Harbor Freight's 48-Piece Icon Socket Set Gets Deep Discount In September (But There's A Catch)

Harbor Freight is cutting the price of its (already quite affordable) 48-piece Icon socket set. Now until Oct. 1, you can get $40 off the $119.99 set. That brings it down to $79.99, saving you roughly 34% in all. There's just one stipulation, however: The discounted price is exclusively reserved for Harbor Freight's Inside Track Club members. That means, if you're not already a member, you'll have to sign up for the paid club in order to get the deal. A one-year membership currently costs $29.99 for new or renewing members, while a two-year membership costs $44.99 (about $22.50 a year, or 50% off your second year, whichever discount sounds more enticing to you).

The 48-piece set is an all-purpose collection that contains both SAE and metric shallow and deep sockets, covering sizes from 5/32 inch to 9/16 inch on the SAE side and 5 mm to 14 mm in metric sizes. The kit also includes a 6-inch low-profile ratchet, 2- and 6-inch extensions, a universal joint socket adapter, and a modular storage case with foam organizers. The ratchet uses a 90-tooth mechanism with a 4-degree swing arc, which makes positioning a whole lot easier when there's not a lot of room to work. The sockets are made from chrome-molybdenum steel and feature a polished chrome finish complete with size markings. It's all protected by Harbor Freight's lifetime warranty, as well.

That $79.99 price is appealing enough as it is, but it looks even better when Harbor Freight compares the Icon set to Snap-on's 144TMPB, which is priced at $1,200. In that light, you're saving a lot more than $40 in all. For someone starting a tool set from scratch or even just looking for a second compact set to keep in the car, that's a hard price to beat.

We have to consider the added cost of the Inside Track Club, though. If you're not a member, the 48-piece Icon socket set is still priced at $119.99. If you're already a member, you get the deal at no extra cost to you. But if you need to sign up, you have to pay the $29.99 cost of a one-year membership. You'll still end up saving $10 off the list price, but not the full $40. 

If you opt for the two-year membership at $44.99 you'd actually end up paying $5 more with that math, but the potential savings over the two years could end up being worth it in the end. After all, the club gives you access to other member-exclusive deals throughout the year.