They say that imitation is a form of flattery, but Snap-On likely won’t look at any Harbor Freight imitations as complimentary based on past interactions. One example comes from a 2016 lawsuit in which Snap-On sued Harbor Freight over its floor jack design that’s almost exactly like Snap-On’s.
Harbor Freight’s Icon hand tools compare favorably with Snap-On tools in many head-to-head comparisons found online. There’s little reason to believe the new four-piece $10 Icon Professional 10mm Socket Set will perform any differently. Based on a visual comparison, it looks like the Icon sockets were produced just like Snap-On’s.
Harbor Freight compares its socket set to Snap-On’s set of 10mm sockets (model number 208ES10MMY) for a savings of $307. While it’s true that the Snap-On set has a list price of $317, the higher-priced set contains twice as many sockets. Both sets feature deep and shallow six-point sockets. The Icon set includes two drive sizes, while Snap-On sells separate kits for each drive size. Snap-On’s kit also includes swivel and impact sockets.
Is Harbor Freight’s new $10 Icon socket set any good?
If you haven’t seen any reviews involving Harbor Freight’s Icon series tools or shopped at Harbor Freight, you might not know anything about them. Icon socket sets are available with multiple options. The new $10 set of 10mm sockets we’ve mentioned so far is meant as a replacement for lost or worn 10mm sockets from other complete kits, but it’s just one of the sets offered by Harbor Freight.
Icon’s chrome and impact-rated socket sets are available in standard ¼-, ⅜-, and ½-inch drive sizes, in addition to options for shallow, semi-deep, and deep sockets. There’s also a full line of ratchets, extensions, and universal joint socket adapters to round out a toolkit anyway you’d like.
Like other chrome-finished Icon sockets, the 4-piece Professional 10mm Socket Set is made from hardened chrome-moly steel. According to Harbor Freight, this material gives the Icon sockets more strength and allows for higher torque application. The sockets’ design includes thin walls with chamfered openings to easily fit over fasteners in tight quarters. The “high-polished chrome” finish is credited with resisting corrosion and easy cleanup at the end of the project, and the deeply imprinted size markings on each socket are easy to read.
The $10 set includes four 10mm sockets. There’s a ¼-inch-drive shallow socket, a ¼-inch-drive deep socket, a ⅜-inch-drive shallow socket, and a ⅜-inch-drive deep socket.
