ICON Socket——color me unimpressed

[four.cycle]

^ I've seen lots of brand-new sockets pop in half right out of the gate. Some weird flaw in the metal. Same with pliers - one whole jaw just snap right off on the first hard squeeze. There just isn't any way to "test" every single unit. In a perfect world, maybe??

 

[roofdweller49]

I'm curious who OEMed these

 

[AdAstra]

Was it engaged to full depth when it deformed? If it were only partially engaged or slipped off partially during the pull it might have experienced concentrated stress right in that weaker entry chamfer area, although yeah it does seem like heat treat on this must be pretty soft to have it do that vs fracture.

 

[nadogail]

Cheap tools often are very expensive when you consider the costs involved with failure.

 

[AEAdam]

Cheap tools often are very expensive when you consider the costs involved with failure.

This^^^^^. The idea that you are somehow saving money because you can stop what you are doing, drive somewhere, and roll the dice on another tool that may or may not work, seems preposterous to me.

As a weekend warrior mechanic, even if I’m working on my lawn mower, my time is precious. I really don’t want my tools to fail. Pulling out my tools at all saves me money. Really don’t need or recommend saving money on tools too.

 

[neophyte]

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

Deforming like the Icon socket is way safer than the socket splitting.

 

[Hakeem]

This^^^^^. The idea that you are somehow saving money because you can stop what you are doing, drive somewhere, and roll the dice on another tool that may or may not work, seems preposterous to me.

As a weekend warrior mechanic, even if I’m working on my lawn mower, my time is precious. I really don’t want my tools to fail. Pulling out my tools at all saves me money. Really don’t need or recommend saving money on tools too.

How many hand tools have you broken in your life?

 

[AEAdam]

How many hand tools have you broken in your life?

Good question!

When I was younger, I think almost every job involved a trip to Sears or pep boys for parts. Tools were pretty bad then. And my cars were pretty ****. I would say I had 2 problems: no impact wrench and rusty NE cars, built before galvanization was a thing. Tools would outright break, or fit/performed so poorly, they’d wreck the hardware. I used a lot of heat and penetrating oil and strength and honestly, prayer.

I was working on my daily driver or family members cars and I needed to complete repairs in a reasonable amount of time so I or others could get to work.

As I recall, those were tough repairs, I was under a lot of pressure and working without a safety net. I’ve never had a really nice garage to work in, so I’d get caught in the rain, working after dark.

My advice is, if any of this sounds familiar, buy the best tools you can stomach. Include a couple impact guns.

I have pretty much all Snap On now. While they are beautiful tools, I also have the I have RIGHT tools for the job, which is really important. I’m in the middle of building a house and my garage is packed with supplies and my lawnmower so I’m still working outside on what little pavement I have at my next home.

 

[JeepYJ]

Two threads one here right now about broken S-On tools (3/4” torque wrench and hammers). “Good” or even “best” tools can break.

 

[cgrutt]

I've broken some tools before usually not a big deal as I almost always have another same or similar tool that can get the job done. My fear is catastrophic failure that causes me or someone else to get hurt. I've told this story a few times and won't retell it here but I learned this the hard way when my best friend nearly lost his eye after a Craftsman universal exploded. I've broken more Harbor Freight tools in the last few years than anything else during my lifetime lol...

 

[bcradio]

Two threads one here right now about broken S-On tools (3/4” torque wrench and hammers). “Good” or even “best” tools can break.

Those should have been titled - "Snap-On - Color Me Unimpressed"

 

[liliysdad]

Those should have been titled - "Snap-On - Color Me Unimpressed"

Had those Snap-On items broken the first time they were used....perhaps.

I have drawers full of Snap-On, Williams, Wright, Cornwell, Matco, and Proto tools. Some of them were bought new, but every single one of the tool truck brand tools were used. The only socket I have ever broken the first time I used it was this brand new ICON.

Its an anecdote, a sample of one....but it is what it is. I have no doubt they are good for what they are, but in my opinion they do not truly compete with US made tool truck and industrial tools, no matter how hard they try. My opinion could very well be wrong...but it will absolutely influence my buying choices from now on.

