Icon Vs. Quinn: Which Harbor Freight Tool Brand Should You Invest In? (According To Users)

Those who want to start building a collection of hand tools might be intrigued by the various options on offer at Harbor Freight. The budget-oriented retailer has built its business on a model that is defined by its ability to offer a variety of products across a range of price points. These tools and supplies are, almost exclusively, manufactured by brands that are owned and managed by Harbor Freight itself–cutting several steps out of the supply chain and allowing the retailer to keep its prices incredibly low. But even though most of the tools are under the same umbrella of corporate ownership, each of these brands is designed to represent a distinct range of quality.

Brands like Pittsburgh are deigned to offer the most budget-friendly options in the store, with many of its items being sold for just a few dollars at the checkout stand. Then there are brands like Doyle, which occupy a sort of middle area, generally costing a bit more but promising a step-up in quality. Finally, there are Harbor Freight's premier brands, which are supposed to offer the highest quality in the store. Icon is probably the best-known brand in the hand tool space, but many customers have also been turning their eye toward the blue and black Quinn tools that sit beside Doyle on the mid-range section of the shelves.

Those who are seeking to invest in one of these brands to build up their own collection might be curious to learn which of them is better. One of the best ways to gauge the quality of a brand is to take a look at what users have had to say about its tools.

Harbor Freight often touts its Icon series tools as the company's best. That said, it's worth seeing what users have had to say about its most popular products by taking a look at the kind of essential tools that just about every shop needs. One of the better options from Icon is its Professional Mechanics 8-Piece Screwdriver Set. This set retails for $49.99, which is definitely on the pricey side for the discount retailer. Even so, the set has a 4.8 out of five rating on the Harbor Freight website, aggregated from 85 reviews. The grip is awesome," said one reviewer. "I use these every day in my automotive repair shop. So far, they have held up to everything I've put them through." Another user on Reddit said, "I have the icon screwdriver set, no issues. I like the handles, they're comfortable and easy to grip."

The Icon 10-Piece Anti-Slip Grip Professional Metric Ratcheting Combination Wrench Set is another popular addition to any collection, which you can get for $169.99. This also has a 4.8 out of five with 383 reviews. "What a great set of wrenches," one reviewer commented. "I love the traditional angled offset on the box end and the directional switch. These have become the go to set on my roll cart."

Options for pliers are a bit more varied, though. Icon doesn't sell many of them in sets, but it does have a set of 8-Inch Needle Nose Pliers for $19.99 that have a 4.8, a set of 11-Inch Long-Reach Pistol-Grip Needle Nose Pliers for $19.99 that have a perfect 5.0, and a 10-Inch Pliers Wrench for $39.99 that has a 4.8.

Now let's see what hand tools Quinn has to offer. The brand makes a Premium 15-Piece Screwdriver Set, which it sells for $27.99–meaning you get nearly double the number of tools for less than two-thirds the price. This set has a 4.8 out of five rating on the Harbor Freight website, but this score is aggregated from 825 reviews, suggesting that it's significantly more popular. "Had these for one toolbox before and they were great for all my Heavy Duty Diesel Tech needs," said one of the users. "I ended up buying another set after losing a couple of them while working." One Redditor compared the two, stating, "I didn't much care for the screwdriver Icon set... like the Quinn better for screwdrivers."

The ratcheting wrenches aren't as clear-cut, however. The Quinn 12-Piece 100-Tooth Metric Ratcheting Combination Set retails for $99.99, making it significantly cheaper. It has a comparable 4.7 score from 177 reviews and there are several reports from users saying that they're more than adequate for most casual users, but there's one reason why some buyers suggest paying extra: The Icon ratcheting wrenches are reversible, while the Quinn wrenches aren't.

Quinn does offer a collection of pliers in a 4-piece set, but it also sells more comparable models individually. It's 8-Inch Long-Nose Pliers are $7.99 and have a 4.7, it's 8-Inch Pistol Grip Long-Nose Pliers are $9.99 and have a 4.9, and it's 10-Inch Self Adjusting Pliers are $10.99 and have a 4.5. So, there are a few repeating patterns to observe here. Quinn tools are nearly always significantly cheaper than Icon, and while their scores and reviews are very similar, Icon's tools tend to be just a touch better.