Next to MAC, MATCO & Snap-On, Sears is the best deal. Shop Sears online for some very good sales pricing. Sears seems to change their suppliers cyclically, so if their ratchets have a problem now they'll be different in a couple years. At least it's easy to procure an exchange.
There are cheaper tools out there that are decent quality but warranty replacements are usually difficult/non-existent. Home Depot sells some decent sockets and wrenches but I'd probably toss them in the trash rather than bother trying to warranty one.
Another consideration is that most inexpensive tools are made of inferior steel and require much more thickness to compensate. That equals limited access and fatigue. You may think "How heavy can a wrench be, Beav?", but swinging a fat wrench in a small space will make you a believer. Another issue is that cheap tools damage fasteners. A not-quite-perfectly-sized socket or wrench (or an open-end wrench that spreads under load) will lead to stripped fastener heads. Which is even more fun in a restricted space.
p.s. - besides being a professional tool user/buyer, I was an independent MAC Tool Distributor for four years.
