Any ICON fans?

[visionguru]

With mostly Snap On and Gearwrench, I thought I had more than enough tools for my occasional DIY.
Then, I found that I need crowfoot and wobble extensions. I only have a 10mm Snap On crowfoot for torquing valve lock nuts, then a few Craftsman wobble extensions, time to get a set of each.

I got these from Harbor Freight:

I have to say, these ICONs are seriously good quality. For the price, there is just no comparison, even Gearwrench.

 

[woody 73]

shush...In the closet user here mums the word.

 

[slowtwitch73]

**** works good, looks good, don't need to get it off some lame *** truck.

 

[zendriver]

They look solid, but they are actually made of peanut brittle.

Don't be fooled.

 

[ianguilly]

I've used a couple ratchets and set of sockets that are icon for a couple years now, no problems. I recently pick up a set of ratcheting wrench to see how the hold up in a professional environment.

 

[RVAGuy]

I got the Icon Crowfoot set last year. Been holding up fine and fits well. I hate sloppy fitting crowsfoot.

 

[Vpick001]

I’ve been impressed by the Icon tools I own, with my only major gripe being that they don’t sell single sockets or wrenches in store.

A couple minor issues I have with them have more to do with how they’re presented. For example, the “compare to SnapOn” thing they push feels a bit silly. I don’t need to think I’m getting SnapOn quality for an amazing deal, I’m plenty happy just having a good quality tool at an affordable price.
Second, I think the “Designed by Icon” text they put on their packaging is disingenuous, especially when they tell you to compare that tool to whatever brand they’re blatantly copying (looking at you, Knipex pliers wrench).

Those small issues aside, I think they’re solid tools. I have a couple ratchets, a torque wrench, snap ring pliers sets, and a few other misc items, all which have served me just as well as my Tekton tools.

 

[Fedwrench]

I like the Icon ratcheting wrenches I have. The compact locking flex head bit driver set is also nice. I don't particularly care for the selector switch height on their ratchets. The lack of open stock ***** but, harbor Freight seems to be set oriented

I would like to see them spend less time trying to clone Snap on tools and just go their own way. They seem to be sourcing Icon tools through quality Taiwan manufacturers. Hopefully that won't change.

 

[qqzj]

I would like to see them spend less time trying to clone Snap on tools and just go their own way. They seem to be sourcing Icon tools through quality Taiwan manufacturers. Hopefully that won't change.

Why shouldn't they? No research and development cost

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Why shouldn't they? No research and development cost

Downside, you never innovate. So your only selling point is price. Why would I buy Icon when I can buy the multicolor sockets which work fine for $14.99?

 

[victor252]

If HF sold a lot of single sockets and wrenches in the store, that would make inventory mgt a lot harder.
Imagine trying to stock singles of Pittsburg, Quinn, and Icon sockets.

Also, to maintain a decent margin, they'd have to raise costs on those individual sockets to the point where cheapskate customers would complain and say "I can't believe I have to pay $4 for a 19mm socket when I could buy the whole set for $20!"

Might as well stick to selling complete sets and make a decent margin without complaints. Autozone has one brand (maybe 2) of hand tools but they don't carry half the stuff that HF has. It's easier for Autozone to sell singles, but even then, my local Autozone didn't have many 6pt single sockets when I needed one.

As far as not innovating, R&D costs money which is passed onto the buyer. HF isn't about providing cutting edge innovation, it's about providing barely acceptable to solid quality tools at rock bottom prices. It's a one-stop shop for Harry Homeowner or Larry Lubetech who don't have tons of money and know they can't get the best of everything but want a working socket set, wrench set, pliers, hammers, etc. HF doesn't put any money or effort into R&D but they focus on economies of scale.

Economies of scale and price-driven value mean no single sockets, no innovation, etc. Apparently it means big profits, as they keep opening new stores. I hear they treat their employees better than other big box stores.

 

[qqzj]

Downside, you never innovate. So your only selling point is price. Why would I buy Icon when I can buy the multicolor sockets which work fine for $14.99?

Icon/HF won't innovate. But they are going to force Knipex/Snap On to. I like the fact that the role HF is playing in the whole system. It squeeze the fat profit away from fat cats' business and move the whole industry forward. Also relative to Knipex at least, HF has much much better warranty and service. If Icon can be as good as, or even close to Knipex, why would one miss Knipex?

