Harbor Freight has been rapidly expanding their newly introduced line of Icon tools and accessories, which they say are aimed at professional users.
A new 8pc Professional Mechanics screwdriver set recently entered the Icon lineup, priced at $50 and aimed at competing against Matco tools and the like.
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Harbor Freight Icon Screwdriver Features
- Oversized ergonomics grip for maximum torque application
- Precision machined magnetic tips
- Hex bolster on select sizes
- Polished S2 steel shank
- Chemical-resistant handles
- Drive size printed on the crown for easy identification
- Premium storage tray
Harbor Freight says that the new Icon screwdrivers have shanks that extend through the handle for “unmatched durability.”
They also say that:
Like all Icon hand tools, these screwdrivers are backed with a hassle free, lifetime warranty.
This part is important, as we’ve heard of other brands and stores’ “hassle-free” warranties being anything but.
The 8pc set (model SD-8, SKU 56508) comes with 4 slotted screwdrivers and 4 Phillips.
Slotted: 1/4″ x 1-1/2″, 3/16″ x 3″, 1/4″ x 4″, 5/16″x 6″
Phillips: #1 x 3″, #2 x 1-1/2″, #2 x 4″, #3 x 6″
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It’s basically a traditional 6pc set plus 2 stubbies.
Price: $50
Buy Now via Harbor Freight
Compare: Wera 6pc set via Amazon
Compare: Williams 8pc set via Amazon
Compare: Tekton 8pc set via Amazon
Discussion
An 8pc screwdriver set for $50 is far different from Harbor Freight’s usual offerings.
Harbor Freight’s Quinn “premium” screwdrivers, for example, can be found in a 15pc set for $25. A 32pc Pittsburgh set is priced as low as $8. Their 70pc Pittsburgh screwdriver set is $35.
The next-closest set that we can find is a Doyle heavy duty screwdriver set that’s priced at $20 for 6 drivers.
$50 for an 8pc Icon screwdriver set? What is Harbor Freight thinking?!
Here’s the thing, though – Harbor Freight Icon tools are pretty decent. I bought a couple of Icon tools a few months ago, and they’re good, even competitive for the price.
I have not seen these Icon screwdrivers in person yet, but early user reviews on Harbor Freight’s website look promising.
Harbor Freight tools can be hard to dissect public opinion about. Like other brands, Harbor Freight has its own loyal enthusiasts. But, they also face fierce criticisms both by users who have been burned by cheap tools and those who have heard of their “Horrible Freight” reputation.
Brands can turn things around, just look at Tekton and the positive reputation they’ve built over the past few years. Harbor Freight is looking to do the same, and with the sheer number of tools they’ve launched recently, they’re looking to do it in a big way.
Now, I won’t buy into Harbor Freight’s “compare to” claims, where many of their tools are compared to market leaders and competitors, usually with respect to price.
But, from what I’ve been seeing so far, Harbor Freight Icon tools are reasonable matches for like-priced competitive options. That is, I’m inclined to believe that this new Icon screwdriver set, priced at $50 for the 8 drivers, should perform comparably to say competing products that are or would be priced at the $45 to $60 level or so.
It takes away focus from the screwdrivers to make a comment like this, but I wonder what would happen if Harbor Freight tapped existing USA suppliers to complement their Icon hand tool lineup. Can you imagine if Vaughan – which presumably lost business and OEM contracts when Sears sold the Craftsman brand to Stanley Black & Decker – were contracted to make a line of USA-made Icon hammers and mallets for Harbor Freight? With so very many Harbor Freight store locations, they have incredible negotiating power, and there quite a few former Sears Craftsman suppliers who might be eager for the business.
Back to the new Harbor Freight Icon screwdrivers, here are some of the snippets from user reviews:
They compare favorably to my snap on.
Amazing for the price.
These screwdrivers are some of the nicest I have used.
I’m a heavy duty diesel mechanic and I use these screwdrivers every day at work.
Awesome sauce
Tool truck quality
I think I’m going to have to pick up a set once things open up, maybe the next time Harbor Freight runs an Icon-eligible coupon, to see how good they are for the price, and if they truly offer unmatched durability as claimed.
I find myself resistant to the thought of buying a set like this for personal use though, if only because there are many other competitive choices at this price range and below. Although, I also think that’s where the hassle-free lifetime warranty might have impact.
It should be noted that the last time I was at Harbor Freight, where wasn’t open stock on Icon sockets or wrenches – such tools were only sold in sets. This is still reflected on the website, and this Icon 8pc set is their sole Icon screwdriver product so far. I don’t know how this will affect warranties down the line (do you have to return the whole set if one tip breaks?), but it also means that you can’t just try a single screwdriver yet, you have to make the plunge and buy an 8pc set or nothing.
