, and they are harder to find, especially in local stores. They are often the perfect length to get you out of the way of the part you are removing but not long enough to get you in the way of something else.

Having at least one really short extension also more than doubles your overall length options when it comes to stacking extensions together for awkward work areas. If you just buy a standard 3", 6", 9" set what options do you have stacking them? You have 3", 6", 9", 12", 15", and 18". If you add a single 1.5" extension your options then become 1.5", 3", 4.5", 6", 7.5", 9", 10.5", 12", 13.5", 15", 16.5", 18", and 19.5". That is a very small investment that has now greatly increased your versatility.

 

[MoparCharlie]

To add to the post about wobble extentions.

This was the first tool someone recomended to me when I got out of tech school in '88.

Fast foward 2+ decades SO now has extentions the are regular straight extentions and a wobble combined in one.

Press the socket all the way on...conventional extension...pull it slightly now its a wobble. Never had an issue with looseness and they always feel rock solid when applying pressure.

The price may be a little steep but IMO well worth it.

 

[alex71]

I have some SK socket sets and ratchets. Should be able to save you a chunk vs. tooltopia.

shoot me an email, don't buy them on ebay.

http://stores.ebay.com/ASMC-Industr...288150017&_sid=11287347&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

http://stores.ebay.com/ASMC-Industr...288151017&_sid=11287347&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

 

[JoeOef]

Thanks everybody for all the advice. Lot's of great information here, but that's what I was expecting. I'm looking up and sourcing wobble extensions right now. Thanks to you guys, leaning towards Bahco or GearWrench ratchets currently, with a backup set of the HF composites.

I was a little worried I'd hear a bunch of people screaming Snap-on, so I appreciate the understanding of my situation.

Back to wrenches. I really like the SK, but am thinking about CM or CM Pro to save a little money. Problem is, I'd like to get more than a few months out them. Eventually I will have a shop set and a mobile set and I'd like a set I could transition to one or the other. Any opinions of either the US made CM or the Taiwanese (I think) made CM Pro vs SK?

 

[JoeOef]

I have some SK socket sets and ratchets. Should be able to save you a chunk vs. tooltopia.

shoot me an email, don't buy them on ebay.

http://stores.ebay.com/ASMC-Industr...288150017&_sid=11287347&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

http://stores.ebay.com/ASMC-Industr...288151017&_sid=11287347&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

Thanks so much for the kind offer. Because of my current financial situation, I think I'll have to go Craftsman for sockets but I'll check out the ratchets and shoot you an email if I see anything I need.

 

[JoeOef]

And I picked up Rigid Pipe wrenches (Still looking for a 24 inch) and an assortment of Channellock pliers from the local hardware store. My wife used to work there and she's been bugging me to give them some of my money. I might have paid more than I needed to but it was nice to buy local and even better to make my wife happy while buying tools. Doesn't happen that often.

 

[mvptrukin]

You didn't mention what kind of equipment you'll be working on and if you bought a 1/2" drive ratchet yet but this is one I would recommend:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-USA-JH-...570?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ccb1a0402
The seller is a member of the forum and it is a great ratchet--can't believe Williams isn't getting more love !
Plus free shipping.

 

[JoeOef]

I'll be working on heavy equipment in a manufacturing environment. Both manufacturing equipment and heavy vehicle.

I was all set on JH Williams, but I went ahead and ordered the Bahco set today along with the Williams drivers and ratcheting driver. I'm still in the market for breaker bars, extensions, deep well sockets, pry bars and hammers. I think I picked up everything else.

 

[JoeOef]

That's not entirely true, still not sure about wrenches. I can get a 14 piece SAE set, a 14 piece Metric set (Both CM Industrial) and a 20 piece set of GearWrench ratcheting wrenches for the same price as one 14 piece SK set. Thoughts?

 

[greasegorilla]

How big does the SAE set go? In manufacturing/heavy equipment I would expect a larger amount of SAE, and I would expect needing up to 1 1/4 wrenches.

 

[jeremy v]

I would think you would be fine with the Craftsman industrial wrenches for now. Yes the Williams are a little better, but not multiples better as the difference in price implies. I try go by the 80% quality rule when I buy most of my tools. It takes very little extra money (and sometimes no extra money at all, just a little comparison shopping) to find tools that are 80% as good as the best tools that can be bought at any price. Once you have reached the 80% quality point the return on investment starts to drop significantly as you throw extra dollars at the same tool. Craftsman Industrial or old stock USA craftsman is not the best, but in my experience it is way within the 80% rule and at a great price to boot.

I am the type of a person that sees more value in getting a full set of Craftsman long double box wrenches, a full set of regular combination wrenches, a full set of flare nut wrenches, a full set of offset wrenches, and more for the same money as one or two regular sets of better combination wrenches. That set of flare nut wrenches that you were now able to afford will help you out of a lot more jams than just having slightly better quality steel (possibly but not necessarily better tolerances) and a nice polish on your main wrenches will. An open ended wrench can only do so much, and a box wrench can only fit in so many places.

