Why an ICON Gold Plated Ratchet?

[Fedwrench]

https://www.harborfreight.com/merch...e-professional-ratchet-gold-plated-56907.html

Sometimes I'm left speechless and just left wondering why?

The release of a Harbor Freight Icon 24 carat gold plated 3/8 drive ratchet is one of those moments.

 

[4xdog]

Definitely a shake-one's-head product.

 

[unslow1]

There are a lot of tool polishers out there. It wouldn't surprise me at all if it was a good seller.

 

[4xdog]

Make something like a titanium special edition -- real titanium metal, not some greyish plating -- and I'm probably in. 24K gold -- not so much.

 

[Fedwrench]

Gold plated or different colored ratchets aren't a new thing. When I was a kid MAC produced all sorts of gold stuff commemorating an anniversary, or two, or three. Craftsman had a couple of gold ratchets celebrating birthdays in fancy storage boxes and even launched blue ratchets, although my memory fails me as to why the blue. Then there are the service technician award type tools, often in gold that honor a factory tech for achieving some milestone qualification.
I'm probably overthinking this but, why an Icon $60 gold ratchet? I guess the answer would be why not?
I do know that Harbor Freight still hasn't fixed the ICON 3/8 drive flex head ratchets that were recalled more than a year ago when they promised everyone a free updated version to make up for the recalled ones. Perhaps Harbor Freight is relying on the passage of time for everyone to forget about the recalled ratchets?

 

[Ilikeike]

I think that’s for the gold tooth crowd.

 

[vjquan]

Bling factor. I'm sure those will be popular and go well with the gold plated donk mobile crowd. Needs gold sockets to complete the package though.

 

[Meursault74]

Maybe this is what you give to a mechanic when he he/she retires instead of a "gold watch".

 

[Mr_B]

making ones that didn't need recall or had better design than just copying some elements of snapon appearance would of been a wiser use of resources lol .

 

[jonesg]

april fools.

 

[dnschmidt]

I have a gold Skilsaw 77 (50th anniversary model) I'm sort of attached to it. And NO this isn't an April Fool's joke. It is a real thing.

 

[Pwaley]

I think that’s for the gold tooth crowd.

Someone called?

 

[BigBoreFan]

Why can't Harbor Freight fans have nice stuff?

 

[Wrench97]

What no gold extensions or sockets to go with it?

That chrome socket just clashes with in the video

 

[Jtels85]

I wonder when the gold plated 3/8” Drive flex head will be released...

 

[Pwaley]

This is what I slap in the garage while wearing my gold grill and holding my gold plated Icons you feel me?!

 

[Gotcha640]

It's only an extra $20. I have to imagine it's half gifts, another chunk of novelty/joke buy it for the guy who blows all his money on jewelry.

 

[Ralf11]

Why can't Harbor Freight fans have nice stuff?

'cuz they buy Harbor Freight tools...

Now, why gold plate?

Harbor Freight is trying to convince people who don't know any better that this ratchet is of Snap-On quality.

Marketing.

BTW, for those who want Ti tools - Ko-ken makes a very nice set. or you can buy an F-1 McLaren.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

Father's Day is June 20.

 

[qqzj]

Gold ratchet is not new. Anyone watched Richie Rich?

Sent from my SM-G981U1 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[4xdog]

...BTW, for those who want Ti tools - Ko-ken makes a very nice set. or you can buy an F-1 McLaren.

At around $3k for the Ko-Ken set TI4261M, which I've indeed looked at in their catalog, I'd be happy to give HF a test drive in this case.

And speaking of test drives, if I had the cash I probably would be up for a McLaren F1. A special automobile indeed. Probably the most recent all-time classic. The F1 tool kit, which had no ratchets, was titanium nitride-coated Facom stuff, yes? IIRC, it looked more like gold-plated Harbor Freight than functional titanium metal.

 

[dsaabm]

I think it's kinda funny and will buy one for the novelty lol

I'm sure their supplier was like 'hey we can do this in gold plating too' and Harbor Freight seized the marketing opportunity. It gets people talking and thinking about the brand with pretty low effort on their part.

 

[bonneyman]

Make something like a titanium special edition -- real titanium metal, not some greyish plating -- and I'm probably in. 24K gold -- not so much.