 

[bcradio]

Had those Snap-On items broken the first time they were used....perhaps.

I have drawers full of Snap-On, Williams, Wright, Cornwell, Matco, and Proto tools. Some of them were bought new, but every single one of the tool truck brand tools were used. The only socket I have ever broken the first time I used it was this brand new ICON.

Its an anecdote, a sample of one....but it is what it is.

And I have used many ICON sockets and other ICON tools many times without a single failure. Thousands of pro's use them everyday as well without failure also. My Snap-On sockets have never failed me either with lots of use.

 

[liliysdad]

And I have used many ICON sockets and other ICON tools many times without a single failure. Thousands of pro's use them everyday as well without failure also. My Snap-On sockets have never failed me either with lots of use.

I can't and won't argue that fact...which is is why I stated my experience is anecdotal.

I am not at all going to say I will not buy ICON again, but I will consider them as nothing more than another Taiwan tool.

 

[308guru]

An impact wouldn't take it off so you grabbed an 18" ratchet?

What impact do you have that wasn't up to the task of removing a lug nut on an F150? Tightening torque is only 150ft.lb. (at least on my F150).

 

[liliysdad]

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.

An impact wouldn't take it off so you grabbed an 18" ratchet?

What impact do you have that wasn't up to the task of removing a lug nut on an F150? Tightening torque is only 150ft.lb. (at least on my F150).

I addressed it early on....but for clarification.

I have an older brushed low DeWalt impact that gets used for most lug nut duties. Its small and light, but 150 ft-lbs is about its max breakaway. It took 22 of the 24 lug nuts off just fine. Two of them were just a bit too tight. I have a DCF891 Mid Torque that would likely snap the studs if I was so inclined. It, however, was in the shop and the ratchet and socket were handy. The two remaining nuts weren't THAT tight, just a bit tighter than my little impact wanted.

Of course, we all know that tightening torque has absolutely nothing to do with the torque required for removal...right?

 

[308guru]

I addressed it early on....but for clarification.

I have an older brushed low DeWalt impact that gets used for most lug nut duties. Its small and light, but 150 ft-lbs is about its max breakaway. It took 22 of the 24 lug nuts off just fine. Two of them were just a bit too tight. I have a DCF891 Mid Torque that would likely snap the studs if I was so inclined. It, however, was in the shop and the ratchet and socket were handy. The two remaining nuts weren't THAT tight, just a bit tighter than my little impact wanted.

Of course, we all know that tightening torque has absolutely nothing to do with the torque required for removal...right?

Got it.

 

[Hohn]

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

Mine too. A Chrome socket should be so hard and brittle that you'd never really see it yield, it would be like glass and transition from perfectly sized to exploded with very little ductility.

 

[Hohn]

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...

Same here. I had to return a set of deep sockets because the chrome was peeling. This was very common on the first few months of production.

I've generally had good luck with the ICON stuff, but it's definitely a YMMV scenario. I used to think their offset DBEs were decent until I bought Williams, Capri, and Nepros. Even the Capri DBEs smoke the ICONs for similar or less money.

ICON stuff is definitely a cut above normal HF fare, but I'm not sure they are a killer bargain now that the prices have steadily crept up. At the common non-coupon prices, all Taiwanese stuff is generally in scope, and most of the alternatives are from established brands who aren't so hit-or-miss but instead are pretty consistently good.

Honestly for most of the things I'd consider ICON for, I would buy Tekton instead. Similar to cheaper price, generally better quality (JMO).

 

[zendriver]

Deforming like the Icon socket is way safer than the socket splitting.

I suppose, but I doubt if they’re designed that way, but with the modern Chinese maybe they are. The harder steel is the more brittle it is, so maybe they’re finding a happy medium.

just making a point just because a tool fits over a fastener, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s gonna get the job done loosening up if it’s stuck.

No matter the brand I don’t think I would use a chrome socket in that situation

 

[bassJAM]

I addressed it early on....but for clarification.