Justin
Harbor Freight is getting a little too confident. You can get a made-in-the-USA William’s set for the same price:
https://www.amazon.com/Williams-100P-8MD-8-Piece-Premium-Screwdriver/dp/B002NH5F30?th=1
Stuart
Yes – I linked to that exact set in the post. The new Tekton screwdrivers are even lower priced.
ITRobert
I’m afraid that you can get US made crap as well as Chinesium made great stuff and the other way around. The location does not disclose the grade of material used and corners can be but anywhere… It’s the brand only who decides what quality to bring to the table. If you want my opinion on the matter, no screwdriver in this comp comes close to the WERA ones. WERA makes it’s screwdrivers in Germany, while other stuff they came out with in later years is not, but also no German would buy anything else then screwdrivers from them. At $35 you will get screwdrivers for life.
Chad g Wilkins
Ive owned both wera and williams screwdrivers. I gave the wera set away as i found i thoroughly dislike them.
Mike Ramsey
I saw these in the store the last time I was in Harbor Freight. They looked pretty good to me but I have a hard handle and a comfort grip snap-on set so I’m good on screwdrivers. I do have some of the Icon Sockets though and while I haven’t used them a ton, they seem to be of pretty good quality and fit on the fasteners I tried them on nicely.
The other thing is HF normally has a 20% off Icon coupon you can snag off of the Harbor Freight Coupon database that’s out there about every other month. I think there is an active one right now until the end of May. I used it for some torx sockets last week.
David Zeller
Note that Icon is excluded from their normal 20% off coupons.
Brian M
I’d personally rather spend a little extra(adding in the PH3 and stubbies) for something made in Europe like the Felo 550 or wood screwdrivers, or Wera Chisel drivers or 334SK.
Addison
I would definitely buy these for prying paint lids, if they were on sale. One of the reviews should have been “I don’t even work for HF”. LOL! My personal rule has always been with Hazard Fraught; nothing electric, electronic, or with rotating parts. I have ten fingers so…
Chris I
What a roller coaster of a comment!
Cr8on
To me the Williams set from yesterday seems far more competing.
fred
This 8 piece Williams set is about the same price:
https://www.zoro.com/snap-on-industrial-brands-screwdriver-set-8-pieces-100p-8md/i/G7259730/
– but would drop to $39 when Zoro is doing a 25% off sale
As Stuart says – the Icon set might be worth a try – when HF has a coupon that applies. The no hassle replacement policy – also sounds good – but what happens when HF (as they often do) change models/OEM’s and exact matches are no longer available.
Kizzle
I love your honesty Stuart. After Harbor Freight launched Icon, the only thing I see on YouTube is glowing reviews about Icon. People are tripping over themselves to offer their first born children to get Harbor Freight to send them free tools so they can praise them. It’s desperate and fake. If they’re good tools, great. I’m glad they’re releasing quality stuff (finally), but praising them as the greatest tools ever made to get free stuff is irritating. At this price point, why wouldn’t anyone go European for screwdrivers? Oh yeah, a guy on YouTube said Icon tools are surgical grade and touching an Icon tool to a vehicle will automatically find and fix all faults. Thanks Harbor Freight! Icon tools saved my marriage!
Diplomatic Immunity
I’m sure they’re good but for around the same price you can buy great screwdrivers that are ‘made in Germany’ or ‘made in the USA’. Harbor Freight makes sense when you can get an item from there that’s either serviceable or good at half of what you’d pay for the same item somewhere else. Their line of Quinn pliers for example. Probably better quality than other companies cheap ‘made in China’ offerings for pliers yet those Quinn pliers are also cheaper. That said if you start charging Knipex pliers prices for those same Quinn pliers then there’s no way I’m buying them. I’m not paying a premium price for something that’s ‘made in China’ when I have alternatives at that same price that are made in better countries.
Joseph
I try to buy American, but you can’t beat the Vessel screwdriver for JIS/Philips, especially if you touch anything Japanese.
Kizzle
Vessel screwdrivers are amazing even for non JIS. The fit is outstanding. Craftsman used to have a set of vessel made impact screwdrivers that I picked up.
aerodawg
I’m at the point, it doesn’t necessarily have to be American, although it is a plus, as long as it’s not chicom. Japanese, German and a few others are well within the acceptable range
Jon Wells
How do they compare with Kleins?
Marco
Wouldn’t even blink at these compared to my Wera 932/6 Kraftform Plus set. Things are so durable that I find myself grabbing them for everything not being afraid of ruining them.
Now I just got to go d an oversized set in the same quality.
