jamesj, darn you! Now you gave me another category to browse!

@noglider thats funny i just saw a screwdriver set here on the AZ craigs for $50 bucks.

I've worked on my own "furrin" cars for decades. I own mostly Craftsman tools. I've broken a tool only once, a Craftsman socket decades ago, which they replaced. First tools I ever bought were an S-K ratchet and sockets. Still use 'em. The ratchet lacks the Craftsman patented put-to-release button but I think it's better in a number of key ways. Also own one Snap-on tool, a big (12mm?) Allen wrench. In the old days Snap-on tools were supposed to be the best. It's hard to screw up an Allen wrench unless the metal isn't hard enough so I couldn't say whether it is better or worse, but nobody else made one that big. (It fit a Fiat oil drain plug.) I also own a smattering of random unknown stuff.

+1 on the "don't get cheap tools" advice.

Ditch the adjustable wrench for anything where the proper size "real" wrench is available. Use a box end if possible.

I turned wrenches for eleven years at a dealership and on heavy equipment. I have always used Snap On, MAC, and Craftsman. I have never broke a wrench, but have worn out some ratchets and screw drivers. All replaced or repaired by manufacture. When I wore out the craftsman ratchet drive, Sears simply handed me a new drive repair kit and offered to put it in for me at no charge. I would highly recommend Craftsman for price and availability. Some Kobalt tools look decent and are readily available, might be worth a try.

OK, here I am now, cruising the tool section of craigslist. I do need a new vise. Does this seem good? I can see it still comes with the box, and that makes me fear it's a cheapie. I suspect the old vises are better than the new ones.

https://newjersey.craigslist.org/tls/1895773491.html

That weird adjustability isn't something I'm looking for specifically, but I suspect it will do no harm and could come in handy.

Yup. Trying to ditch the adjustable. If it comes down to just buying a few decent wrenches, what does everyone seem to agree are the most common sizes used on most vintage bikes?

Yeah, I'm starting to lean toward Kobalt. Read somewhere that the company that makes Craftsman is the same company that makes Kobalt. Sounds like they have they same warranty, too. Lowes is closer to me, also.

To the OP,

I pieced together a decent set of basic combination wrenches, screwdrives, allen wrenches (as well as tire levers and a pump) on Amazon.com com for very good prices, on Amazon.com, to get my daughter a starter tool set for going to college out of state. I did make some effort to search out the best deals, but in the end I got very good value. If anyone is interested in the brands & models, I'll post them.

What are some good quality bench vises? Can I get one for $100? I think I'd like a 6" wide jaw. And I want a swivel base.

I suspect I'll be best off buying it used. I have a vise now, so I'm not in a hurry.

Good question. 10mm and 12mm for things like brake pads, seatpost bolts, chainring bolts, brake mounting bolts. There may be an occasional 11mm but I don't recall any. Small ones for cables, derailleur cable clamps, and such could be 6mm through 9mm but generally don't have to be expensive. Cone wrenches are thin, often 13mm, 14mm, or 15mm, generally available only as bike tools. Something tells me that some crank fixing bolts I've seen are 14mm, or is it 12mm? No, I think it is 14mm. They have to be thin-wall sockets or specific bike tools. You don't really sockets for much else. I don't recall what the required sizes I've seen are for pedals. There really aren't many bolts on a bike!

I'd suggest you start with 10mm and 12mm, then 9mm and 8mm.

I have an encyclopedic memory which filled up a few years ago, but I still have total recall of the old stuff. I'm sure it's because of my age. I'm 49 years old. So I can remember the stuff you've (understandably) forgotten, jimmuller.

You really need 8mm through 15mm combination wrenches. 8 and 9 for derailleurs and many other things. 10 for brake pads and brake mounting bolts. 11 for Weinmann pivot bolts and a few odd seat binder and stem bolts. 12 and 13 are common for seat binder bolts. 14 is for front axle nuts and seat clamp nuts. 15 is for rear axle nuts. Having a 17mm can come in handy. Some hub lock nuts use that.

The cheap cranks' fixing NUTS had 14mm. You need a thin-walled 15mm socket for most crank fixing bolts. TA and Stronglight used 16mm.

Some French-made stems used a 7mm allen key!

I have occasionally used 7mm wrenches on things like cable clips. I think I've even used 6mm but I don't remember where.

For Campy hubs, you need TWO 14mm cone wrenches. Most front hubs use a 13mm, and most rears use a 15mm. I've occasionally needed two 15mm cone wrenches. I also have a 17mm which I have occasionally used. I recently came upon a high end BMX bike that needed a 22mm cone wrench. As luck had it, it didn't need a cone adjustment, but I bought the wrench immediately thereafter and am waiting to need it.

For a Sturmey-Archer AW hub, you need a Sturmey Archer cone wrench. Metric won't do. I guess you could make one by filing down a metric one, but I'm lucky enough to have the real deal.

I'm working on a Falcon bike from the early 70's. A few of the bolts seem to be Whitworth, because my SAE and metric wrenches don't fit. I don't own Whitworth wrenches, and I'm not going to buy them.

I have total recall of all the stuff I remember. But you're welcome to remember the stuff I've forgotten.

Let us no forget the typical Allen wrench for stem bolts. I'll let you remember what it is. I'm too lazy to go check my bike.

Snap on, sk, craftsman, in that order.

OK, allen bolts.

Stems almost universally used 6mm in both the expander bolt and the handlebar binder bolt.

Nearly all seat binder bolts were 5mm.

Water bottle cage bolts are usually 4mm.

Derailleur mount bolts were 6mm, and now they've gone to 5mm.

Most adjusting and mounting nuts and bolts that were regular 8mm went to 5mm when they went to allen.

So if you want to stock up, get 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6. Also get 8mm for kickstands and crank fixing bolts. Get a 7mm if you think you'll be working on French bikes of the late 70's and the early-to-mid 80's.

For allen wrenches, I've always used the ball allens that typically come in a set, like these:
https://www.amazon.com/Ball-End-Allen.../dp/B0006TW0CQ

Bondhus is the brand I used when I was an electronics tech, and I have a set in metric. I also ran across some Stanley one time (Home Depot? Ace? can't remember) that came as a pair of holders; one metric and the other US. And were something like $10 or so for the set. These seem to be the equal of the Bondhus. One of these sets (metric) has all the sizes you need.

Snap-on tools are great. Back in the '70s, a friend who built my engines had all Snap-on (both at home and at the dealership he worked at). They were absolutely beautiful, and were a pleasure to use. Made my Craftsman feel not nearly as good. I still have some of the Craftsman micro ratchets ('70s also I think) that are quite nice. Never broken one of them yet.