Harbor Freight’s Icon socket sets might look like the more premium offerings from Snap-on, but are they really on the same level? On the surface, an Icon socket set like the 54-piece Icon 3/8-inch Drive SAE and Metric Modular General Service Socket Set (SKU 70469) looks like it’ll offer you many of the same features of Snap-On, but at a fraction of the price. Compared to Snap-On’s Blue-Point 49-piece 3/8-inch Drive SAE/Metric General Service Socket Set , for example, the Icon gives you five more pieces for over $200 less. Harbor Freight lists its Icon kit for $159.99, while the Snap-on Blue-Point set is priced at $382.

Both include shallow and deep sockets in SAE and metric sizes, extensions, adapters, a universal joint, a ratchet, and a storage case. The Icon set’s no-skip sizes range from 1/4 to 7/8 inches in SAE, while metric sockets are available in sizes from 8 to 19 mm. Meanwhile, the Blue-Point set’s SAE sizes only span 5/16 to 3/4 inches. Its six-point sockets cover 6 to 19 mm, while its twelve-point sockets cover 7 to 19 mm.

Harbor Freight’s sockets also have thin-wall socket construction, hardened chrome-moly steel, chamfered openings, a polished chrome finish for corrosion resistance, and a lifetime warranty to boot. The Blue-Point set includes similar accessories and extensions, but with fewer pieces overall.

Of course, when you pay for a Snap-On set, you’re paying for the reputation that comes with it. Reddit’s filled with threads from technicians and tool enthusiasts talking about how Snap-On’s products have a better feel, superior finish, and better long-term durability than any other brand. However, it’s important to note that a third party makes the more affordable Blue-Point line. If you want a proper Snap-On set, you’ll have to pay close to $2,000. The Blue-Point line is definitely more affordable than that, but the Icon is cheaper still.

On Harbor Freight’s site, the Icon set has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars based on 663 reviews. Customers love its organization, quality, durability, and price. And while professional technicians will probably continue to view Snap-on as the benchmark for premium hand tools, the affordability of Harbor Freight’s version is hard to pass up. If you care more about brand names and reputation, Snap-On (or Blue-Point) is the move. But if you want a good starter set at an even better value, the hundreds of reviews on the Harbor Freight site suggest that there’s nothing wrong with the Icon set.