Gonna agree and disagree with you a bit on your side track. Hope you don't mind. :D
I've seen guys go the other way, too, from what I was talking about above when first entering the trade. Huge bills with the tool truck guys to the point they've got thousands in debt with just basic hand tools and maybe a few air tools. Leaves no room for the more specialized tools like brake flair kits, coolant pressure testers, DMM's, etc. And if you get in a more specialized job like a Honda timing belt, well there's no room in the credit limit and the until the truck account is paid off...
After over twenty years in the trade my tool box is filled with just about everything. MAC, Snap-on, Cornwell, Matco, NAPA, Crapsman, Husky, Kobalt, Irwin, Channel Lock, SK, ATD, a few odd Duralasts, and the list goes on. I've got some Crapsman my grandfather had.
My nephew is just entering the trade, going to a local vo-tech for it's diesel program. I keep telling him the most important thing is to buy tools with a lifetime warranty. Upgrade later, as your credit limit and salary allow you to. And to look at the warranty program itself. WalMart bought Stanleys? Nope. May be lifetime, but if you break one socket you have to return the entire set for warranty issues. Crapsman? No questions asked. And you can exchange it on your way home. NAPA? Hell, most likely the shop he'll work for will have a commercial account with NAPA. Break one and they can bring it to you on their next delivery. The only thing I insist on being big name are screwdrivers (got those from MAC) and flair wrenches (I got those from Snap-on). The others I've never had an issue with.
I'll agree with you about certain things: good tools help make the job go quicker. But for guys first entering the trade a balance has to be struck. They need to do some comparison shopping before they climb on the tool truck and get blinded by all the shiny tools and take into account the more specialized tools they'll need if the shop doesn't supply it.
