Andy, by now I think you realize that this is almost a religious question. Fortunately, even the commercial (non-free) tools usually have a trial period, so you can try them without cost.
I keep a list here of some tools I personally find useful:
http://www.hdsoft.org/tools.html[
^]
Let me know if you find any other nice tools; I am always trying to find ways to be more productive, since (as a consultant) that makes me more valuable to my clients.
Good luck!