ICON Socket——color me unimpressed

[liliysdad]

I bought some ICON sockets as filler for places I haven’t filled with quality sockets yet. They look good, and they seemed to be decent enough.

I bought some new/different wheels and tires for my F150. There were a couple of lug nuts that were too tight for my impact to take off, so I grabbed my Snap-On 18” (not 28") Flex-Head ratchet and a 21mm ICON socket. The first lug nut came right off, but the second kept slipping off.

Once I finally got it off, I noticed the socket didn’t look right. Sure enough, that pretty ICON socket is all deformed to hell. It didn’t crack, but it sure as hell ain’t round anymore. I guess I’ll try to warranty it, but the ICON stuff will be going in the road box and be replaced with something better. Seems my desire to be a cheap-*** bit me.

 

[Jim greengo]

Well that *****.

 

[KnurledNut]

After your apparent disdain of ICON in the ratcheting wrench thread two days ago, this has a fabricated vibe to it...just saying.

 

[dchawk81]

This wouldn't have happened if you used a torque wrench instead of a breaker bar.

 

[dchawk81]

Sorry, ratchet.

(Out of edits)

 

[liliysdad]

Think about it what you will. It happened yesterday...I would be inclined to say I abused it, but this damage happened while attached to nothing more than an 18" ratchet. No cheater, nothing...and I am not a big guy.

My disdain for the ICON wrenches was not the quality, it was the marketing approach. Me not liking the fact they don't have open stock or more options made me destroy a socket to prove my point?

 

[dchawk81]

Curious why you'd put this in the road box, considering on the road is when you'd need to trust it most.

 

[dchawk81]

Think about it what you will. It happened yesterday...I would be inclined to say I abused it, but this damage happened while attached to nothing more than an 18" ratchet. No cheater, nothing...and I am not a big guy.

My disdain for the ICON wrenches was not the quality, it was the marketing approach. Me not liking the fact they don't have open stock or more options made me destroy a socket to prove my point?

18 or 28? Your OP saya 28.

 

[liliysdad]

18 or 28? Your OP saya 28.

18....my fat fingers. I don't own a ratchet longer...

 

[dchawk81]

18....my fat fingers. I don't own a ratchet longer...

All good. It happens. I run out of edits frequently partly because of it.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I would see if you could get a warranty replacement.
One bad socket does not equate to the entire product line being "bad".
There is simply no practical way to check each and every socket coming down a production line - they can only do spot checks.
One out of a gazillion will fail right out of the gate - it's the nature of the beast.

 

[liliysdad]

I will definitely get it warrantied. In the end, they are still cheap tools even if they are the high end of HF’s offerings. Failure like this in the very first use does tend to leave a bad taste in my mouth, regardless.

I’ll likely relegate these to my trucks tool bag, and replace them with a set of Williams USA sockets. It’s what I should have down to begin with.

 

[1982fxr]

Even though their stuff gets better, it's still harbor freight.

 

[zendriver]

My HF tools hold up pretty well, but then I know how to use them properly.

Fwiw I did something equally silly years ago with a snap on socket. It didn’t deform, but it split down the side which I guess is an improvement

 

[liliysdad]

My HF tools hold up pretty well, but then I know how to use them properly.

Fwiw I did something equally silly years ago with a snap on socket. It didn’t deform, but it split down the side which I guess is an improvement

Using a ratchet without a cheater to break a lug nut loose is “ silly?”

 

[dchawk81]

I will definitely get it warrantied. In the end, they are still cheap tools even if they are the high end of HF’s offerings. Failure like this in the very first use does tend to leave a bad taste in my mouth, regardless.

I’ll likely relegate these to my trucks tool bag, and replace them with a set of Williams USA sockets. It’s what I should have down to begin with.

It would be interesting to see how other brands would handle the same forces under the same conditions.

 

[zendriver]

Using a ratchet without a cheater to break a lug nut loose is “ silly?”

I can’t see the images very well that’s a impact socket, right?

 

[dchawk81]

I can’t see the images very well that’s a impact socket, right?

Looks chrome to me.

 

[four.cycle]

Failure like this in the very first use does tend to leave a bad taste in my mouth, regardless.

I've seen all kinds of brand-new-out-of-the-box tools fail on first use. It happens. With premium brands.

Be thankful it happened right out of the gate, and not when you were stuck on the side of the road 50 miles from home.

 

[liliysdad]

It’s chrome.

 

[Shiftless]

I can’t see the images very well that’s an impact socket, right?

Looks like chrome from here.

I attacked a frozen nut with a 3/4 inch ICON impact socket snapped onto a half inch air rattler and it zipped right off with no damage to the socket. I didn’t expect any.

 

[lardy1]

I think that there are enough Icon users in these forums that we would probably know if this is a recurring problem. Four Cycle said it pretty well already.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I would warranty that, no socket produced and widely available today performs in that way as a standard or acceptable result.

Probably just a defect from manufacturering. Was the lug nut swollen and you had to knock it on with a hammer?

 

[dchawk81]

I would warranty that, no socket produced and widely available today performs in that way as a standard or acceptable result.

Probably just a defect from manufacturering. Was the lug nut swollen and you had to knock it on with a hammer?

I was going to post something to that effect. I wouldn't expect any socket, even a Pittsburgh, to fail like that under manual effort even from a hoss.

 

[zendriver]

Ok Maybe it’s just me.

