How early is too early for IOs?

I usually use SO's until about lvl 30, then I start looking at IO's. But mostly I start building them after lvl 40. I might get certain enhancements (like the anti-knockback one) as soon as possible. Or if my toon is constantly running out of endurance (even with Stamina), I might get some +recovery set bonuses.

But mostly It's just easier to buy SO's from a store, than bother with low-lvl IO's. I just don't like all the hassle of bidding for recipes and salvage, so I do it only when I know I don't have to do it again.

I used to hold off until the late 20's to start slotting L30 IOs.

However, with the price of recipies and the salvage for most, being fairly reasonable (especially when I'm picking it up in missions), I've started slotting melee toons as early as 17 (with L20's).

While they're not QUITE as nice as ++ DOs, they last a lot longer, and I'm finding I'm actually SAVING money in the long run. As I level up past 20, I simply slot IOs into new power slots at the maximum level I can mount. Once I hit 35 or so, I being swapping out lower-level IOs for higher ones and sets.

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My procedure has been a bit more refined lately. I used to hold off until 32 and then slot level 35 generics in everything until 37 (after which new powers and slots got 40s...until 42 and again at 47, when new powers and slots get 45s and 50s respectively.)

Now, my enhancement progression is like this:

Slot nothing until 7.

At 7, either slot a set of level 10 TOs (just as a visual reminder of what ultimately goes in those slots), or go ahead and slot level 10 IOs, if I am on a server where I have sufficiently wealthy alts to supply the young heroes and villains.

At 10, for my heroes, I slot whatever level 13 Yin Talismen that character can use, again, if I have an alt who can serve as the supplier. And those get upgraded at 14 and 18. I will also check the markets for low level SOs at this point.

At 12 (once again, if I have a wealthy alt or if the character has been on good terms with the RNG and is independently wealthy by now), I make up enough level 15 IOs to get the character through 16, and enough 20s for new slots and powers from 17 through 21. If I don't have a wealthy alt on the server (which is becoming less and less common), then I slot what I can get cheap, and fill in the blanks with DOs until I can get the IOs needed.

At 22, the character gets mostly shelved until I do a full blown frankensotted plan. Once I have the plan finalized, and have most of the enhancers needed, I do a respec for the new build. 10 level 15 IOs get saved (since more of my alts would most likely have more need of more 15s than 20s), and the new plan goes into effect.

At that point, everything is level 25 set and generic IOs (generics for powers that can't take sets.) Starting at 26 however, powers that will be taking more than one enhancer from a set will get those at -2 to the level at which I take the power. This is for exemping purposes with the new SSK/Exemplar system, what with exemping making available powers taken +5 to the level you are exemped.

Example: An AR/Whatever Blaster takes her Full Auto at 32. Exemping down to 27 would mean that Full Auto is available to her. However, if she had level 31 or higher sets slotted, those bonuses would no longer work, since they are more than 3 levels above the level she is exemped to (I think I got those figures correct. It's one of those things that can cause spontaneous cerebral detonation if I try to think about it too hard).

Anyway, the generics then remain at 25 until most likely 37, at which point they get replaced with 40s (really, the difference is significant between level 25 and level 40 IOs), and then if I have them available, 50s at 47. Typically, I will go ahead and burn a respec at 37 and 47 to recover some of the generics. I figure I got my plan the way I want it, so it is not like those respecs are being wasted. And those respecs also serve to get things placed in the "proper order", because I like having things "look nice and tidy" and well arranged on my enhancement screen.

A couple other items:

1: Set IOs that are singles (not part of sets, only being slotted for the aspects of the power they enhance) will be placed at the highest level the power can take them at the time I get the power (or at the time I manage to get the piece that goes in). This is because there is no set bonus to be concerned with when exemping.

2: If the piece I need is not available at the time I need it (and this is becoming more and more common lately), I will place a generic in that slot as a placeholder, or I will make a slight alteration to the plan and place a piece that would otherwise have gone into the power later.