Remember as well, companies like SnapOn do make great quality tools, but you also get no discount for buying those tools in sets like you do with brands like Craftsman, so if you are not worried about all your tools matching, upgrading a couple of your most used wrench and socket sizes as you need them (once you work there a while and find out what sizes are most used) can save you a huge amount of money versus trying to always buy everything in sets. Many of the wrenches in a set might be gaining you very little by being so expensive and good quality because they might not really ever be used.

I bet you would find that upgrading just 3 or 4 wrenches to a brand like SnapOn (from online since you do not have a truck) after a few months of working there, or buying a SnapOn flare nut wrench (to replace a single wrench in a craftsman flare nut set) in one size combo will cover you for 60%+ of what you do with a wrench, and the rest being Craftsman wrenches will be fine for years for all the rest of the sizes. That is money spent on great quality very expensive wrenches that ends up still being a good investment just because they are used so often.

 

[DesertRatAutomotive]

I would go with cm pro wrenches to save some money. Theyll work for now. For breaker bars HF makes some really good ones ive been using for years and there cheaper than anything youll find. But if your going for 3/4 drive go with snap on. Extensions either williams or cm. Or like another post said williams/snap on makes those wobble extensions that are really nice. Gearwrench makes so really nice deep well sockets. just my opinions when i started.

 

[jeremy v]

can't believe Williams isn't getting more love !

Williams quality is not up for question at all, the US stuff is all very good, but the OP needs the most value and bang for his buck in addition to quality right now, and bang for the buck when trying to buy full sets of tools is not an attribute I would personally assign to Williams, Proto, SnapOn, etc. They are still a great upgrade and investment (even if cost is a big factor) when it comes to purchasing a few individual wrenches and sockets in sizes that are used continually for his job, but he won't know what those wrenches and socket sizes are until he works there a while first.

 

[pfctblu]

I'm not a pro tech but am also surprised that Williams isn't getting much recommendation (even for value / $). I think they are a screaming deal even for a 36t ratchet. Heck, you can get all three flex heads for about $100 from Toolsdelivered. I use them along side my Gearwrench roto ratchets (1/4 & 3/8 72t) so I have fine tooth as well.

Also have to agree on the wobble extensions, very nice to have when you need them.

To the OP, hello from another MN GJ guy. I also am a fan of the Williams screwdrivers and also Craftsman Industrial wrenches -- I have the reversing ratchet ones and they are good stuff.

 

[jeremy v]

That's not entirely true, still not sure about wrenches. I can get a 14 piece SAE set, a 14 piece Metric set (Both CM Industrial) and a 20 piece set of GearWrench ratcheting wrenches for the same price as one 14 piece SK set. Thoughts?

The Gearwrench ratcheting wrenches should serve you well, but just beware that the 20 piece set does skip a couple sizes that might be needed for your work. It is not a big issue trying to fill the missing ones in right now, because ratcheting wrenches are nice but what they really function as are time savers by having them, not job stoppers if you don't have them, so missing a size or two at first is not as big of a deal as it would be with your regular wrench sets.

The key to the ratcheting wrenches working well for you is discipline. If you are able to discipline yourself to always break bolts loose (as well as doing the higher torque final tightening tasks) with a regular wrench the ratcheting wrenches should be able to last you years no problem. If you just try to work them with too much torque and use them as complete combo wrench replacements they could break or jam up on you within a couple short weeks.

 

[DesertRatAutomotive]

I like Williams as much as the next guy but i feel there ratchets are subpar. Used the 36t for a year straight at work and man does that thing ****, even for the money. I would pick up a gearwrench any time over a williams, just my opinion. That being said they do make other tools that are great.

 

[jeremy v]

I'm not a pro tech but am also surprised that Williams isn't getting much recommendation (even for value / $). I think they are a screaming deal even for a 36t ratchet. Heck, you can get all three flex heads for about $100 from Toolsdelivered. I use them along side my Gearwrench roto ratchets (1/4 & 3/8 72t) so I have fine tooth as well.

Also have to agree on the wobble extensions, very nice to have when you need them.

To the OP, hello from another MN GJ guy. I also am a fan of the Williams screwdrivers and also Craftsman Industrial wrenches -- I have the reversing ratchet ones and they are good stuff.

I don't have personal experience with Williams flex head ratchets, but if the reviews on them are in fact good that is a great price for those, especially since I believe (would require some verification) they are US made as well. Flex or roto heads should probably be the style of ratchet purchased next right after a set of basic straight handled ratchets.

