Icon Gold tools is shown in photos on social media. Those photos are all clean tool box, well-organized tools, and shining lights. It show off the geometric pattern in their ratchet and the matte black finish.
And it look really nice, almost to sterile compared to the grimy nature of working on vehicles mechanically. Do they even work? Or are they just for appearance-conscious user?
Will this fad last? I think that’s a fair criticism of the hand tool industry: it move through trends very quickly. Icon Tools didn’t begin as a generic tool company.
Exploring The Icon Gold Ratchet Hype
Icon Gold Brand Origins
Instead, they began as a precision tool company. They began with ratchets rather than wrenches and sockets. And those ratchets?
Well, let’s say it’s moddern art. Early customers was unsure what to think. Most felt that these tools were a bunch of bells-and-whistles made by a group of people tinkering in their garage.
It was a pretty big leap from ratchet to $30+. Most of that doubt are gone now, but some lingers. Do you need this tool?
Is it worth paying all this money for it? Or does it simply belong on your shelf? First, look at the handle design.
Ergonomic Handle Design
Not solid steel, it’s a multi-chambered handle made by Icon. They has air pockets that give them strength and take off some of weight. I think you guys know how tiring a heavy ratchet can be after a long day.
Having a lighter tool takes some of the strain out of your wrists. This is especially true if you’re working overhead in small engine bay. The handle isn’t heavy, but it feels substantial.
It are well balanced in your hand. That make a difference when you are trying to fight with a stubborn bolt. Secondly, they are different than their gear mechanism.
High Tooth Count Mechanism
With Icon ratchets, there is so many teeth on them (over a hundred at times). That’s what give it such a short swing arc. You don’t have to move the ratchet very far to turn a bolt.
Some folks believe a higher tooth count show weakness in a tool. Not true. A higher tooth count indicate more precise engagement.
You don’t get the looser feeling that you do with cheaper ratchets where teeth is slapping back and forth. They are smooth and quiet. The catch, the small teeth require cleaner conditions to work best.
Many people worry about durability. Not all steel are created equal and Icon employs its own special blend of steel treated using a proprietary process.
Durability and Steel Construction
It treat the teeth to be both tough (to withstand shock) yet hard (to withstand wear).
If you’ve worked on rusty bolts long enough, you know how cheap ratchet can break a tooth or rip off a chunk of socket as that bolt finally relents. Tools from Icon is built to last through that experience. And while the gold color may look pretty, it’s also a corrosion resistant coating.
So your tool stay clean and nice looking through repeated exposures to road grime, oil and grease. The last hurdle is price. An Icon ratchet will set you back a bit more than its counterparts at places such as Snap-On and Milwaukee.
Value for Professional Use
Is it worth it? That’s subjective. As a working pro, I would of say yes if I’m using the tool eight hours a day.
Over time it become comfortabley, lasts longer and justifies the extra cost. For those who use their tools only on the weekend, it get tougher. Maybe you don’t feel the difference enough to warrant the spend.
But if you’re one who loves tools, likes them to fit his/her hands well and appreciates precise workmanship, then it seem like a good investment. It is a luxurius with function. Yes, there’s some social media buzz about Icon Gold ratchets.
And no, it isn’t just social media chatter. Icon has improved hand tool engineering; they’re good at combining function and form, something relatively few others has done successfully. Don’t buy up all of their stuff for the shop.
Buy one ratchet. Tackle a tough project with it. Experience the difference between it and other ratchets you’ve used.
The tool will tell you a pretty looking thing can also be a performance piece.