I have an older brushed low DeWalt impact that gets used for most lug nut duties. Its small and light, but 150 ft-lbs is about its max breakaway. It took 22 of the 24 lug nuts off just fine. Two of them were just a bit too tight. I have a DCF891 Mid Torque that would likely snap the studs if I was so inclined. It, however, was in the shop and the ratchet and socket were handy. The two remaining nuts weren't THAT tight, just a bit tighter than my little impact wanted.

Of course, we all know that tightening torque has absolutely nothing to do with the torque required for removal...right?

Were you using the icon socket with the impact wrench on the first 22 lugs? If so, that's the problem. If not I don't really know since I have never purchased Icon stuff. But I once cracked a 6pt US made 1/2" Craftsman socket on my F150's wheels with an 18" breaker bar. I don't touch them without an impact socket now regardless of if I'm using an impact wrench or breaker bar, even when it's me who tightened them last to spec.

 

[lardy1]

Am I reading into this that I shouldn't be breaking lug nuts on a Silverado 1500 with a chrome 22MM socket and a 24" breaker bar? Seriously. I see the idea of deforming slowly like an impact socket rather than shattering all at once but I never imagined I was stressing a socket enough to be concerned about that.

 

[dnschmidt]

If you've got a Festool Kapex or Domino and it ****'s the bed at over $1000@ that's worth bitching about. A ******* socket that has a lifetime guarantee and an effortless exchange policy is worth posting about? Call me unimpressed.

 

[Hohn]

Am I reading into this that I shouldn't be breaking lug nuts on a Silverado 1500 with a chrome 22MM socket and a 24" breaker bar? Seriously. I see the idea of deforming slowly like an impact socket rather than shattering all at once but I never imagined I was stressing a socket enough to be concerned about that.

Any socket should be stronger than the square drive driving it. Full stop. The only acceptable failure mode is twisting off the drive anvil.

 

[liliysdad]

If you've got a Festool Kapex or Domino and it ****'s the bed at over $1000@ that's worth bitching about. A ******* socket that has a lifetime guarantee and an effortless exchange policy is worth posting about? Call me unimpressed.

I am sorry my level of expenditure does not rise to your level of concern. In all reality, I cannot articulate how little I care what you think about the situation.

I thought the incident relevant to the concerns on this forum. Quite a but of bandwidth has been used discussing the virtues of Asian vs American hand tools, warranty processes, etc. This failure falls squarely in several of those camps. In furtherance of this discussion, I returned the socket to the local Harbor Freight. After explaining to the manager why the socket should be round and not kind of pentagon shaped, the exchange was relatively simple.

I haven't written the ICON tools off altogether, but from this point forward they will be considered alongside any other Taiwan sourced tool. The ease of the warranty will definitely be factored in.

 

[Hohn]

I am sorry my level of expenditure does not rise to your level of concern. In all reality, I cannot articulate how little I care what you think about the situation.

I thought the incident relevant to the concerns on this forum. Quite a but of bandwidth has been used discussing the virtues of Asian vs American hand tools, warranty processes, etc. This failure falls squarely in several of those camps. In furtherance of this discussion, I returned the socket to the local Harbor Freight. After explaining to the manager why the socket should be round and not kind of pentagon shaped, the exchange was relatively simple.

I haven't written the ICON tools off altogether, but from this point forward they will be considered alongside any other Taiwan sourced tool. The ease of the warranty will definitely be factored in.

Most of the Taiwanese tools I have used and bought I would say are superior in consistency to the HF ICONs.
I don't think the issue with ICONs is that they are taiwanese. It's that they are likely from a relatively new or inexperienced Taiwanese vendor.
So maybe don't tar with too broad a brush here-- not all Taiwanese are like the ICON stuff.

 

[dscheidt]

Cheap tools often are very expensive when you consider the costs involved with failure.

I bought a set of snap on screwdrivers a long time ago. they were in the sale flyer, but the driver was out of my color. I was off the day they were delivered. I came in, found a shrink wrapped package of screwdriver handles on my tool box (along with some other stuff.). The factory neglected to install blades in any of them, packaged it up, sent it out, and no one noticed.