 

[1982fxr]

Icon/HF won't innovate. But they are going to force Knipex/Snap On to. I like the fact that the role HF is playing in the whole system. It squeeze the fat profit away from fat cats' business and move the whole industry forward. Also relative to Knipex at least, HF has much much better warranty and service. If Icon can be as good as, or even close to Knipex, why would one miss Knipex?

Harbor freight isn't forcing a company like snap on to innovate, they do that on their own.

As for fat cats, you ever seen the harbor freight owners house? Or yacht?

 

[Komet]

Good brand for the occasion you're in Harbor Freight and need a tool that's 'pretty decent'. I have the ICON 1/4 ratchet and 1/2 breaker bar and they work well.

 

[zendriver]

This might come as a shock, but harbor freight is not a tool company.

They are a retailer, that has certain brand names put on somewhat generic products, that are sold elsewhere around the world, under different brand names. Menards sell some of the exact same products under different brand name.

It’s hard to imagine an asian tool company making nothing but Icon wrenches for HF,( at least a successful one.)

As far as Making them look like snap on - what are they suppose to make them look like?

 

[Maxcustody]

I don’t have any Icon tools. However, I have seen when looking at them they are not inexpensive compared to others like Tekton, etc. For instance I have been looking at the metric Mountain long reversing ratchet wrench set for a while. Icon version of this is set is approximately $60 more. I am looking at the Icon set due to the fact the mountain set seems to be hard to find.

 

[Bockscar]

I don’t have any Icon tools. However, I have seen when looking at them they are not inexpensive compared to others like Tekton, etc. For instance I have been looking at the metric Mountain long reversing ratchet wrench set for a while. Icon version of this is set is approximately $60 more. I am looking at the Icon set due to the fact the mountain set seems to be hard to find.

And if your HF is close by any warranty will be very simple

 

[Maxcustody]

And if your HF is close by any warranty will be very simple

Yes, this is why I have started looking at the Icon version. Closest HF is about 40 minutes away, still better than some online warranties. I am trying to wait for another no exclusion coupon.

 

[Mr_B]

It useful, pick the select stuff that works for you when got good price and you can't go far wrong .
Ratchets nothing that special (roto heads are quite good)
Don't buy purely on belief warranty easy forever and pick the real gems and you can do well out of ICON .
Like any brand, pick the cream and milk the deals .

 

[justintendo]

Icon/HF won't innovate. But they are going to force Knipex/Snap On to. I like the fact that the role HF is playing in the whole system. It squeeze the fat profit away from fat cats' business and move the whole industry forward. Also relative to Knipex at least, HF has much much better warranty and service. If Icon can be as good as, or even close to Knipex, why would one miss Knipex?

Knipex and snap on have always innovated.

 

[Bubba Fett]

Good tools, but overpriced for the most part. They are not that much better than Taiwan-sourced tools from Carlyle, Tekton, Milwaukee, DeWalt, and many others that use the same contract manufacturers. The warranty is a plus of there is a HF near you.

 

[victor252]

Knipex and snap on have always innovated.

I think qqzj's point was that the additional competitive pressure from the HF knock-offs forces (real) high-end tool companies to innovate more than they otherwise would, if there were no cheap substitutes. They also have to be competitive about pricing.

So the Snap-on and MAC consumer indirectly benefits by the additional competition from HF, Tekton, etc.

 

[dnschmidt]

I like ICON. The fact of the matter is that Harbor Freight is the future of tools in America whether you like it or not. They had the biggest booth at SEMA. They are attacking the tool trucks with quality products and at least for ICON hiring the best manufacturers in Taiwan to make their products (e.g. KABO). Has anybody bought a floor jack from anywhere except Harbor Freight in the last three years? Every shop I've visited has a Daytona floor jack. Like Thannos Harbor Freight is inevitable.

 

[victor252]

Building off Bubba Fett and dnschmidt, I think part of the reason that HF is pricing their ICON tools at a higher price is that the HF store has some advantages over HD, Lowes, and online shopping.
Let's say you want a tool cart or toolbox, a nice set of chrome sockets, a beater set of impact sockets, some picks, and floor jack. Is there any other big box store that sells all of the those products and has them out on the floor for you to inspect before buying? Not in my part of the country.

