You only buy tools once (hopefully!). As Stu Cool said, he has 30 year old tools - you will use these tools for the rest of your life - 50 or more years. If it is your profession, you will use them A LOT.

I spent about 15 years wrenching for a living, cars and motorcycles. I have a variety of brands of tools and some stuff you buy Snap On because no one else makes it or makes the quality of that particualr tool.

I'd go to sears and buy the biggest tool set they sell - you won't need taps and dies or hacksaws very often, but metric and sae sockets, ratchets, torx, etc.

Some of what you buy later will depend on what your wrenching style is...i use air tools alot, so all my 6pt sockets are the black impact ones (some generic that are fantastic and some mac). Some guys never or rarely use air tools. I never had a 3/8 inpact or a 1//4 air ratchet - I used 1/2 air ratchet and 1/2 inch gun. I now have a 3/8 butterlfy (used craftsman) and love it.

Buy snap on hammers. Their screwdrivers are impressive too ( i have only 2, but a small straight blade of mine was used to try and steal my car - the screwdrive survived - the hardened ignition did not!).

Buy used tool boxes. You need a big one, one you can move without a fork truck!!!! Snap on are again the best (have seen them take a direct hit from a wrecker - the concrete wall behind the box moved 6", the box was fine!). A box will not make you money, but being able to access and inventory your tools quickly WILL make you money.

chris