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

Useful, but a bit stiff in use. Might ease up after a while, but excellent quality. Made in USA!!!

This marking punch packs a wallop. It leaves a deep centering mark in the hardest steel. A great tool.

I have long wanted one of these and was put off by the cost. The reviews on the imports were pretty poor. I have had great luck with all the Starrett tools Ive bought over the years so decided to spend the 2 to 4 times greater cost for the Starrett. I am glad I did as this works very well. I have the heavier duty 18C version and it really hits hard and leaves a good center-punch. I am sure this is a tool that I will pass down to my son.

This is the best spring loaded center punch that I have used, but (for complete disclosure) I havent used a lot of them. I experienced a tiny bit of jump on the accuracy (which is why I rated the accuracy a 4 - if they offered a 4.5, I would have selected that). Looks and feels solid, very easy to adjust and use. So much so that I bought the 18A as well. So far, I would buy again.

Awesome, works very well, certainly heavy duty, contrary to any unhappiness with this product from other reviewers, I purchased two from Amazon, with a firm hold, both punches make one dent per actuation, I find that the rough ends of the adjustment spring prevent the punch from wandering away from the tension setting that I adjusted it to, a good idea in my world. In my opinion once I find a happy spot for my needs I wont be winding this thing up and down anyway as I might select a lighter punch for lighter work. 5 star, both punches that I purchased work awesome ! I recommend this brand of punch to anyone who is looking for excellent quality and years of durability. This item is used by gripping punch firmly in one hand and pushing the pointy bit into a metal plate all the way down until it kicks, it will leave a nice smart dent so that you can use it for layout purposes, a dent to start a drill bit in, and other creative uses, ie: denting a shaft surface, etc wind in the handle end clockwise all the way makes a heavier dent, counter clockwise progressively lightens the dent impression created., Unlike the previous automatic centre punch that someone borrowed from me, and used a hammer on it....its only good for that now. For hand use only, maybe an optional plastic handle on this thing might end any confusion with a hammer style centre punch ( what do you think Starrett ? )

Yeah, this is the real deal, probably the BEST auto punch I have ever used. If you always wanted a PUNCH that could handle just about any gauge metal you throw at it, this is it. It certainly is not cheap, but is high quality. One thing though: when set to full strength impact, you better eat your Wheaties cause it aint for the faint of heart to push down hard enough to make it fire. Takes some muscle and multiple uses can hurt your palm. Just sayin. If you dont need this much power, get a lower powered punch.

Despite laying in salty slush for two weeks over the winter after falling out of a hole in my pocker while entering my car, a wipe down with some scotch brite and some oil made this punch work like new again. Nice and sturdy with a smooth action and sharp knurling. Temper on the tip is excellent, with minimum tip rounding, even on harder materials, deforming rather than cracking when struck against something harder than it can handle. The only drawback Ive found is that sometimes the spring doesnt fully reset after use, and will just depress without hammering the tip when pressed against the stock. However, this only happens rarely and doesnt require disassembly to fix, you just have to press it again. This is in my pocket every day at work, and gets whipped out at every opportunity. No one else is allowed to touch it, just me.

Good hit, heavy duty

First off-this is a quality product, for professional use. There is no slop on the part fit up, and replacement parts are readily available through the manufacturer. It’s a tad expensive, but it’s worth more than what I paid for it. It’s easily adjustable, and strikes reliably, without losing its pinch pressure setting. A tad stiff at the hardest punching level, I would recommend some type of padding or impact glove for all day use. This tool works very well for pricking holes in 308 stainless for line up on a drill press, or an ironworker (punch).

I have used automatic center punches quite extensively for metal work when fabricating industrial control panels. They are a vital tool to drilling precise holes in metal and they offer the convenience of not having to use a hammer. I purchased this starrett punch because of the quality of their other tools and because I have used cheaper ones that would take multiple blows to create a small dent because they just do not have the striking power needed. I also know that when it comes to tools the best ones are a joy to use and the cheap ones will only make you wish you just paid the money and got the best one to start with. I was unsure of which one to order because I could not find any information online comparing the AA, A and C sizes, I ended up purchasing the 18C because it was listed as heavy duty and I figured I could turn down the striking power but if it was not enough on the smaller ones you cannot turn it up. I think for most peoples uses the 18A would be the most ideal size and power. The punch showed up in perfect condition, when held in the hand it does display true craftsmanship and quality which is so hard to find these days. The tip is not quite as sharp as I would have liked for those jobs where you want absolute precision, clearly it is made for heavier duty work than the other punches I have used in the past, and when the spring is turned to its maximum power it does take quite a bit of force to depress and strike a blow but you can be sure that one is enough. I would be mindful that when turned all the way up if you were to push down at any sort of angle you would risk the tip slipping and just putting a huge gouge in your work but sometimes you need that sort of power. When turned down however it delivers a much lighter blow that is even useful for wood, albeit maybe not something like balsam. The machining and quality of this tool is as I said top notch. Yes you can get a punch for just a few dollars that might work just fine but you invest in a tool like this and it will last a lifetime. It is also very easy to take apart to clean or lube if you ever need to. Very pleased with this tool and I wish I could afford to outfit my entire toolbox with tools of this quality.