My preference is Ingersoll Rand. I have a 1/2" and a 3/8" that I've had for many years and use quite a bit. They've never let me down, and I've had no problems with them. I live in Madison, too. Georgia, that is. Down here, humidity can be a problem, so I agree with Bob Korves: OIL 'em. I don't oil mine every day (it's rare that I use them 'all' day), but I do oil them regularly.
FWIW, on the other side of the spectrum, I have a friend that usually buys HF stuff. He's VERY rough on his tools. He doesn't buy them to look at 'em, and he works on a lot of heavy equipment (large tractors, semi's, etc.), so he's often replacing tools. The two that have never let him down are his HF 3/4" impact and his 1" impact. Those are real workhorses and you need to be paying attention when using them. They can hurt you. In his experience (and mine, the few times I've borrowed them), they seem to be holding up quite well. But for 1/2" on down, I think I'd be more inclined to stick with the name brand stuff.
Regards,
Terry