Your Bhaco: says hex, which will be 6pt sockets

Toolpro: No breaker or t bar. all relies on ratchet.

As you can see, its a minefield. At least you've got more info now and I suggest you don't rush things. Find something that suits your requirements/wants for your budget. Supercheap etc are starting to compete with Briscoes in sale frequency...

I've got the Bahco 1/4' & 1/2' kit here The only thing I really needed to add was a breaker bar and spark plug socket. It's way more than you want to spend, but I've been very happy with it. It's been going strong for about 8 years now.

Remember a ratchet is not to be used as a breaker bar! Anything thats super tight, or needs to be super tight should not be done with a ratchet. Like wheel nuts. Look after your tools and they will look after you :)

jonathan18: Thanks for that feedback.

There’s a 3/8 Bahco set at Bunnings, but that’s around $140 https://www.bunnings.co.nz/bahco-3-8-38-piece-socket-set_p00080862

The set that Fred99 linked to earlier is also a 3/8 one but much more affordable - I reckon that should do the trick, given my needs are modest https://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/p/toolpro-toolpro-socket-set---3-8-inch-drive-metric-imperial-30-piece/551684.html#q=socket+set&prefn1=adArticleType&prefn2=srgBrand&prefv1=Socket+Set&prefv2=ToolPRO

That Toolpro 3/8 set should be fine. I got a great Stanley 1/4" and 1/2", metric and imperial set for around $100 10 years ago and I would've recommended that, but can't seem to find that sort of combo available now.

You're not going to get a breaker bar on a low end set, so don't worry about that. IMHO unless you're doing really gnarly stuff like wheel nuts on cars then you probably wont have much to 'break'. I find that I do need a long 0.5m breaker bar for torque as much as saving my rachet when trying to get my wheels off after a garage has put them on with an impact gun.

Things to pick up over time would be a breaker bar, converter to let you use 1/2" and 1/4" sockets if needed for large/small applications, converter to let you drive your 3/8" sockets with a 1/4" impact driver, deep sockets to suit your spark plugs etc. Supercheap has a good bargain bin of sockets for $1, I find I often wear out 5/8" sockets as I use them with the impact driver for tek screws.

lxsw20:

 

Anything thats super tight, or needs to be super tight should not be done with a ratchet. Like wheel nuts. 

 

But wait. For wheel nuts typical torque specs are usually 100 - 150 nm (75 - 110 ft lb). That's not "super tight". I know that's not what you see in some tyre shops with idiots using rattle-guns. Particularly with alloy trims, over-tightening risks damaging the wheel, warping the brake disks, or stretching the studs - which may mean the wheel nuts may come loose.

For wheel nuts use the wrench from the car's toolkit - makes it hard to over-tighten. If you're fussy or don't have a feel for approx torque using a breaker bar etc, use a torque wrench.

As you've mentioned you will find plenty that have been done up with a rattle gun. 

I'll add my 10c

many of the included sockets are sizes you'll never use
Only need 6,8,10,12,13,14,15,17,19    6,21 etc are hardly ever used
Get something with a bigger drive size rather than smaller drive size
spark pug sockets are really usefull, but ther are MANY diifernet sizes needed

Extention bar is an absolute must have
T-Bar , breaker bar is really useful, you can put a pipe over it for more leverage

Get something thats not the shiney chrome plating. That can peel off on cheapies , and its really painful when bits of chrome get under your fingernails (it happens)

edit : I still have a mix of cheapies & trade quality(expensive) sockets & spanners from 30 years ago.
The cheapy stuff I still have & still use. 30 years on the cheapies still work , just more likely for chrome to peel off them or rust .

It can cost more, but perhaps by a set with less peices & then buy whatever else you need separately. If you need deep sockets, buy what you need separately .
As above, you'll also need spanners .  Get a good set of open/ring spanners & a few(10,12,13mm) of the cheap ratcheting spanners. Aliexpress/banggood sell ratcheting spanners really cheap .

When it comes to hand tools I always find the King\chrome range to be a good starting point for the home handyman. Its good quality gear at a reasonable price and hits that sweet spot for me.