Big 10-4!

 

[zendriver]

Why not?

People are already talking (bitching) about them and clicking their web site.
, to see if it's real.

I think it's called promotion.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Man, I want to go out and buy one just so everyone will look at my cool new rachet and tell everyone what a fool I am...

 

[mrvm]

I can picture that GOLD-plated ICON looking pretty blingy on my work desk

 

[Ralf11]

At around $3k for the Ko-Ken set TI4261M, which I've indeed looked at in their catalog, I'd be happy to give HF a test drive in this case.

And speaking of test drives, if I had the cash I probably would be up for a McLaren F1. A special automobile indeed. Probably the most recent all-time classic. The F1 tool kit, which had no ratchets, was titanium nitride-coated Facom stuff, yes? IIRC, it looked more like gold-plated Harbor Freight than functional titanium metal.

solid Ti AFAIK

 

[KnurledNut]

Why? Because HF cant let Princess Auto one up them...

https://www.princessauto.com/en/3-8-in-dr-quick-release-gold-plated-ratchet/product/PA0008309692

 

[qqzj]

PA's only $30. Does HF's have more gold?

Why? Because HF cant let Princess Auto one up them...

https://www.princessauto.com/en/3-8-in-dr-quick-release-gold-plated-ratchet/product/PA0008309692

Sent from my SM-G981U1 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Renegade1LI]

I still have some craftsman gold plated limited edition tools, bought some got some as gifts, at least they were numbered & came in nice wood boxes.

 

[Indexmill]

It's because they think there Icon brand is the cat's ***. It's just ********. It is not possible to be gold, not even a flash, with gold at $2k/oz and only a $20 adder. They're lying.

 

[4xdog]

It's because they think there Icon brand is the cat's ***. It's just ********. It is not possible to be gold, not even a flash, with gold at $2k/oz and only a $20 adder. They're lying.

Let's assume the ratchet can be approximated by a cylinder 8 inches long by 5/8 inch diameter. That's around 16 square inches of surface area.

Let's say the plating is 0.5 micrometers thick, or 0.00002 inches -- not an unreasonable value. 1 gram of gold would cover about 160 square inches at that rate.

So we're talking on the order of 0.1 g 24K gold, or about $5 at current gold prices of $55/g.

Not impossible.

 

[lardy1]

It will look good with the Icon tool boxes and accomplish the same thing.

Regardless what Harbor Freight is or isn't, they do market incredibly well.

 

[Mr_B]

they do a lot of marketing but I don't consider it well done ...
More facts/details, less brands and less wild claims in marketing and some better product engineers and tool enthusiasts in the company would go a long way ...

 

[toddmorr]

easy. Everybody in the Big Boys Club does it.

Icon is all about claiming membership in the same club, earned or not.

 

[M635_Guy]

It's because they think there Icon brand is the cat's ***. It's just ********. It is not possible to be gold, not even a flash, with gold at $2k/oz and only a $20 adder. They're lying.

I haven't heard "cat's ***" in a long time FWIW - I have a few Icon tools and they're extremely nice. I like the handle design on my SO and SK ratchets (slightly) better, but the mechanism is fantastic. I actually prefer my Icon 1/4" roto over my SO.

In any case, as someone pointed out, it's entirely possible. Even at current gold prices, it's an incredibly small amount of gold.

As far as the "special edition" I don't find it any more ridiculous than the tool truck brands doing tools and boxes for anniversary years. I mean, I get doing it for 100th, but SO did a LOT of 95th anniversary stuff, including a gold-plated F80:

 

[Kurt4440]

I think Harbor Freight produces items like this to get people talking about their products.

 

[BroncoAZ]

This is what I slap in the garage while wearing my gold grill and holding my gold plated Icons you feel me?!

Wow, that is truly awful. Rap music is dead. The only positive thing I can say is that the one guy waving his pistol around has good trigger discipline.

 

[m6z]

It's only $60.

I'm tempted, but I've already got way too many 3/8" drive ratchets.

I'd bet a buyer if it was a 1/4" drive or maybe a flex head.

 

[Mr_B]

Yes the roto head be good as they a gem compared to other offerings in the price range .