Starrett Steel Automatic Center Punch with Adjustable Stroke - 5-1/4 Length, 11/16 Punch Diameter, Lightweight, Knurled Steel Handle - 18C

This is for the person who cares about quality more than how much it cost. It is worth every penny.

Good hit, heavy duty

This is a quality tool, yes a bit more expensive than its counterparts, but its the only one you will buy in your lifetime. Unless you are like me and must have the 18a as well BAM! This tool hits with significant force, enough to mark stainless steel billet. Im getting the 18a as well for some lighter sheet metal work. You dont find quality like this often. Im really proud to own this tool. No regerts :)

Starrett is one of the great names in American precision measuring and tooling products, and this Automatic Center Punch is no exception. A few years ago, they changed the design of the center punches where the shank and the tip are unitized, meaning you have many more opportunities to sharpen the tip before you require a replacement. Its not as elegant as the original design, but it is more robust, and has one less part to worry about(the replaceable tip) I now have the 18C, and have the original 18A and 18AA. This is by far the heaviest duty unit of the three, and will likely get the most use. It is adjustable, however, even the lightest setting is still quite hard, so if you are working with soft metals or thin gauge stock, you will likely want to use the 18A or 18AA. This one is perfect for my use, and I will now be selling off my General automatic center punch, which takes significantly more pressure to activate and doesnt hit nearly as hard.

It is good, but we have to exert a much greater push to make a blow with this. But the impact of it’s blow is too higher to make a deep point hole. One this to note is that, there are two springs inside a heavy spring at the back and a light spring at the pointed side. The light spring is narrowing towards one side and widening towards other side which we can put only in one way. The wider part of the little spring must be kept back, if you taken that spring out otherwise it will not work. You can also blow with a hammer at the backside in order to make it to blow, if you are unable to push too much pressure. No problem because it is too hard.

This thing is a beast. Against my better judgement, Ive used a pos $3 HF and $10 General for years. For the cost, those are great but they just dont have that feel you get from a quality tool. This, is that tool. I wasnt sure if it was more than I needed based on other reviews and yes, it will punch a hole into the thickest of metal but Ive loved it since the first use. I now walk across the shop (passing the other punches) to use this one. Maybe its bc I paid $50 for it but either way, I like it and will buy at least one more for the shop. Its Starrett, you cant go wrong.

Great automatic center punch. Very well made, solid, excellent machining. Made in Murica.

Very well made and at a fair price.

Starrett What more is there to say. The best!!! Since I dont use a center punch daily, I thought I could get away with a cheap center punch. I was wrong. Junk Live and learn Dont cheap out

I live on the Gulf coast in Texas and everything rusts if you dont keep it indoors or slather it in grease. This punch got left outside for almost two months by accident but NO RUST! Thats a big selling point for me. Punch is adjustable but I like deep divots so always use it at max pressure on steel or aluminum. On aluminum it makes a nice ding. On cold-formed steel like a metal building structure its just making an average ding, which was disappointing to me. Admittedly thats work-hardened steel but I did hope it would make a good deep dent. For mild steel the ding is good enough to center a 1/8 bit with one punch, though I usually double or triple punch everything anyway. On aluminum one punch is plenty. It feels too expensive for the difference in performance compared to the $2 HFT punch, and I still find a solid punch and a hammer does far better. However, its more convenient to use an automatic punch particularly in small spaces, plus I already own it, so Ill keep using it. Would I buy it again? Probably not. For reference, I do a lot of metal work but its all for personal enjoyment and not as a tradesman using it for a living.