RC Ward
Funny how when HF sells anything that is remotely “Good” it’s at an exorbitant price point. So what’s the point?
fred
I think the point is that they want to change their image as a purveyors of mostly low-end stuff (dare I say even some junk). They may also want to test the market to see how well higher-priced goods sell at their stores. Prior HF marketing strategies may have concentrated on volume sales of low-margin items. Maybe they want to try out how much they can make selling higher-margin items (I’m assuming that the markup on ICON is higher than on Pittsburgh products – but I may be off base).
Their bread and butter customers (stores seemed to be pretty crowded in the pre-COVID era) probably prefer screwdriver sets that are often given away with a coupon or priced more in line with the HF Pittsburgh brand. But while in the store – some customers just might be tempted to pick up some ICON Tools.
Meanwhile – we donated much of our stash of HF nitrile gloves (nitrile gloves and chip brushes are my reasons to visit HF) to the local hospital – when the COVID stuff started heating up.
Koko the Talking Ape
Well, there might not be much point for you or me. For HF, the point is to offer a range of products at various price points. I think it’s a truism in economics that you can maximize income that way.
So I can imagine somebody stopping by HF to get the usual tarps or breaker bars or whatever, and seeing these, and remarking to themselves that they could use some nicer screwdrivers, and trying a few out. So HF has just captured a bit more money than they would have before.
I think there won’t be many people who buy these Icon tools, but a few will, and HF wants their money.
Gordon
The 3rd time you have to go to the store to return a broken crappy screwdriver, of buy the more expensive tool because the cheap one didn’t cut it, you’ll start to see the “value” of the nicer tools.
I was on the cusp of buying their Icon snap ring pliers set. I was so sick and tires of the crappy adjustable ones. You lose 50% of the tip movement just taking up slop in the hinge.
Koko the Talking Ape
Yes indeed, if the tools are crappy. But from all reports, these Icon screwdrivers aren’t crap. They aren’t better than the alternatives, but they aren’t crap.
As I said, it might not make sense for you or me to buy them, but it makes sense for HF to sell them.
Tim D.
I like some HF stuff that is like expendable that I don’t need pro quality on. For instance their sockets are fine for my trunk toolbox, and I like their pneumatic die grinder for $12 that I use once in a blue moon.
Thinking about paying comparable prices to name brands that I respect like dewalt, williams, wera, etc. is nuts in my opinion.
Bobby
They look nice, and have heard good things about them. I also want to see if they’re worth the price. Unfortunately when I tried ordering them, I got an email after 3 weeks saying they’re back ordered with no ship date from the factory. Haven’t tried in store.
Stacey Jones
HF has to cost about 80% less than the equivalent quality in a non -Chinese brand for me to even consider them. That said I do take all the free screwdriver sets they pass out. I have like 10 of them and they are great beaters.
Carl J
$50 for 8 screwdrivers? Umm, that’s a big fat NO.
Frank D
Purchased that sub-brand’s insulated set of 3 screw drivers a while back … not quite what I’d consider HF prices, but seems OK.
Mike (the other one)
Looks like HF is hoping to get people to spend money on tools that are more expensive than better quality American and German drivers.
No doubt, people will fall for it.
MP
I’m selecting against Chinese stuff (tools, appliances, viruses, etc) pretty hard now that I’m stuck at home
Hans
I saw on Great Neck Saw’s web site that they are making tools for Lowes and Habor Freght and screw drivers for Tekton and Kobalt. Are these Ikon screw drivers also made by Great Neck? Are they made in the USA?
Nathan
Anyone see of these ICON screw drivers are made in Taiwan vs China. I saw that on a ratchet I played with. Was a touch surprised. I would expect them to feel good and work well. I think I would by the Tekton ones over these. US manufacture, good warranty, works well too, color choice. I talked my neighbor into a set and they have been good. black for slotted, red for philips, and I guess he needs torx ones at some point.
HF is getting better but I don’t know I would buy their stuff. I get expendable stuff from HF. but I do look just because.
Glad to see they have something better now. Meanwhile hex bolster vs non – I like my hex bolstered ones. I rarely if ever use them that way – true. but when you do need to ratcheting wrench on bolster – pressing into the back of the handle – is like a ratcheting screw breaker. Anyone that’s popped exterior Philips screws on an airplane can probably relate.
Jared
I don’t hold any significant bias against Harbor Freight. I’d consider these, but that doesn’t mean I would buy them at this price-point. While the marketing angle tries to pitch them against Snap-on and Mac so they look like a bargain, at $50 I would actually be comparing them to Felo and Wera – and that’s stiff competition.
