How many pieces do I actually need in a socket set?

For general home and automotive use, reviewers generally point to sets in the 100-250 piece range that cover 1/4-inch, 3/8-inch, and 1/2-inch drives in both SAE and metric, with shallow and deep sockets. Piece counts above that often pad the number with hex keys and bits rather than adding useful sockets, so look at the actual socket coverage rather than the headline number.