 

[liliysdad]

Most of the Taiwanese tools I have used and bought I would say are superior in consistency to the HF ICONs.
I don't think the issue with ICONs is that they are taiwanese. It's that they are likely from a relatively new or inexperienced Taiwanese vendor.
So maybe don't tar with too broad a brush here-- not all Taiwanese are like the ICON stuff.

I can absolutely see that. I do have some Taiwan sourced tools in the box, and have never really had an issue beyond certain tools that “just don’t feel right,” and even that’s a rarity. I greatly prefer higher end tools….but I’m not a pro or well off, so holes get filled with other items.

I have quite a bit of Gearwrench in the box, and I can’t say I’ve had any real issues with the majority of it. As of right now, ICONs sole advantage over any of them for me is the ease of warranty.

 

[Steve_P]

Mine too. A Chrome socket should be so hard and brittle that you'd never really see it yield, it would be like glass and transition from perfectly sized to exploded with very little ductility.

Agree that it appears that it wasn't heat treated properly.

But even RC 50 alloy steel like 4140 will yield about 8-10% at failure. Saying that, I've never yielded the hex end like that on any socket. And I don't think I've seen a failure like that here before. I've cracked both chrome and impact sockets on the hex end- just a few. I've very visibly yielded impact sockets on both ends, internally; this is just use over time, and they were still functional, but ugly. I've visibly yielded chrome sockets on the square end by using them with an impact- I know, shame on me, but sometimes you have to do what's necessary.

 

[neophyte]

I suppose, but I doubt if they’re designed that way, but with the modern Chinese maybe they are. The harder steel is the more brittle it is, so maybe they’re finding a happy medium.

just making a point just because a tool fits over a fastener, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s gonna get the job done loosening up if it’s stuck.

No matter the brand I don’t think I would use a chrome socket in that situation

I recall there being a “new standard” that dome dockets were supposed to meet, were the dockets were supposedly hardened for “machine use” but not for impact use. (Ie. Safe yo use in a power drill, but not an impact driver).
I have no clue whether the standard would apply to the Icon sockets, although some dockets made yo the standard were chrome plated.

 

[bcradio]

I am sorry my level of expenditure does not rise to your level of concern. In all reality, I cannot articulate how little I care what you think about the situation.

I thought the incident relevant to the concerns on this forum. Quite a but of bandwidth has been used discussing the virtues of Asian vs American hand tools, warranty processes, etc. This failure falls squarely in several of those camps. In furtherance of this discussion, I returned the socket to the local Harbor Freight. After explaining to the manager why the socket should be round and not kind of pentagon shaped, the exchange was relatively simple.

I haven't written the ICON tools off altogether, but from this point forward they will be considered alongside any other Taiwan sourced tool. The ease of the warranty will definitely be factored in.

Perfect! Now you can try that same thing again with the new socket and see how this one holds up. An N of 1 doesn't hold up in science, but an N of 2 will definitely hold some more weight.

 

[M635_Guy]

And I have used many ICON sockets and other ICON tools many times without a single failure. Thousands of pro's use them everyday as well without failure also. My Snap-On sockets have never failed me either with lots of use.

Same - My Icon sockets have been as good as any of the (several) other sets I have (MiUSA SK, SO, etc.), and I've used them as much or more as anything else.

That's a strange failure for sure. I'm not sure how a relatively-short ratchet and a chrome socket is going to do better than an impact (and presumably an impact socket... it was an impact socket you were using with your impact, right??). Not sure how just the end flared vs. the whole body deforming either.

 

[liliysdad]

That's a strange failure for sure. I'm not sure how a relatively-short ratchet and a chrome socket is going to do better than an impact (and presumably an impact socket... it was an impact socket you were using with your impact, right??). Not sure how just the end flared vs. the whole body deforming either.

Like I said earlier…a real impact would have handled it…I was just too lazy to walk over and grab it.

Yes….an impact socket was used. A Snap On impact socket with no extension, at that.

 

[dchawk81]

Like I said earlier…a real impact would have handled it…I was just too lazy to walk over and grab it.