If I’ve got a fastener that’s stuck, that an impact won’t break loose I want to bring out a Howitzer not an M-16. If the socket would have deformed during normal use, then I would agree. It’s a piece of junk.

I know people have great distain for HF This is worth its weight it gold. Save me many times.

8.5 Amp 1/2 in. Impact Wrench with Rocker Switch

Amazing deals on this 1/2In Electric Impact Wrench at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I was going to post something to that effect. I wouldn't expect any socket, even a Pittsburgh, to fail like that under manual effort even from a hoss.

The only stuff I remember acting like that "as standard" were some junk noname sockets my dad had left over from the 80s. And even those didn't ALL do that within a given set. Just a defect.

 

[dchawk81]

The only stuff I remember acting like that "as standard" were some junk noname sockets my dad had left over from the 80s. And even those didn't ALL do that within a given set. Just a defect.

Those sockets with lopsided broaching or whatever the hex hole is called. Lol.

 

[bobg03]

Failure like this in the very first use does tend to leave a bad taste in my mouth, regardless.

I had my first marriage go like that, it left a bad taste and I still tried it two more times...

 

[liliysdad]

I would warranty that, no socket produced and widely available today performs in that way as a standard or acceptable result.

Probably just a defect from manufacturering. Was the lug nut swollen and you had to knock it on with a hammer?

No, it wasn’t one of the chrome clad lug nuts that Ford is so famous for.

I probably should have drug out my big impact and an impact socket, but I already had the ratchet out to put the new spline drive nuts on for the new wheels. For some reason those two lug nuts were especially tight and my older low torque DeWalt wouldn’t touch them.

I’m not gonna lie…. I about blew a blood vessel getting that last one off with just the ratchet. I will chalk this one up to a fluke, warranty it, and see what happens.

 

[jayemm]

With that amount of deformation without splitting, poor/lack of heat treatment would be my guess.

 

[Hakeem]

I will definitely get it warrantied. In the end, they are still cheap tools even if they are the high end of HF’s offerings. Failure like this in the very first use does tend to leave a bad taste in my mouth, regardless.

I’ll likely relegate these to my trucks tool bag, and replace them with a set of Williams USA sockets. It’s what I should have down to begin with.

Yeesh, sorry you are dealing with this. I tip my hat to you for keeping an open mind and giving them a try despite your (reasonable) concerns.

 

[JeepYJ]

My disdain for the ICON wrenches was not the quality, it was the marketing approach. Me not liking the fact they don't have open stock or more options made me destroy a socket to prove my point?

If you want to buy singles you can. Call the HF customer service number +1-800-444-3353 and order what you want. Shipping is free AFAIK

 

[liliysdad]

Im aware they sell singles…my issue is that they aren’t on the shelf, and they are only duplicates of what’s already in the kits.

 

[AEAdam]

I don't think one should be able to do this to a socket. The drive should shear before the socket lets go.

 

[liliysdad]

I don't think one should be able to do this to a socket. The drive should shear before the socket lets go.

I would tend to agree..

 

[teknikfrog]

I got the icon magnetic flashlight and I share your thoughts. It's a fantastic light with many useful modes, but the fact that I can't unscrew the bottom and take the 18650 out.....these are not serious tools.

 

[FigN⋅m]

these are not serious tools.

That's why you get the Braun one! Heck, it was $15 last weekend at the Parking Lot Sale. *Thread derail off*

 

[Grokew]

I bought some ICON sockets as filler for places I haven’t filled with quality sockets yet. They look good, and they seemed to be decent enough.

I bought some new/different wheels and tires for my F150. There were a couple of lug nuts that were too tight for my impact to take off, so I grabbed my Snap-On 18” (not 28") Flex-Head ratchet and a 21mm ICON socket. The first lug nut came right off, but the second kept slipping off.

Once I finally got it off, I noticed the socket didn’t look right. Sure enough, that pretty ICON socket is all deformed to hell. It didn’t crack, but it sure as hell ain’t round anymore. I guess I’ll try to warranty it, but the ICON stuff will be going in the road box and be replaced with something better. Seems my desire to be a cheap-*** bit me.

Just get some duralast or husky sockets.

 

[Mr_B]

you can buy a socket for a buck & it can do pretty well, these ICON sockets are not that bad, you would assume it had manufacture glitch in heat treatment deform like that.
I've used some ICON sockets and cheaper taiwan sockets for years in daily auto repair with no major problems .
From my experience the ICON sockets offer quite a lot for fairly sensible coin & have a currently usable warranty that a bonus ...
Grab a warranty replacement & test sockets some more ...

 

[cgrutt]

I've been buying ICON and some other HF stuff over past couple of years it's been hit or miss for the most part. That said I haven't had any problems returning anything that didn't work out or exchanging for warranty if I wanted to keep it. I've heard mixed info about warranty items some say just bring in the broken tool and they'll exchange it others say you need to return the whole set and they'll give you a new set. It may be a store by store sort of thing. I've just brought in the broken tool and they pulled a new one out of a set and exchanged it. No issues so far. I did wind up bending a brand new ratcheting wrench first use. It was non reversible and I got it stuck on a drive shaft had to put some leverage on it with a piece of pipe to get it unstuck. So really no fault of the tool but I was surprised the handle bent before ratcheting mechanism broke. Explained exactly what happened to store manager and she said pull a new one off the shelf so can't complain about that lol...