stanley is the cheap brother of proto, same manufacturer but lower price (and lower quality, softer steel). here on the rig we order stanley only for lending out to other departments (eh kasi pag hiniram hindi na i-return kung hindi namin kunin e di yung cheap ang pinapahiram namin) and for issue out to our motormen. for my assistants' and myself's own use i order either proto or snap-on.

for locally available brands in the philippines the best value for money is buffalo. harder and better quality than stanley, cheaper than proto. i have a set at home. but if you have the mullah then go for snap-on.

wala sa kalawang ang tibay ng tools. the black phosphate-coated tools (na prone to kalawang) are rated higher ang are made of harder steel than the shiny chrome-coated tools. kahit ano brand pa pag-usapan, maging stanley, proto, buffalo or snap-on it is always the black steel that have higher torque ratings and hardness. that is why all socket wrenches for use with impact wrenches and hydraulic torque wrenches are black phosphate coated and NOT chrome. you can always sandpaper the rust but you can not erase the scar on your hands if the tool breaks, not to mention the pain. so if you want tools you can really rely on, stay away from the shiny chrome. besides all you need is some oil to keep that rust away.

i also recommend getting a set of 6-point sockets especially if you can only afford to have just 1 set. why? cause 12-point sockets will only work when the nut/bolt still have a perfect hexagon shape. 6-point sockets will work even if the edges of the bolt/nut hex are already rounded. socket wrench naman yan so you will have a ratchet to go with it, hindi gaano issue ang radian of movement ng tool. if it were a box wrench set then i would recommend 2 sets, 1 set of 12-point combination wrenches for jobs with limitted space, and another set of 6-point combination wrenches for high torque and for use on rounded nut/bolt heads.