Icon tools are coming spring/summer 2019

[Alpine4x4]

Having been into my local HF a few times now and checking on the Icon tools to see how they wear on me I have to say the ratcheting mechanisms in the wrench and ratchet are nice. The ratchets are much nicer than their Pittsburgh Pro line which I have a few of. They're not as nice as my Dual 80's, but good for the price. The wrenches are a big step above the Pittsburgh stuff and honestly feel better than my Blue Point ratcheting wrenches. I've been toying with buying the stubby wrenches, but just cant stomach the price when I can get Tekton for cheaper. If I go with the ratcheting style they're similar in price, but Tektons set includes two more wrenches. Still a tough choice.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

What makes you guys so sure Harbor Freight copied anyone? How do you know they didn't just slap their name onto an already developed product presented to them by the manufacturer?

Wouldn't surprise me if the Snap-on and Harbor Freight reps were standing side by side at a Chinese trade show and they said in unison "Hey, I like that jack!".

 

[In The Doghouse]

I checked out the ICON ratchets in the local HF store. I have to say I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. I'm in the market for a 1/4" stubby ratchet.

The ratcheting isn't as smooth as it should be and the reverse lever isn't inset. At nearly 5" long the stubbiness isn't as stubby as it should be. The 20% off coupon doesn't apply to ICON and I couldn't see paying the $27 price.

I ordered from Amazon a Tekton stubby for 1/2 the cost and it is 3.5" long. They had one warehouse deal for < $12. Hope the scratch and/or dent isn't too bad.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GHJWJ9H/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[matt stott]

I picked up a 1/4” swivel head Icon and a 1/2” flex head hard handle icon ratchet this week. Needed a new beater set of ratchets for the shop truck.

Both ratchets felt rough out of the package. The mechanism was loud. Opened both up and neither had any visible lubrication.

Added some krytox (it’s what i had on the bench) and now much smoother and quiet, the backdrag will get better with use, and a thinner grease.

Packaging was nice, then it went in to recycling.

Build quality is very nice. Not Nepros or dual-80 good, but better than many.

I will be keeping them and using them- nothing exciting; just decent mid range ratchets. Add some of your favorite ratchet lube first.

Matt


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mrjaw14]

At my local HFT all the ratchets were in sealed boxes with no display samples to try out

 

[87FoRunner]

And why pay $49.99 for an ICON when a 24" Proto can be delivered to your door from Amazon for $43.09?

Because Proto does not stand behind their warranty...

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Because Proto does not stand behind their warranty...

I wouldn't know; I've never broken a Proto tool.

 

[bubinga]

I checked out the ICON ratchets in the local HF store. I have to say I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. I'm in the market for a 1/4" stubby ratchet.



The ratcheting isn't as smooth as it should be and the reverse lever isn't inset. At nearly 5" long the stubbiness isn't as stubby as it should be. The 20% off coupon doesn't apply to ICON and I couldn't see paying the $27 price.



I ordered from Amazon a Tekton stubby for 1/2 the cost and it is 3.5" long. They had one warehouse deal for < $12. Hope the scratch and/or dent isn't too bad.



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GHJWJ9H/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Looks like a nice little ratchet.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

 

[Lisamelting]

Because Proto does not stand behind their warranty...

I had a Proto torque wrench fail. My sales rep brought me a new one the same day and sent the broken one out for repair. It couldn't have been any easier.

 

[CafeTools]

New icon ratcheting non slip, metric non slip regular set, and metric jumbos!

Edit: to anyone saying that these icon tools are not any better than Pittsburg pro you are wrong. First of all Pittsburgh doesn't even have reversible wrenches, nor anti slip technology.

The action of the gears and lever are smooth as silk. These were thought out and seem snap on quality. There are no issues I am very happy.

 

[CafeTools]

Added ratcheting stubbies and 3/8 shallows. I'd say I have a pretty good upgrade from craftsman!

