I have the same Icon flex head MM set in my tool box but have a 10mm Klutch flex head in my field service tool bag. If you need one size go to Northern Tool and get it. The Klutch flex head are great quality and I use 10mm Klutch flex head almost every day. As far as the Matco vs Icon I believe they are made by the same manufacturer, I think Kabo Tool in Taiwan.
95% of MATCO tools are rebranded. If you do just a tiny bit of looking around online, you can find the tools MATCO carries from different suppliers, much much cheaper.
When I worked across the street from harbor freight I was more willing to take a chance and warranty the stuff that broke. Being half an hour away I take less chances. Then again I’ve had matco dealers come and go so much I’d probably be better off with those icon wrenches
I honestly think matco is on a down hill slope. They need to start making there own tools and bring them back to the USA 🇺🇸 if they want to keep charging premium for there product
As much as people diss HF, HF cant be beat! Especially now with the Icon line of tools. Icon tools are very good and tough! Cant beat the warranty either! Walk in to any harbor freight any day of week for instant warranty! I have many brands if tools including snap on, and now a full drawer if Icon ratchets and sockets i have replaced my others with. Cant beat Harbor frieght period!
Apex rebrands a ton of their products, they Rebrand Gearwrench for Matco, Duralast, Teq Pro, Husky and probably Harbor Freight when it comes to their standard length. The longer ones are another company, Garnet Tools did a video on that
Apex hasn't owned matco in many years.. hifive and kabo make most high end Taiwan ratchet wrenches for icon and icon. Another point is the Gearwrench ratchet wrenches are made in China, not Taiwan. Much better quality out of Taiwan compared to China.
I’d bet they are more of the Kabo made wrenches if identical to Matco. The non-ratcheting wrenches with the fatter teeth am 99% certain are Infar. Both good but the Kabo wrenches seem to hold up better.
Just like the old gearwrench made in Taiwan was the matco version how do I know this , I went to sears and saw the gear wrench set there and there was one wrench in a set that said matco and had the matco logo on it, now gear wrench is made in china and not of tje same quality, I will be picking up the icon ratchet wrenxhes in the future, the will look good next to my snapon wrenches in my epic 68
It seems like ICON is a middle man and they buy different things from different suppliers. Some of there other tools are the exact same as other brands. Dose any body really know what ICON is or how they get there tools I would like to know? Some of the tools are really good.
Icon is just branded by Taiwan companies that if you have enough money to invest they will make tools for you and put your personal brand on a tool for resale. That's it that's all
Yeah the icon and matco are exactly the same, that's why I bought the icon set in 8-19mm and I bought the matco version in 21,22 and 24mm since icon doesn't produce those sizes.
But remember that the dealer has expenses... Im not justifying either one but want to remind everyone of that. If ICON went moble, I guarantee that their prices would be higher.
@@OneMechanic yes but that's no excuse for there website. Most dealers mark up a little from the website I've found but the cost they are getting them at is way less than what they're selling them for
for the love of tools I understand the need for markups to cover expenses but also understand they’re not paying retail, but rather wholesale and they’re price gouging for sure. No way around it.
@@AdriftAndAtPeace323 most of us are happy to pay for mark ups for the convenience and service tool trucks provide but mostly its tools you can't just get at a store
@@OneMechanic The truck man takes payments. Unfortunately some people don't pay off there tools so guess who that gets passed on to. Me and you the paying customer. I'm not saying it's right but that's how it works. We had a guy start working for us and the first day the snap on guy came he bought a 2000 dollar tool box and about 1400 dollars in tools. Then that Friday after the boss and the rest of us left he said he had to work on his car and needed his tool box. So he grabbed a fork truck and loaded his box up and never came back. The snap on guy still talks about him 2 years later.
I work on fork trucks but a home I don't need snap on and matco tools. So I do have a lot of cheaper tools like craftsman, masterforcer, icon as long as it has a life time warrant. Plus I can kind of tell right away before I even buy it if its super cheap and not going to last or if it's worth the money. If you only wrench on the weekends you don't need snap on plus if it breaks it's no 10 min trip to the store.
Yeah, Gearwench Taiwan is so much better than GearWrench China. The ratcheting wrench sets they still make in Taiwan still have that nice, thinner head. But they were all like that back in the day.
Just out of curiosity in the double box flex head snap on wrenches that kinda of newer. Are the heads really that much thinner then the other ones in the market?