The question to ask yourself regarding flex head ratchets before purchasing them is really a matter of personal preference, and that is whether or not you would prefer to have locking flex heads instead of regular flex heads. They do cost more and not as many companies make them, but to some people it is more than worth it and if they bought regular flex heads they would be regretting it every day. Others would be perfectly happy with regular flex heads and see no reason to ever need the locking version. The personal preferences probably depend more on how you wrench, support, leverage, and apply force to a flex head ratchet than anything else.

Great ratcheting techniques can utilize a non-locking flex ratchet very effectively without busting knuckles, and as a result you end up with increased flexibility to quickly work around obstacles etc. versus a locking flex. If you are often having a hard time even reaching the places you are trying to place a socket and/or you are unable to get your free hand in there to support the ratchet head while ratcheting (or find an alternate support option), a locking version might work better for you.

 

[JoeOef]

Thanks for all of your invaluable help. Just got emailed the tool list and overwhelmed. I did a pretty good job of guessing the basics, but am still missing a ton. Here we go...Suggestions appreciated.

Deepwell sockets in standard and metric, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2
Breaker bar
1/2 inch drive impact sockets, extensions, universal
flair nut wrench set 3/8-7/8 and 9mm-21mm
feeler gauges
Flashlight
Fluke 80 series V or like
Heavy Duty Strap Wrench
Hack saw
1/2 torque wrench
3/4 socket and ratchet set

Holy cow. I'm going to need to at least double my budget.

 

[jeremy v]

Thanks for all of your invaluable help. Just got emailed the tool list and overwhelmed. I did a pretty good job of guessing the basics, but am still missing a ton. Here we go...Suggestions appreciated.

Deepwell sockets in standard and metric, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2
Breaker bar
1/2 inch drive impact sockets, extensions, universal
flair nut wrench set 3/8-7/8 and 9mm-21mm
feeler gauges
Flashlight
Fluke 80 series V or like
Heavy Duty Strap Wrench
Hack saw
1/2 torque wrench
3/4 socket and ratchet set

Holy cow. I'm going to need to at least double my budget.

I don't think you are looking as bad as it seems. Stuff like hacksaws, feeler gauges, flashlight etc. are very cheap. I don't know what size pipe you will be cranking on, but in as far as strap wrenches I don't think there are any as well made as the ridgid ones. Put something sticky on the cloth strap and they will spin almost anything.

To stay within your budget you might have to stay with Pittsburgh Pro from harbor freight (for now) for the 1/2" impact stuff. It is only like 20-25 a set if I remember correctly so even if you were nervous about breakage you could buy two sets for less than most other brands charge for one, but it should not be much of an issue. The Pittsburgh pro are Taiwan made and equal or better in my opinion than anything else you could buy for up to about 4 times the price. Just make sure it is the pro cr-mo stuff and not the regular pittsburgh cr-v stuff.

For a flare nut wrench set I would go with at least raised panel US Craftsman, and try your best to stay US made in whatever you buy.

3/4 socket sets are where price is going to become an issue for you. I have found that as long as you are fine having 6pt sockets instead of needing 12pt, the best value is in buying impact sockets for 3/4 drive for most tasks. I own and use Pittsburgh Pro 3/4 impact sockets and they are very beefy, but their sets are not totally complete, especially in metric, so I filled in the sets with Sunex impact sockets which are also a great value and are also cr-mo and Taiwan made.

If I remember correctly between harbor freight pittsburgh pro and sunex fill-ins it cost me about $260 for a complete set of 1/2" SAE impact sockets, a complete set of 1/2" Metric impact sockets, a complete set of 7/8"-1-1/2" 3/4 drive impact sockets, and a complete set (minus 37mm) of 20-38mm 3/4 drive impact sockets. All of them are regular depth, 6pt sockets. Deep impact sockets are pretty expensive individually and sets often skip many sizes, so those might be better buying individually as you find you need them.
1/2 drive sets are not too bad though.

In as far as a 3/4 breaker bar, Sears has Craftsman t-handle slider bars for $12.34 plus shipping (if you don't have the free shipping promo that you can still sign up for) right now. Here is the link, it says 3/8 on the link but the listing itself and the part number is in fact for a 3/4 bar.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-18-i...de-bar-3-8/p-00936315000P?prdNo=7#reviewsWrap

I just bought 2 for personal use, and I should be getting mine in the mail today, so if you are interested I could verify for you that it is a US made t-bar and get back to you once it comes.

You might be fine just using your 1/2 ratchet (with a 3/4 drive adapter in combination with torquing and breaking everything lose with a breaker or sliding t-bar) to cover the 3/4 ratchet for now.

If you need 12pt 3/4 drive stuff your only cheap option for now might be the Harbor Freight socket sets. They are about $55 for each set with a coupon and lots of people are very happy with them for the price. Then replace at least individual heavily used sockets as you are able.

Fluke stuff is very hard to find a good deal on new. Promos and discounts are few and far between. If they require that brand your best bet on saving money is probably gently used stuff on Ebay. There is quite a bit to pick from there.