 

[M6erfan]

I stopped in HF this afternoon to check out the Icon tools. Honestly i left feeling... meh. The combo wrenches have pretty thin beams which I detest, the sockets look nice but the design is ho-hum, and the ratchets are nothing special either. I agree with those that think the backdrag on the non-flex ratchets is stiff. Real stiff. The flex ratchets are better but about the same/slightly stiffer than the new Tekton 90t.

Personally if I was in the mkt for some new hand tools Tekton would probably be my choice over Icon.

 

[rijndael]

I agree with those that think the backdrag on the non-flex ratchets is stiff. Real stiff.

Same here. But the backdrag on the roto 1/4" was really light.

 

[az45]

I thought the lever on the Icon ratchets sits too high...higher than any ratchet I've seen. Its odd, the lower line ratchets have it recessed.

I thought the stuff looked pretty good overall, I'd consider it if I was still trying to fill a box.

That Tekton 1/4 ratchet looks great, I think I'll try one.

 

[Mikeske]

I wouldn't know; I've never broken a Proto tool.

Same here as I never broke a Proto tool. OH wait I have never owned a Proto tool.

Actually I have only broken 2 ratchets in close to 45-50 years of wrenching. I stripped out a Craftsman 3/8" USA ratchet, got that one rebuilt and promptly never used it again as it was a gift from my father but I hated that thing. The 2nd ratchet I ever broke was a Bonney flex head 3/8" ratchet and it broke at the handle where it connects to the ratchet. One of the forks broke off.

I have rebuild kits for my Bonney ratchets and they have never been used but I have them. My Snap-on ratchets are all 35-40 years old and I never had a issue with them and they were my daily users almost my entire career. I knew a kid that warrantied truck brand ratchets every two weeks when I was working with him until the truck dealers just cut him off and refused to do it after a while.

I always used my tools as they were intended but that also means I properly maintained them, I would take the ratchets apart and clean the internals and then use a good grease or lubrication anthem and they last

The first I did before even using the Icon ratchet I recently purchased was take the backing plate off , clean them and apply a quality grease. It is amazing how the back drag really decreased and actually they became buttery smooth, smoother then even my Snap-on which are well broken in.

Oh I guess there is some occasions that via a manufacturing defect can slip through and you can get and do get defective tools but most of the tools that I have seen were broken by abuse.

 

[platypus20]

I just bought 2 sets of the Icon brand SAE wrenches (1/4” - 1”) for the service truck use. I switched over to the Icon sockets (shallow 3/8” drive SAE) about a week ago. The store manager took pity on me and gave me his discount on the wrenches (2 sets at about $140 plus tax). I carry 2 of each size from 1/4” to 3/4” in the tool bag, the rest went in the wrench drawers of the tool boxes. The wrench replace a mis-mash of Craftsman Professional, Kobalt and Ace Hardware labeled wrenches. We shall see how the hold up.

 

[dnschmidt]

For those complaining about the Icon ratchets and how they have backdrag or aren't smooth I found out something during my TOPTUL days. For apparently some shipping reason or restriction TOPTUL (actually William Tool which is where they got their ratchets) always shipped their ratchets bone dry. Apparently it was some international regulation or at least that's what my TOPTUL contact said. So expect to lube them up after you buy them. You will notice a difference.

 

[unslow1]

Because Proto does not stand behind their warranty...

I've experienced this a couple of times. You are correct Proto does not stand behind their warranties.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

I stopped in HF this afternoon to check out the Icon tools. Honestly i left feeling... meh. The combo wrenches have pretty thin beams which I detest, the sockets look nice but the design is ho-hum, and the ratchets are nothing special either. I agree with those that think the backdrag on the non-flex ratchets is stiff. Real stiff. The flex ratchets are better but about the same/slightly stiffer than the new Tekton 90t.

Personally if I was in the mkt for some new hand tools Tekton would probably be my choice over Icon.

