I definitely agree with you on not buying cheap junk tools. There's nothing worse than cheap tools. Having said that though, I must admit to having some cheaper tools in my cabinet. It really depends on what it is and what you intend to use it for. For example, I bought a set of cheap Lowe's house brand (Task Force) files because I rarely use them and just needed them for one particular job. It didn't make sense to go all out on files. Things like screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, socket sets, etc, are worth getting good stuff. How good is up to you and your budget. Be realistic about your needs because most homeowner/tinkerer/hobbyists don't need too much more than say Craftsman for hand tools. If someone makes their living with tools then that's a different story. If your wallet can handle it then I'm sure Snap-On or Matco would be great. Check out Facom tools.

Power tools are a more complicated area. You have to decide whether you want to go cordless or corded. Then, what voltage do you want? Your best bet is to get a combo kit. I recently shopped this stuff and looked at Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt, Rigid, and Ryobi. I really wanted an 18V Li-Ion Milwaukee drill but for less than the price of just the drill I got a 4 piece 18V Li-Ion Ryobi set. Is the Milwaukee better? Certainly but for my homeowner needs the Ryobi will work just fine. I got a drill, circular saw, reciprocating saw, flashlight, and large carry bag for $219 less a 10% off coupon. You can't beat that. I've used them all and they work great. Definitely go with Li-Ion battery. They are super expensive to replace but Ni-Cad is such old technology. Even though I love the Li-Ion cordless convenience I have a backup corded drill, corded circular saw, and corded jigsaw.

If you are willing to spend the money go for the better stuff. I have heard great things about Milwaukee. Dewalt is always safe but their Li-Ion selections are limited. Makita is good too but I have heard that they might be slipping in quality. Check out http://www.mytoolplace.com/ for some decent deals. That's for typical power tools. If you want air tools, I don't know much about that other than having occasionally used Snap-On and Mac stuff which are both excellent.

You mentioned a tool box but do you have a good tool cabinet? You must have a nice tool cabinet to store all these goodies in. Those can get pretty expensive too.

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