Let's say that you're shopping at HF and a fairy godmother, or your smartphone, tells you that if you are willing to drive to Napa, you can buy the same jack $5 cheaper, and if you are willing to wait a few days, you can buy the same chrome sockets from Capri $5 cheaper and if you are also willing to drive to AutoZone, you can buy the cheap impact sockets $5 cheaper. Do you actually make all those extra trips (and burn fuel doing it) or pay the $15 convenience fee of shopping at HF and get to work on whatever you had planned?

Time is money. Also, it's nice being able to hold something in your hand before you decide to buy it or not. HF in general offers these values that other, less specialized stores do not. So they can charge more for some of their nicer items like the ICON brand, compared to Capri or Tekton.

 

[qqzj]

Also they have relatively consistent stock. If s guy buys a fancy wrench from home Depot or AutoZone, two years later, they are not there anymore. The warranty becomes dubious because you don't know what you will actually get. For icon, HF actually tries to improve. So you might even get something better back

 

[dcg9381]

I'm a fan.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Victor 252 nailed it. I had to search all over for a big *** socket for the crown nut on a ball joint. Oreillys? Nope. Ace? Nope. CarQuest? They had the socket but not the 1/2 to 3/4 adapter I needed to use it. The guy said 'Just go to HF.. they have all this stuff'. Sure enough...

 

[VolvoRyan]

My silly peeve about ICON is that you know the marketing department said "We need a name that's iconic and sounds like Snap-On"..... ICON. Phone it in!

That said, HF has things figured out for gearheads. Their game has been elevated substantially over the last few years. Everything they sell ticks all the check boxes. The people in all the stores in the greater Louisville area are super nice and courteous.

By comparison, Lowes and Home Depot are kinda lame. The tool boxes aren't well thought out. Tool sets often mix metric and SAE (the horror!). Meh.

-Ryan

 

[Rc_Guy]

Downside, you never innovate. So your only selling point is price. Why would I buy Icon when I can buy the multicolor sockets which work fine for $14.99?

What sockets are multicolor?

 

[M6erfan]

What sockets are multicolor?

I think he's speaking of HF Quinn socket sets (Red-SAE, Blue-metric). Rail sets are like $12-$15 bucks.

 

[victor252]

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!

www.harborfreight.com

taste the rainbow

 

[SRSemenza]

With mostly Snap On and Gearwrench, I thought I had more than enough tools for my occasional DIY.
Then, I found that I need crowfoot and wobble extensions. I only have a 10mm Snap On crowfoot for torquing valve lock nuts, then a few Craftsman wobble extensions, time to get a set of each.

I got these from Harbor Freight:

I have to say, these ICONs are seriously good quality. For the price, there is just no comparison, even Gearwrench.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Are those Icon wobble extensions .... wobble only?

Seth

 

[zendriver]

Victor 252 nailed it. I had to search all over for a big *** socket for the crown nut on a ball joint. Oreillys? Nope. Ace? Nope. CarQuest? They had the socket but not the 1/2 to 3/4 adapter I needed to use it. The guy said 'Just go to HF.. they have all this stuff'. Sure enough...

Pretty much.

They opened a store in my small hometown this year.

Need a demo hammer? Just stop in and choose between "better" or "best" and get whatever bit or chisels needed.

Whole new ball game.

 

[Mike S.]

Are those Icon wobble extensions .... wobble only?

Seth

Those Icon extensions have 2 detents. The first detent allows the socket to wobble. If you push the socket on further, then it acts like a standard extension.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

The icon extensions are really nice. They aren’t chunky like most Taiwanese extensions are. They also fit the square drives of the sockets really well. I also really liked the swivel head ratchets. I think Icon is pretty decent stuff. But my HF is typically pretty light on Icon inventory outside of sockets sets.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!

www.harborfreight.com

taste the rainbow

Yup, old reliable pittsburgh pro. If you're trying to buy 90% functional sockets, IDK why anyone goes above this.

That's where I don't understand the Icon line. The multicolor sockets are high quality, and long lasting in a pro enviorment working on rustbelt cars. So what is Icon offering me? Higher price, for a tool which might be better? Aside from the easily available warranty on Kabo ratcheting wrenches, what reason do I have to buy their product? Because it looks like snap-on from 25ft?