My Wera screwdrivers, especially the laser tip ones, are excellent. I like my Felo screwdrivers even more due to the shape of the handle. If I could get Felo handles with Wera laser tips… Anyway, those are excellent screwdrivers that can be found for about the same price – albeit likely with a more cumbersome warranty process since Harbor Freight is so ubiquitous, though I’ve never had to try.
IVaz
I think these look like the Irazola screwdrivers that used to be made in Spain. Now those were good screwdrivers and company ended being bought by Snap-on. Obviously these are probably not in the same class:
David Zeller
Question: If I am looking at, say, Wiha, and they have sets of both normal and insulated screwdrivers, is there any reason (besides $) not to get the insulated as my one set of drivers?
Wiha, again for example, even sells mixed sets, so I am guessing there is a reason to not use insulated as one’s sole or everyday set.
Thanks for your insights.
IJK
What use case are you getting them for? Around the house? Sure, get a set of insulated and call it good, but i wouldn’t use them on the car or any other form of “hard” or “dirty” use due to risk of compromising the insulating factor. All it takes is one deep enough nick on the shaft or handle, and it just becomes a very expensive regular non-insulated driver.
During my industrial electrician days, i kept 2 sets of screwdrivers. The insulated ones were used exclusively inside electrical cabinets. Had a set of regular old school clear handled craftsman screwdrivers for literally everything else (vastly easier to clean and never felt guilty beating them up).
Coach James
I have insulated screw drivers, but I only use them when I need the insulated protection. I don’t use them when not needed as I don’t want to risk compromising the insulated covering.
Stuart
If you spring for insulated screwdrivers and damage them over the course of regular use, they might be compromised when you do need the protection.
I’d say buy regular screwdrivers and keep your eye out for a good deal on insulated ones screwdrivers. Or, buy when you need them.
I bought Wera’s insulated driver set on sale a while back. If not, I also have a cheap Husky set purchased during a holiday shopping season promo.
The Wera set is currently $28 and change. I bought it for a little less – maybe $25 ($31 minus 20% Prime Day deal).
For rare use, there are a couple of reputable brands that offer a mutli-bit driver, 2pc set, or 3pc driver set for ~$20.
It’s kind of like using a precision cutting tool for general purpose use. It’ll do the job, but over the course of that use you might compromise its primary purpose.
ktash
I don’t buy much from HF, but do have a rolling toolbox that was great and some random stuff. I kind of love their magnetic paper towel holders and have four attached overhead to ductwork in my basement shop, used as hooks as well as paper towel holders.
I usually bought gloves, paint filters and chip brushes. also their little flush cut saw has worked well for me, I don’t worry about slightly abusing it when something may have nails, etc. since it cost $7. It’s stood up to that abuse well. I don’t use it that often. Glad to see they are upgrading their image, but I have most things I need right now. I also have gotten single use specialty things there for DIY. No electrics, though.
They donated ALL their stock of masks and gloves to hospitals right when the pandemic started and no one had any. That got them extra points in my book.
Mike (the other one)
HF is where you go for disposable tools. Their “brands” are not real, and are just varying grades of Chinesium. Icon seems to be their top of the line, but you are not really saving money since you can buy USA or German made tools for the same price or even lower. Klein, Williams, Malco, Wiha, Knipex, are brands that I trust. Their prices are similar and these are companies that have been around for a long time, so their warranties mean something.
I would buy anything that has moving parts, such as power tools from them. They simply don’t last and they change “brands” so much it can be hard to find a replacement part. They are essentially disposable.
MikeB2000
I see HF’s “upscale” brands as having a little better quality, but at much higher retail prices. Their business plan may be to market ICON as a brand on par with USA, German, and Japanese tools, thus justifying the high prices. However, the guys I know who shop at HF go there for price, not quality. It’s very common to hear, “This HF tool is so cheap, I’ll buy two in case the first one breaks.” That’s quite the endorsement!
factory320
The real problem is- the PRO line set is $10 and a absolute steal (+lifetime warranty)
Why bother with $50?
Charles F
No way would I buy these, and don’t have any problem with buying hand tools at harbor freight in general.
But these are overpriced, and I just broke one of their older “Pro” screwdrivers, the blue ones with the wrenchable hex, by putting a wrench on it.
Turns out the hex was only connected to plastic, so it just broke.
I’ve been buying less and less Harbor freight hand, and more and more Wiha Knipex etc.
I’d never buy their cordless, but some of their end of line corded is fair priced cheap junk
JP
All you guys stating HF chinesium tools are inferior are just plain wrong… Their Pittsburgh Pro ratchets perform better than Snap On counterparts… at a fraction of the price with Lifetime warranty..
How many of you Snap On owners can replace your broken ratchets at the tool truck with NO questions asked?