Yes….an impact socket was used. A Snap On impact socket with no extension, at that.

Elitist.

 

[liliysdad]

Elitist.

It’s a lot of work being me

 

[M635_Guy]

Like I said earlier…a real impact would have handled it…I was just too lazy to walk over and grab it.

Yes….an impact socket was used. A Snap On impact socket with no extension, at that.

An 18" breaker bar isn't bringing all that much to the party for a 21mm 1/2" socket... [If a "regular" impact wouldn't get it, I wouldn't count on a short-ish breaker bar and a chrome socket on an F150 lug nut an impact of any kind wouldn't get. I'm the guy where all the least-likely things possible seem to happen, so I'm almost always going to go get the most-proper thing I can bring to bear on a situation like that. Come to think of it, I can't actually remember the last time I used a breaker bar...

But whatever - neither of us have data, but I would say your experience is one of the very-few negative one I've heard about the Icon sockets. It's possibly the only one - can't think of another other than a guy on Reddit who works on Fords and the 1/4" Icon socket for one particular Ford component is too shallow for that application. That's not really a 'failure' in my book (the 3/8" worked, but he refused to use it on principle).

EDIT - I looked at the Amazon list for the Tekton 1/2"-anvil 18-in long breaker bar, and it's apparently rated for 560 ft lb., but I'm not sure if that's to shear the anvil or what it can routinely apply. That seems like a LOT of grump to get out of a small breaker bar. If I had an F150 torqued to at least the correct 150 ft.lb and had to use a breaker bar, I'd get the biggest one I had (which is probably 25", though I have no idea where it is these days...)

 

[M635_Guy]

Honestly for most of the things I'd consider ICON for, I would buy Tekton instead. Similar to cheaper price, generally better quality (JMO).

Having both Tekton and Icon socket sets that often work side-by-side, I'd disagree. The Icon sockets I have are less-sloppy/have tighter tolerances than the Tektons and in the 3/8" starting around 14mm are progressively shorter which often comes in very handy (the Tektons appear to share more blanks at the lower sizes).

Similar for my Icon vs. my (now sold) Tekton combo wrenches - more slop in the open end and a 'softer' combo end that means you have to get more over the fastener to get grip. (My Hazet set is better than either on both ends)

To be clear, I'm happy with my Tekton stuff and none of it has failed me, but in-hand there's a distinct difference to me. The Icon seems to be better. I think of Tekton as a direct competitor for the Quinn line, and I'm not so sure they don't share the same ODM for chrome sockets.

 

[plinker]

I had picked up the Icon deep e-torx set a while back, Seemed decent enough. Used one (E14?) on a Jeep rear wheel bearing and all it wanted to do was slip off after the first couple bolts got torqued to whatever the spec was. Similar problem where the socket deformed on the torx end quite a bit, like the metal was too soft. Switched to a shallow Napa E-torx & continued with out issue. Comparing them, the Icon socket didnt have the same chamfer as the Napa/GW socket either, if that made any difference.

 

[gearhead1]

Lilysdad, this is exactly my experience with HF also. A friend of mine says the HF stuff is ok, he used to wrench for a living. I specifically ask about impact sockets and related. He says no problem, so I get a 1/2” impact extension and the retention ball fails on the very first use. I got one of those 4x6 bandsaws and after a few cuts, the motor quits.

I have another friend who is a pro and bought icon stuff just to check it out. He says he’s had no problems with the icon stuff.

I think along similar lines as four.cycle is probably what is happening. But since I happen to be the one burned by it, I’m not a huge HF fan like some guys are. My US made old Craftsman stuff seems to hold up better for me.

 

[zendriver]

I recall there being a “new standard” that dome dockets were supposed to meet, were the dockets were supposedly hardened for “machine use” but not for impact use. (Ie. Safe yo use in a power drill, but not an impact driver).
I have no clue whether the standard would apply to the Icon sockets, although some dockets made yo the standard were chrome plated.

Not sure, I have none of their chrome sockets.

I do have quite a bit of their impact sockets, that I use for most everything requiring extra force, since they are already six point and some sets are like thirty bucks.