@@fortheloveoftools What's good my guy hope you had a great vacation . And yeah Matco being doing to much lately not for nothing just as well as a few other brands . It's starting to seem as if this is the week of all the bad tools and Rebrands out here going on . They out here Bamboozling all the Tradesmen for there capital
It's easier to warranty it thru Matco not for me to go miles out my way to go to HF and my time is also worth something plus if lose one you have to buy another set they don't sell loose wrenches are sockets plus that icon thing was just so very overhyped I don't think it could ever live up to what they claimed it debate I don't even see it lasting too much longer
Like i did mention if a store is super far out of your way than yea pushing a little more can be in you favor for when one breaks. It's just annoying that they have got to be made in the same place and one company charges alot more for them
I have the same Icon flex head MM set in my tool box but have a 10mm Klutch flex head in my field service tool bag. If you need one size go to Northern Tool and get it. The Klutch flex head are great quality and I use 10mm Klutch flex head almost every day. As far as the Matco vs Icon I believe they are made by the same manufacturer, I think Kabo Tool in Taiwan.
I have both sets and I really like them. I’m not a professional mechanic but I do use mine a lot .
95% of MATCO tools are rebranded. If you do just a tiny bit of looking around online, you can find the tools MATCO carries from different suppliers, much much cheaper.
Harbor freight is growing by the minute. They're everywhere in California. Cool video😎
They have some good stuff and other stuff that is total garbage
@@fortheloveoftools yeah gotta be careful lol
When I worked across the street from harbor freight I was more willing to take a chance and warranty the stuff that broke. Being half an hour away I take less chances. Then again I’ve had matco dealers come and go so much I’d probably be better off with those icon wrenches
I honestly think matco is on a down hill slope. They need to start making there own tools and bring them back to the USA 🇺🇸 if they want to keep charging premium for there product
Great video that’s crazy I couldn’t see anything different from here. Good call man. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I used a mic on them numbers were close to the .0001 difference if any
As much as people diss HF, HF cant be beat! Especially now with the Icon line of tools. Icon tools are very good and tough! Cant beat the warranty either! Walk in to any harbor freight any day of week for instant warranty! I have many brands if tools including snap on, and now a full drawer if Icon ratchets and sockets i have replaced my others with. Cant beat Harbor frieght period!
The Carlyle version of these flex wrenches are the same as well; just 6pt. Thank man and awesome review.
Ive airways thought about getting some 6pt stuff. But the room i have right now is very limited lol. Maybe one day when i get a bigger box lol
I think Carlyle is 90t as well
Wow those really are exactly the same! Like you said, those come out of the same factory for sure!
Good video. Very interesting.
Best review I’ve seen for these! Thinking on getting a set for myself. Thanks for putting this out there.
lol those definitely look identical. thanks for the video
For sure identical lol
Apex rebrands a ton of their products, they Rebrand Gearwrench for Matco, Duralast, Teq Pro, Husky and probably Harbor Freight when it comes to their standard length. The longer ones are another company, Garnet Tools did a video on that
Apex hasn't owned matco in many years.. hifive and kabo make most high end Taiwan ratchet wrenches for icon and icon. Another point is the Gearwrench ratchet wrenches are made in China, not Taiwan. Much better quality out of Taiwan compared to China.
I’d bet they are more of the Kabo made wrenches if identical to Matco. The non-ratcheting wrenches with the fatter teeth am 99% certain are Infar. Both good but the Kabo wrenches seem to hold up better.
I think so too. But my point is why even bother with the matco when the icon is the same
Just like the old gearwrench made in Taiwan was the matco version how do I know this , I went to sears and saw the gear wrench set there and there was one wrench in a set that said matco and had the matco logo on it, now gear wrench is made in china and not of tje same quality, I will be picking up the icon ratchet wrenxhes in the future, the will look good next to my snapon wrenches in my epic 68
Thanks for the video! I have been debating on the flex heads and the regular ratcheting wrenches, & this helps me decide!
It seems like ICON is a middle man and they buy different things from different suppliers. Some of there other tools are the exact same as other brands. Dose any body really know what ICON is or how they get there tools I would like to know? Some of the tools are really good.
Icon is just branded by Taiwan companies that if you have enough money to invest they will make tools for you and put your personal brand on a tool for resale. That's it that's all
Man thanks for this I was thinking of buying these wrenches
They are a good wrench set
Same as Carlyle flex head ratchet wrenches also
The icon joints are the same as the OE expert ones that Mac carries they appear to be nicely made and with the warranty on it you can’t beat them
Yeah the icon and matco are exactly the same, that's why I bought the icon set in 8-19mm and I bought the matco version in 21,22 and 24mm since icon doesn't produce those sizes.
Snapoffbois: “(autistic screechings)”
Back in the day Matco was the originator. Hell that was in 1997!!!
They seem to have gone down hill a little, maybe burned some bridges or lost contacts along the way
Optitorque!
I had a great rep in the day and I've loved their stuff.
