I have a little bit of everything. My stuff is mostly Matco and Craftsman. A lot of the stuff I started with was Crafstman, but I've found that the Matco stuff, albeit expensive, is of a much higher quality. Also, check out some of the less popular names such as Proto, Challenger, Blackhawk, S&K, KAL etc.
Ratchets- I'd suggest either Snap-On or Matco. A cheaper alternative would be the Craftsman Professional Tear-drop ratchets. Idon't like the standard, or the 60-tooth Professional Craftsman ratchets.
Sockets- I've broken several Craftsman sockets. Altough they have a gurantee, it's aggrrivating as well as dangerous. I'm slowly going to all Matco Impact sockets. Yes thats right, use Impact sockets with all my hand tools. If I had it to do over, I'd buy all impact sockets, and not a single Chrome socket.
Wrenches- It's kind of a toss-up. The Snap-On, Mac, Matco's go without question, but they're very expensive. Again, look at the Craftsman Professional (Full Polish) wrenches. They're longer, easier to clean, and more comfortable than the standard satin Craftsman wrenches.
Screwdrivers- Well, a screw-driver is a screwdriver. Just get one with a gurantee.
Pliers- I'd have to vote on Channellock or Knipex brands of pliers. You just can't go wrong with either, as they both seem to be bulletproof.
Hex-wrenches- Bondhus or Ekleind. I have both, and they seem to hold up very well to the abusive world of hex-wrenches.
A general rule of thumb. If you're going to depend upon, or use it frequently, spend the extra money to get a quality tool. You'll thank yourself down the road.
Justin