This is spot on and my reaction too. I passed an HF on my way back from Costco and thought, I'll check out the ICON stuff. I wasn't impressed either. I agree the wrenches are too thin, I always hated this about snap-on wrenches too, and the ratchets felt clunky, and the thing is, these were just display models that had never seen real use, just people fiddling with them with their hands, and they seemed like they were messed up just from that. The switch levers felt loose, the ratchet mechanism sounded bad and felt worse, like it was skipping gear teeth or something, it just felt loose and broken to me. And the prices. And yes they're still selling that 50 dollar 1/2 breaker bar when the Pittsburgh pro that got good reviews on real tool reviews was a few feet away for 20 dollars, less than half the price. And you can use a coupon for the Pittsburgh one. The ratchets and wrenches are all cheaper from Tekton too.
Seriously, who is buying this stuff?

 

[The Fall]

Ripping off Snap-on's script and general design (trays, color scheme, etc.) doesn't instill confidence. And I don't particularly care for Snap-on. I just like their ratchets and flare-nut wrenches/crows feet. (Bigger SK, Wright, Williams USA and Proto fan. I liked most of the old CMan WF products too.)

It'd have been a better marketing move to come out with a more original presentation. Let the product stand on its own and not be a clear imported clone. It's going to be hard to shake off the HF legacy of some of the crudest tools made in the 21st century. (Not to take away from some of their gems like toolboxes.) The Icon stuff appears to be a real step up from the other HF stuff from what I've seen in stores. They should've let it establish itself. Even the flex head reminded of the Williams version, which is I think the old 36-tooth Snap-on version.

Icon seems a little lackluster to me, but in all fairness it's good to see something that could stand up to heavy use at HF, outside of the half dozen things everyone on here knows about.

 

[CafeTools]

The icon stuff has a very good impression. The black trays included are very nice for organizion. It's one less thing to buy. But really besides the cost savings compared to snap on, it's the convenience of a psychical store that is nice. Yes the icon tools are exact snap on copies, but snap on is rich enough. I feel like it's a good value and I think harbor freight is on the right track with offering higher end tools at the store.

 

[Mr_B]

^
Well I wouldn't go as far as exact copy, they done a job on the styling onto mid to better end taiwan tools .

Packaging as trays useful, what amazes me is they never thought of that years ago with pits pro line.
they really been asleep on real easy improvements and innovations and even know best they can do is copy 1 well established tool brand when the clever thing is take all best design points from the worldwide best tool makers and add you own style .
The muddle and delay of the release along with pricing also bit of an anti climax .

 

[CafeTools]

Yeah the Pittsburg trays are useless. Socket rails too. Pain in the **** actually to use.

 

[RV8guy]

Not a fan of the packaging/organizing trays. I would rather come up with my own thing.

 

[CafeTools]

I just got a 3/8 icon ratchet. A lot of backdrag. I think it might be a problem on some smooth nuts. Does anyone know if disassembling the ratchet and using some very light oil will solve this. It feels like it might have sticky grease in there. I am imagining some thin motor oil.

 

[DSLTRK]

I just got a 3/8 icon ratchet. A lot of backdrag. I think it might be a problem on some smooth nuts. Does anyone know if disassembling the ratchet and using some very light oil will solve this. It feels like it might have sticky grease in there. I am imagining some thin motor oil.

Take the pawl spring and clip about 1/32 to 1/16" of an inch off.

 

[woody6904]

Seen the ICON line for first time tonite, didn't spend much time on the sockets and ratchets cause I don't need anymore. But would have walked out with the long SAE ratchet wrenches if the wife wasn't with me. Nice length and smooth ratcheting.

 

[powertrip]

For those complaining about the Icon ratchets and how they have backdrag or aren't smooth I found out something during my TOPTUL days. For apparently some shipping reason or restriction TOPTUL (actually William Tool which is where they got their ratchets) always shipped their ratchets bone dry. Apparently it was some international regulation or at least that's what my TOPTUL contact said. So expect to lube them up after you buy them. You will notice a difference.

Makes sense. I'd imagine there is very little if any lubes inside of these ratchets. If they had a locking flex I would have picked one up.

Sent from my SM-G935V using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[NSXRguy]

im loving the ratches

what lube are you guys using since they come dry from factory?

