I have had quite some luck with socketing, as I have made a couple of my characters fully socketed. And, yes, I happen to agree with throwing the mets at the lowest lv items. Each time i made my first socket in an item, they were lv 20-30 (first or second upgrade), never later. I do use a certain time that works for me, but this is just a personal superstition. I made a 2 soc ring, when upping it from 100-110 when it was Uni +2. Once again, it was during my superstitious time.
I have had friends do exactly what I did, and it did not work for them as it did me.
All I am saying is, what works for some, will not necessarily work for others. What some people may think to be a "socket trick" might all in all be a "lucky as hell" streak. Now, if any socket trick works for you, more power to you, and make as much as you can from it. My personal experience tend to derive the idea that there is not a surefire way to make a socket.