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/our-range/brands/k/kincrome

Thanks all for the further useful information; that said, nothing will convince me to part with close to half a grand for a tool set that I'm going to use occasionally!

I'm also now seeing the benefits of looking at a set that includes spanners, like the Stanley set linked to earlier  - that's with both 1/4 and 1/2, which I guess gives me the flexibility of both getting into tight spaces etc and the grunt that comes with a larger diameter (as opposed to going with a single set of 3/8, which would be the best compromise if I was to go with a single size) - is that correct?

That Stanley seems to have 12-point sockets whereas the Barco sets like this one are clearly hex - but I've had contradictory advice as to the benefits of one vs the other so am confused on that!

Both the above have lifetime warranties, which provides some assurance; given this, and that the Stanley is $65 cheaper plus includes a breaker bar (I'd never heard of this object before this thread!) I'm siding towards this one, unless I'm totally off-course. I'll also look at adding in some deep socket pieces at a later date (good to know about SCA's bargain bin for this).

Edit: even better news on the Stanley set is that it looks like Bunning's sells the identical product for $1 cheaper, so should be able to get M10 to beat that by 15%, so $157.

Cheers and thanks

1101:

 

I'll add my 10c
many of the included sockets are sizes you'll never use
Only need 6,8,10,12,13,14,15,17,19    6,21 etc are hardly ever used

16 is 5/8"  and 11 is 7/16 - both pretty common, 21 is also pretty common on some cars - IIRC the wheel nuts on my old 4WD were 21, not the more common 19mm / 3/4".  

The one you haven't got is the one you'll need, sod's law and all.

My son got a couple of these for about US$5 each, and gave me one:

I thought it would be absolute rubbish, but chucked it in the tool kit when I was giving a tradie friend a hand.  He deals with maintenance and fixings that were put in originally up to 70 years ago, so coach bolts with random sized square heads, knurled old heads, into Rimu, seized, rusty etc.   He was about to walk back to the van to get sockets to try and get some sockets to deal with some problem bolts, I hauled it out of my tool-belt, had the bolts out in an instant.  I gave it to him, he's been using it for the past 3 years, it lives permanently in his tool belt, needs a squirt of CRC and a clean out occasionally, you've got to be a bit careful to centre it when using a small rattle gun, but it's the "right tool for the job" when it does the trick, and the alternative is either repeated trips back to the van, or a tool belt so heavy you probably couldn't get up if you fell over.  No - I'm not recommending them as the universal tool that means you can throw away your socket set, but they can be very handy indeed.

jonathan18:

 

That Stanley seems to have 12-point sockets whereas the Barco sets like this one are clearly hex - but I've had contradictory advice as to the benefits of one vs the other so am confused on that!

 

6 points are stronger and less likely to slip and round corners on bolts. 12 point probably came about to give you more options in restricted positions, but with today's high count ratchet on the handle you don't need them. If you are needing to use the breaker bar you should be using 6 point anyway.

Just remember what you want the tools for and buy accordingly. There are some excellent recommendations here, but some of the higher priced ones are not really needed for use around the home. I seem to remember you were originally looking at 1/4 & 3/8 drive which implies fairly light use. No need for a breaker bar there!

+1 for Bahco I got the 1/2 inch kit for about 80ish a few years ago or you could also try teng tools

For average home use the powerbuilt stuff is good.

I use one of these for electrical work.

https://www.thetoolshed.co.nz/product/2405-powerbuilt-socket-set-1-4in-dr-58pc

Bigger stuff

https://www.thetoolshed.co.nz/product/4565-powerbuilt-socket-set-1-2in-dr-44pc-metric-imperial

Gordy7:

 

You also need to consider open ended spanners and ring spanners.

 

Sockets are not always useful.

 

 

 

This.  I'm not big on DIY, but do occasionally do a bit at home, work on my car, etc.  I looked at socket sets initially but was put off by price and range of options, so  ended up just getting a cheap combination wrench (open + ring) set "to tide me over" until I could do more research on socket sets. But have honestly not felt any need for the socket set since.