 

[dnschmidt]

Superlube is Snap-On's choice and I think it's as good as it gets and better yet it stays put.

 

[Parrothead]

Superlube is Snap-On's choice and I think it's as good as it gets and better yet it stays put.

And you can buy it at Harbor Freight with a 20% off coupon.

 

[toddmorr]

took a look at the ratchet display models at my HF today. Decent looking. But huge variance in the backdrag.....some were barely acceptable as is, others so stiff I can't imagine they'd be pleasing even with proper lube.

 

[ptgarcia]

took a look at the ratchet display models at my HF today. Decent looking. But huge variance in the backdrag.....some were barely acceptable as is, others so stiff I can't imagine they'd be pleasing even with proper lube.

I played with a few this past weekend and had the exact same experience.

 

[NSXRguy]

They come dry from the factory

Needs some lube

 

[Lassen Forge]

To me it looks like they spent a lot of marketing money on making their stuff look like SO. Doing that, sure, they *look* like the big dollar truck tool brand, but my question is will they last? To me, the proof is in the use - when someone's been using one wrench their entire career without a fail, that tells me a lot that the quality is satisfactory for professional use.

This is a whole new line with unproven metalurallagy and, while they made very nice copies (something we all know the chinese are good at), are they cosmetic copies or does their steel have good grain structure where I can whallop that 5/8" wrench with a 2# sledge and not have it die?

I've bought too many "pretty" tools sourcing in PRC, but rarely do they hold up to the true test of time (like that C'Man 85# torque wrench who's ratchet stripped out at 45 or so #...). Maybe these will, IDK... but since I already *have* decent tools I like, I'm not about to trade them in for this unknown.

 

[zendriver]

I was on my paid window-shopping tour (work truck being serviced)yesterday, so I swung by in the courtesy vehicle, to HF to see what all of the hullabaloo was about.

They just looked like hand tools, slightly better finish than the P Pro wrenches, IMO and of course "all sizes" wrench sets and beefier looking breaker bars.

They didn't have any tool chests.

I love HF, but my overall feeling about the Icon stuff, was "whatever", since the reality is, the cheap stuff gets the job done just fine.

 

[toddmorr]

why do people keep saying this stuff is PRC....everything I saw was Taiwan made. Which is night and day different from PRC.

 

[chstrumpetdude]

Just saw on the harborfreight reddit that someone got an email this morning about a recall on their flex head ratchets. It appears to be a defect recall rather than a safety recall.

Sku Descriptions
64700 3/8 in. Drive Professional Long Reach Flex Head Ratchet with Comfort Grip
64697 3/8 in. Drive Professional Flex Head Ratchet with Comfort Grip
64701 3/8 in. Drive Professional Long Reach Flex Head Ratchet
64699 3/8 in. Drive Professional Flex Head Ratchet

 

[Nineeightyone]

Apparently there's a voluntary (as in, initiated by HF) recall on the Icon ratchets already, it seems as though they're getting stuck? I haven't seen any details about it, but I wonder if it's an issue related to them being shipped dry.

 

[DSLTRK]

Just saw on the harborfreight reddit that someone got an email this morning about a recall on their flex head ratchets. It appears to be a defect recall rather than a safety recall.

Sku Descriptions
64700 3/8 in. Drive Professional Long Reach Flex Head Ratchet with Comfort Grip
64697 3/8 in. Drive Professional Flex Head Ratchet with Comfort Grip
64701 3/8 in. Drive Professional Long Reach Flex Head Ratchet
64699 3/8 in. Drive Professional Flex Head Ratchet

I typed almost a month ago that the flex head Icon ratchets were junk.

"NOW, the flex heads are a different story. These were obviously a different plant and the quality is not good. I do not think they are worth near the price HF is asking."

Apparently the pawl wedge angle is too extreme and it gets wedged between the body and gear after force is applied, rendering the ratchet in a locked up state. NO amount of lube or grease will solve that basic engineering screwup.


Additionally, I don't see myself buying any other Icon tools unless some significant saving coupons are issued. It seems for each new shill video on YT the price goes up another 5%.