US General Vs. Icon: Which Harbor Freight Tool Box Brand Is Best? Here's What Owners Say

Where are your tools and excess hardware stored? If you're still collecting screws in old mason jars and halved milk cartons or sifting through screwdrivers thrown haphazardly into a pile of dozens of other tools, it's time for an upgrade. One's tools are only as good as how well they're taken care of. Store them without care, and you can bet you'll be replacing every piece before long. If you're a Harbor Freight shopper looking for a new tool box, you can find Icon and U.S. General branded roll cabs, top-lading chests, and service carts.

Regardless of the type of tool storage you're hoping to buy, both brands should have an option. So, the question is, which of the two is more worth the money? Icon tends to come with a higher price tag, with its 73 x 25in roll cab running $2,999 compared to U.S. General's 72 x 22 in model, which sells for $1,799. The size difference doesn't warrant that deviation in price, so there must be a reason as to why Icon costs almost double, right? For that answer, we did a little digging to see what owners were saying. Based on the responses we've found, it seems Icon may be overextending its consumers.

There are several Reddit threads comparing Icon to U.S. General tool boxes. For the most part, owners have come to the same conclusion: Icon is way overpriced, and U.S. General offers a better value for a quality toolbox. In one thread in the r/harborfreight subreddit, one user states that they couldn't justify the cost of the Icon and preferred instead to save money on the U.S. General and spend the money that was saved on quality tools. In the same thread, another user supported the cheaper brand, stating it's lasted through years of professional use.

Even owners backing Icon point out the brand's biggest flaw — One Redditor in another r/harborfreight subreddit thread purchased a 72-inch Icon over its competitor but admitted that the unit is overkill for his needs. Icon's cost tends to be questioned, as seen in a ranting post on the Garage Journal General Tool Discussion forum. A confused user questioned Icon's pricing structure, stating the difference between U.S. General and the higher-cost brand didn't make sense. Ultimately, the user states that while Icon is of a higher quality, it's not that much better to warrant a price increase of up to three times U.S. General's pricing.

Among owners, the belief seems to be generally the same. While Icon is a fantastic brand of tool boxes, it's pricing is too high and its quality isn't that much better than U.S. General's to warrant a purchase.

Even professional reviewers have weighed in on the Icon vs. U.S. General discussion. As the Redemption Garage YouTube channel pointed out in their comparison between the 56-inch Icon and the 56-inch U.S. General roll cab, the former has a few advantages, including higher-rated casters and about 3,000 cu. in. more storage space. According to The Den of Tools, though, the Icon may be overkill for what most owners would ever need. While the review is positive about the Icon, it is more realistic as to how it far exceeds the needs of the user and how the U.S. General is more down to earth.

Trusted tool enthusiast ToolGuyd talked about why they purchased a U.S. General rolling tool cabinet. While enthusiastic about the specs and features of the U.S. General 44-inch rolling tool cabinet they purchased from Harbor Freight, the primary reason they didn't opt for an Icon was price, calling it "out of [their] price range." Further emphasizing U.S. General's quality, YouTuber Justin Dow states he finds great value in both the 56-inch U.S. General and Icon. However, he would have purchased the U.S. General over a Cornwell Pro series toolbox he owns had it been available at the time.