 

[dnschmidt]

2nd Gear. Harbor Freight doesn't have to innovate, their suppliers in Taiwan innovate all the time. KABO is the most innovative company I've ever encountered. Visit their booth at AAPEX (Fed's right they are always at AAPEX and not SEMA as I mistakenly first stated) and every year they've got new and interesting ****.

 

[victor252]

Yup, old reliable pittsburgh pro. If you're trying to buy 90% functional sockets, IDK why anyone goes above this.

That's where I don't understand the Icon line. The multicolor sockets are high quality, and long lasting in a pro enviorment working on rustbelt cars. So what is Icon offering me? Higher price, for a tool which might be better? Aside from the easily available warranty on Kabo ratcheting wrenches, what reason do I have to buy their product? Because it looks like snap-on from 25ft?

I think I figured this one out. Pittsburgh (Pro) is not offering 6 point sockets except for deep sockets or 1/4 drive. Colored or chrome, all the shallow sockets in 3/8 and 1/2 drives are 12 point. You have to go ICON to get shallow 6 point sockets.

Not sure if they always did this or if they deliberately made Pittsburgh worse to make it easier to sell ICON. This is basically a demand-revealing mechanism. Pros will want 6 pt and also need good tools to earn a good living so they will pay more for ICON. Homeowner Harry just needs it for occassional use on mostly new fasteners, so he buys whatever is cheapest. No more pooling equilibrium (which benefits the pros). Profits increase. Genius.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

2nd Gear. Harbor Freight doesn't have to innovate, their suppliers in Taiwan innovate all the time. KABO is the most innovative company I've ever encountered. Visit their booth at SEMA and every year they've got new and interesting ****.

Getting in bed with Kabo for wrenches was a great idea. No denying that. IMO that's the crown jewel of the lineup. If they stay reliable with supplies and warranty, that's a huge value to a tech working near a HF. Which is a ton of people, HF stores aren't exactly rare.

I'm weird. Lets pick the knipex pliers wrench. They're like $55 bucks? Icon version is $30? Why would I buy the Icon version, when a known known product exists? I know the Knipex version is touted as great. So why would I gamble $30 that Icon is similar or at least passable, when for $55 it's a sure thing? That's my problem with knock offs, all it does is further justify the original. The pliers wrench is SO good, a business model exists to make a knock off. On the opposite side of the coin, lets look at Icon vs the pittsburgh pro sockets, multicolor. Those bad boys are $14.99, and they work. So what am I getting by upgrading to Icon a little down the isle? They're a bit thinner by picture, and they look nicer. For $50. So if I'm price sensitive, I have my $15 functional sockets. I know Willians USA is $80 or so, and I know those are top sockets. So what is drawing me to the $50 gamble?

To me it's just an odd spot. Aside from the Kabo products, what are they offering me? Local distribution is a huge plus, but then they compete with cheaper stuff in their own stores.


Don't get me wrong, I've spent a lot of money at HF. To the point I don't really go anymore because I bought everything from them I'm interested in buying.

I think I figured this one out. Pittsburgh (Pro) is not offering 6 point sockets except for deep sockets or 1/4 drive. Colored or chrome, all the shallow sockets in 3/8 and 1/2 drives are 12 point. You have to go ICON to get shallow 6 point sockets.

Not sure if they always did this or if they deliberately made Pittsburgh worse to make it easier to sell ICON. This is basically a demand-revealing mechanism. Pros will want 6 pt and also need good tools to earn a good living so they will pay more for ICON. Homeowner Harry just needs it for occassional use on mostly new fasteners, so he buys whatever is cheapest. No more pooling equilibrium (which benefits the pros). Profits increase. Genius.

Great point, I used deeps as my example, and didn't notice that. That certainly throws off my whole equation, if Icon is the only 6point shallow 3/8 set in the building. I'd be curious as to how long you'd get out of the Icon sockets. The pittsburgh pro multicolor were pretty tough.

 

[turnthewrench 2.0]

I would like to see them spend less time trying to clone Snap on tools and just go their own way.

I would like to see Snap-on at those prices, as it should be.