Is Icon by harbor freight really a good tool brand?

[R1jake]

I actually really like my harbor freight Pittsburgh ratchets, I usually grab them over my craftsman and snap on ratchets.

 

[RyanY]

Absolutely zero reason to buy Icon.

There are better tools to be had for less money.

Actually the number of reasons to even step foot in Harbor Freight drop by the day; the tools get more expensive and the coupons are drying up.

I have to agree that the diminishing coupons has deterred me from going to HF; if it weren't for rock bottom pricing I would never go there.

However, for those who need ratchets and didn't save the coupon, this one supposedly works forever (I have used it twice already)!

 

[spasm3]

Make sure you do the mods (can be found online and you tube) to it as you are assembling it and order this, best $50 you ever spent.

Dustopper High Efficiency Cyclonic Dust Separator, 12 in. Dia with 2.5 in. hose, 36 in. long, with 2 Sweep Elbows HD12A - The Home Depot

The Dustopper makes tackling the messiest jobs a breeze while also keeping your wet/dry vacuum free of dust and debris. Dustopper's specially designed chamber snaps onto any standard 5 Gal. bucket and

www.homedepot.com

Get this, do not mount it as per the instructions, it sucks bad and loads the filter in no time. If you get it PM and I will send you pics of how to set it up with the catcher, you get no media leakage, you can see inside all the time as no dust in the cabinet and the $50 filter last almost infinitum.

Blast Cabinet Reclaimer Kit

Amazing deals on this Blast Cabinet Reclaimer Kit at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

It is identical to this one from Eastwood, it is not a knockoff its the same unit only a different color (I researched it 10 ways to sunday before buying it years ago). You use the filters from Eastwood on the HF unit same part#.

Eastwood Dust Collection System for Blast Cabinets

Eastwood Dust Collection System for Blast Cabinets

www.eastwood.com

Thanks Trav, yes i remember that! I plan to use that as you suggested.

I will pm you when i get it. I have to order the new compressor tomorrow. Going with Quincy. The QT-54. I will probably order it from Northern Tool. Its the same price as every where else, i can order and pick up in the store , they can fork it onto my truck/tailer. I can fork it off at home.
Saves a $85 lift gate charge.

 

[spasm3]

Actually the number of reasons to even step foot in Harbor Freight drop by the day; the tools get more expensive and the coupons are drying up.

I think they are betting on those lines of credit they formed, payment plans or what not, and they don't feel they need the coupons anymore.

 

[Trav]

Thanks Trav, yes i remember that! I plan to use that as you suggested.

I will pm you when i get it. I have to order the new compressor tomorrow. Going with Quincy. The QT-54. I will probably order it from Northern Tool. Its the same price as every where else, i can order and pick up in the store , they can fork it onto my truck/tailer. I can fork it off at home.
Saves a $85 lift gate charge.

Nice one, that should do everything you need.

 

[Mekks]

The torque wrenches are pretty nice, SO knock offs.

I bought all 3 sizes with a 20% off coupon out the door for 150ish awhile back

 

[diyjake]

I hear ya. Once the coupons dried up me doing business with them dried up as well. I was in there quite often buying things like their nitrile gloves and throw away chip brushes for spot priming with Bin. CV19 drove the prices of their gloves to what I considered a ridiculous level, and the coupons became far and few. So did me shopping there, I went from shopping there sometimes 12-15 times a year or more to about 2-3 now.

Until covid hit I used to always buy my gloves there but they were out for a long time and now they really raised the price. I do need to buy disposable gloves, have been out for awhile. Here do you buy gloves now?

 

[demarpaint]

Until covid hit I used to always buy my gloves there but they were out for a long time and now they really raised the price. I do need to buy disposable gloves, have been out for awhile. Here do you buy gloves now?

I found a few deals, pre CV19 on Amazon and loaded up. My supply is dwindling, and I need to find another source soon.

 

[SubLGT]

Billionaires Making ‘Boatloads Of Money’ From Once-Cheap Medical Gloves

Nitrile gloves have become extremely difficult to find—and expensive—thanks to Covid-19. Amid accusations of profiteering, everyone from Malaysian rubber magnates to Polish upstarts are cashing in.

www.forbes.com

A box of 100 nitrile gloves now costs as much as $32, up from around $3 prepandemic, according to Singapore-based Persistence Market Research. The frenzy has minted at least four new medical glove billionaires and centimillionaires: Stanley Thai ($1.5 billion, Malaysia), Lim Kuang Sia($1.2 billion, Malaysia)*, Somwang Sincharoenkul ($730 million, Thailand) and Wieslaw Zyznowski ($670 million, Poland).

According to U.S. importer AmerCareRoyal and market analysts, the global demand for gloves nearly doubled in a matter of months from 300 billion pieces in 2019 to 585 billion in August 2020. But glove makers can only produce 370 billion a year—and while new capacity installed in 2021 will add about 50 billion more, that still leaves a shortfall of 165 billion gloves as the pandemic rages.

 

[JHZR2]

Until covid hit I used to always buy my gloves there but they were out for a long time and now they really raised the price. I do need to buy disposable gloves, have been out for awhile. Here do you buy gloves now?

Same here. That was my primary reason to go to HF.

I bought rubberized reusable gloves. Essentially a knit glove with rubber coating. They won’t rip and can be cleaned and reused many times. Maybe not quite as good as the thin gloves but they last.

 

[RyanY]

Same here. That was my primary reason to go to HF.

I bought rubberized reusable gloves. Essentially a knit glove with rubber coating. They won’t rip and can be cleaned and reused many times. Maybe not quite as good as the thin gloves but they last.

Same. Mine are the $3.xx Craftsman version from Lowes. Many of this style are around $8 but the cheaper ones work just fine for my needs. Of course, the disposable ones are still best for really messy jobs like removing oil filters!

 

[SubLGT]

In the owners manual for the Icon 1/2" drive torque wrenches (micrometer style) is this instruction. First time for me reading of such a procedure for a micrometer style wrench. Do other brands of torque wrenches recommend this?

BEFORE EVERY USE, exercise Torque Wrench.
Pull down Lock Ring then perform the following exercise three times:
a. Turn Knurled Handle to the right until maximum torque setting is reached.
b. Turn handle to the left until minimum torque setting is reached.

 

[RyanY]

Wow! I couldn't imagine a pro wrencher spending a few min turning the handle back and forth each time he/she wanted to torque a bolt! What a waste of time...

 

[GMBoy]

I will keep this simple - ICON are great tools! I have added every ICON tool to my box and I have their big ICON box with stainless Hutch and the 2 big end cabinets. I am very impressed....and this is from a guy with Snap on, Craftsmans, Matco etc tools. I won't buy tool truck tools anymore - too expensive and no value at all. Heck even the Pittsburg line as upped it's game enough to be a contender.

 

[Trav]

Glad you like em. Personally I dont need or want them.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I like that big ratchet I have from them and their picks now that I have had more time to use them from when this thread was originally posted. Their picks are way better than the Pittsburgh orange handles that are like butter and I only use for opening RTV after it has been used. The Icon ratchet is nice too at least it’s not like Pittsburgh and have the selector switch switched around that drives me insane. Still my go to for ratchets is Capri and Matco of course everyone has what works for them and that’s fine so if the Icon is your go to then no complaints from me. My Icon ratchet is way better than the Craftsman I took home that it replaced.

The picks and ratchet is all I’ve used from them. I mean I got the ratchet for $5 at the pawn shop so I’m very happy yes it is worth $5 would I give the $62 it goes for new? Probably not, I’d look into my other options first and try to find a Capri one since they tend to be what I prefer.