Harbor Freight's Meme Tool: What Is It And Why Is It Selling Out?

Harbor Freight's shelves are stocked with all kinds of tools that are perfect for a range of users. From power tools for seasoned handymen to tools any new homeowner can use, there's a little something in each store for everyone. In cultivating a varied customer base, Harbor Freight has developed something of a fan following over the years. In the age of the Internet, the store has generated discussion across virtually all forms of social media, with some of this chatter turning its tool offerings into memes, as well as surprisingly hot sellers.

If you've spent any amount of time within die-hard Harbor Freight fan circles, odds are you've heard of the store's "meme tool." The item in question is actually the 35-piece ICON Locking Flex Head and Ratchet Bit Set, which retails for $39.99 and comes packed with a chrome vanadium steel ratchet, 32 different bits, an adapter, and an extender. According to u/L3xluth3rr on Reddit — a hotbed for the meme — the ICON set became a meme tool as some online believed it to be useless, so they started making ironic jokes about it. It caught on, and to get in on the trend and make their own posts about it, people bought it to the point that it sold out online and is only available in-store at certain locations.

Even though it has a reputation as a meme, is this Harbor Freight ICON set actually that bad?

Evidently, the ICON Locking Flex Head and Ratchet Bit Set, a pretty innocuous entry in the overall ICON tool line, has become an online sensation. Folks bought them up in short order, websites like Reddit are loaded with conversation about it, and there are likely plenty out there hoping to get one once it comes back in stock. Meme status aside, though, is this ICON set worth the $40 pricetag? Most seem to agree that not only is it more useful than many have given it credit for, but there's a case to be made that it's one of the best Harbor Freight finds for under $50.

At the time of this writing, the ICON meme tool has 1,371 reviews on the Harbor Freight website, with 1,257 of them giving the set a perfect 5 stars out of 5. Thus, it has a total score of 4.9 stars out of 5. "I bought the meme tool on sale a week ago and thought I probably wasted $25. How wrong I was," wrote verified buyer BC in their review, going on to praise the tool for its durability and usefulness. Fellow verified buyer Torqueflite found the set made several automotive repair tasks much easier, while HF believed it to be the total package, from the quality of the materials used to the storage ability.

In the eyes of many, the ICON Locking Flex Head and Ratchet Bit Set is little more than a niche meme. In reality, it seems to be a handy little set that numerous owners swear by. Maybe some would even place it among the Harbor Freight hand tools every at-home mechanic will want.