Thread bump.
I am to looking at a complete all metric tool kit. Something that has pliers, shifter, breaker bar, spanners, Allen keys and of course sockets. Brought a nice SP Auto Racing all metric set but it is only sockets. Bacho went close with a 87 set but put cheap and nasty pliers in. Nothing wrong with their spanners and sockets. Now going for a Bahco S138 set though it is more socket and spanners but does have crow foots. And yes huge number of hex bits to make up the count. Would trade them for a Bahco shifter.
One of the handest things around is a the Bacho four in one ratchet ring spanner. Each does four sizes and you can get a neat three to rather bigger five spanner set. The three spanner set with a big screwdriver can change a Mazada BT50 twin fan belt on the older 3 litre models.
Use tool bags but like the orginal poster things just get lost. A set in a blow molded case or similar is what I am after. Been Aussie we tend to look at European Tools been good, Bahco is owned by Snap On. But finding Japanese Koken and SEK stuff extemely well made, but they tend to be more socket orientated.
Given that Tawianese tools are ok happy to go with a set from them. Rather anti asian for things like pliers though. And yes I am a tool snob. And as a true Aussie want to lynch Stanley for buying our local tool manufacturer SidChrome. That stuff was amazing and the ring spanners would fit in about any where and a two foot water pipe extension rather common thing. Now it is just a brand name to be milked.
By the way I have a through socket set that is like the old Metricinch style. Very good but not for use on brass fastners, a good six point socket is the go there. Rather puzzled though they do claim a run of the mill open end spanner is multi size. Yeap if you are disperate and do not mind rounding over fastners.
Actually brought my first Snap on tool last week for my stay at home push bike set. It is the long handle 9" high torque 72 tooth 1/4 ratchet. Lovely thing but the price!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers
Also, the adapters to use regular stuff w/that Kobalt set are pretty large-- so have backups if you have tight fits you need to access.