Also watch ebay for these wrenches. I just got the standard set of flex heads for 80 bucks shipped to me. And they are 145 or whatever at the store.
Thanks I’ll be looking at eBay now
@@beardedtoolreviews7185 I had to bid on mine. The buy it now sets were higher. And I bid on a couple sets before one sold low enough for me.
Great information 👍👍
Glad i could share been to long since I've posted
Im trying to find USA made flex head racheting wrench set that is good quality. Snap on only have the double box which i don't want.
I have the extra long double box end ratchet wrenches from “Matco”...or is it Mountain? 🤷🏻♂️😁
Most likely the kabo wrench like you see here who does mountain matco cornwell and icon lol
I have the Mountain long double box and it's same as the tool trucks that are $298 or more I paid $116 on Amazon
I'd really like a set of those. Maybe Icon will offer them at some point.
Most definitely kabo wrenches. Unfortunately Matco wants a premium
But remember that the dealer has expenses... Im not justifying either one but want to remind everyone of that. If ICON went moble, I guarantee that their prices would be higher.
@@OneMechanic yes but that's no excuse for there website. Most dealers mark up a little from the website I've found but the cost they are getting them at is way less than what they're selling them for
for the love of tools I understand the need for markups to cover expenses but also understand they’re not paying retail, but rather wholesale and they’re price gouging for sure. No way around it.
@@AdriftAndAtPeace323 most of us are happy to pay for mark ups for the convenience and service tool trucks provide but mostly its tools you can't just get at a store
@@OneMechanic The truck man takes payments. Unfortunately some people don't pay off there tools so guess who that gets passed on to. Me and you the paying customer. I'm not saying it's right but that's how it works. We had a guy start working for us and the first day the snap on guy came he bought a 2000 dollar tool box and about 1400 dollars in tools. Then that Friday after the boss and the rest of us left he said he had to work on his car and needed his tool box. So he grabbed a fork truck and loaded his box up and never came back. The snap on guy still talks about him 2 years later.
$7000 for all 104 icon hand tools
Good call :)
I broke a icon 10 mil in 1/4 inch split it by hand fyi. But broke snap on stuff as well by hand
There made in the same factory
I'm so close to a harbor freight ,that I can count how many people are going in out of the store
Fuck id just have a whole collection of there shit than lol
I work on fork trucks but a home I don't need snap on and matco tools. So I do have a lot of cheaper tools like craftsman, masterforcer, icon as long as it has a life time warrant. Plus I can kind of tell right away before I even buy it if its super cheap and not going to last or if it's worth the money. If you only wrench on the weekends you don't need snap on plus if it breaks it's no 10 min trip to the store.
Yeah, Gearwench Taiwan is so much better than GearWrench China. The ratcheting wrench sets they still make in Taiwan still have that nice, thinner head. But they were all like that back in the day.
I remember my old craftsman ones you couldn't get that head in anywhere
Hell yeah brother
Nice review
Just out of curiosity in the double box flex head snap on wrenches that kinda of newer. Are the heads really that much thinner then the other ones in the market?
I'm scared to death of there super thin heads. Scary thing but I've put alot of torque on mine and have yet to break one yet
👍
Knolage is power and same warranty
I don’t have any icon tools...shit I haven’t been to harbor freight in years.
They have some good stuff
Why are you a name brand guy and just like over price things. Like a snap-on 100 dollar air gun.
@@powerstroke6.763 in unsure of what you're talking about in not a name brand guy at all. I have some name brand stuff yes but not much
What sizes did it com w with?
8mm-19mm no skips
I’m beginning to think a lot of matco products are Taiwan products.
Are you in a fleet shop?
Matco Oh oh 🤣
Shame Shame matco
@@fortheloveoftools What's good my guy hope you had a great vacation . And yeah Matco being doing to much lately not for nothing just as well as a few other brands . It's starting to seem as if this is the week of all the bad tools and Rebrands out here going on . They out here Bamboozling all the Tradesmen for there capital
@@toolsmetals2148 i guess we just need to know the game and not get played
@@fortheloveoftools You already know 👍
Matco wrench isn’t made in the US?
Some stuff is but most isn't
The Williams wrench set is better
Marco and gearwrench same company fyi..
Oof matco...
Yup got to pay that premium price for the service you can get
It's easier to warranty it thru Matco not for me to go miles out my way to go to HF and my time is also worth something plus if lose one you have to buy another set they don't sell loose wrenches are sockets plus that icon thing was just so very overhyped I don't think it could ever live up to what they claimed it debate I don't even see it lasting too much longer
Like i did mention if a store is super far out of your way than yea pushing a little more can be in you favor for when one breaks. It's just annoying that they have got to be made in the same place and one company charges alot more for them