Starrett Steel Automatic Center Punch, 5" Length, 9/16" Punch Diameter

High quality, durable, easy to use, and does exactly what I need for a fair price. Ive used it on hardened steel, mild steel, aluminum, etc, never an issue. Knurling adds a lot of grip on it even when your hands are oily. Can't go wrong with Starrett.

This thing's great I use the hell out of it saves me hundreds of hammer strikes

So let me tell you a story. I work in the automation industry for warehouses and mailing. I had to assemble 79 pulleys with flanges on both sides that needed to be pressed down and swaged. Unfortunately the tool they had does not work well at all and I had to resort to manually punching 8 points around the flange both sides to ensure it stayed properly and securely in place. That's 16 points per pulley x 79 = 1,264 hits x 3-4 hits per initial hit to ensure the material went over the flange to hold it in place. Thats a whopping total of roughly 5,056 total hits in a 8 hour shift. NOT ONCE did the punch seize up or give me any trouble. the tip still retains its sharp point and the punch still works smoothly and effortlessly compared to the junk one at my job they gave me originally that at every 3-4 presses it would seize up and not want to follow through. If this doesn't scream quality and durability then I don't know what does. Starrett know what they are doing and do it well. Fantastic tool, it won't let you down.

Back in the day I was calibrator and used lots of Starrett gear and never realized they made auto punches. I went looking because I lost my Home Depot "General" punch. I think it cost about 1/8 the price of the this one but damn what a difference. This thing punches like a mule (or maybe it was the 18C)...Does not matter both are awesome! I was almost thought I had received a defective one when it came. For some reason I could not get it to punch on pressing it. Then I pressed harder and still could not get it to go so I took it apart. I think its only 4 parts or something but I found the issue. I figure this one was build on a Friday or just before a holiday because it still had some machining bits inside the mechanism causing it to jam. Shame, shame on QC. No worries though as a quick cleaning and a bit of new lube and it was as good as new...because it was new. I thought this was weird because I had just purchased an 18C and it worked right out of the box. These work so much better than the junk you buy at the Depot or Lowes. This is one of those "lifetime" tools you can give to your great, great grand kids.

I had one of these gems for over 20 years, on my third point, and someone walked away with it. Got by with an inferior and irritating model from General and decided to pick up tried and true again. If this is a tool you use much at all, it is so worth spending the extra dollars on the Starrett. I was a little concerned after reading some reviews here that said it was jamming and that it wasn't machined as well, had debris or was dry, etc. Pleased to report that mine is every bit as well machined and finished as the one I got in the 90s. Clean inside, impeccable threading, properly and lightly lubed, anvils are polished for smooth operation, still a nice aggressive knurling, works a treat. I'm not an anti-China guy at all but I'm really happy to support genuine US manufacturing and that's getting harder and harder to do these days...glad that Starrett has remained through all of the upheaval and changes over the last few decades while so many others have capitulated into a reduction in quality and/or function, or disappeared altogether.

Great punch for wood or light metal. For hardened steel you would need 18C. My only complaint is these things must sit for a long time before they are shipped. My 18C was full of rust and had surface rust. It also has many metal shavings inside. No metal in the 18A but full of rust as well. 5-10 minutes is needed to disassemble clean, and oil and these punches are flawless. The 2 I bought I wouldn’t even use them until they are detailed and cleaned up. If it wasn’t for this, 5 stars!

Very good, clean action and hard hitting.

I must have a dozen around my shop ! I use these all the time while working with metals and even wood. Super handy for setting a spot to drill into. Keeps the bit positioned well at the start.

Hochwertiger und präziser Körner der verlässlich arbeitet. Das hat zwar seinen Preis ,aber dafür ist die Haptik und Mechanik top. Qualität statt Schrott.

Non capisco perché alcuni clienti si sono lamentati, per me è eccellente come da grandi aspettative, anzi, fa proprio un bel buco anche con poca pressione (su legno morbido). Funziona bene ed ha un prezzo (in offerta) ancora più basso di molti altri equivalenti di marche sconosciute. Se lo beccate in offerta consigliatissimo, è proprio un gran bell'oggetto.

Es una marca muy reconocida por su calidad , muy buenos resultados en lámina y madera

Je viens juste d’acheter celui-ci car j’avais égaré le précédent, un 18AA. Celui-ci est pareil mais un peu plus gros donc plus puissant. Il fonctionne à merveille et ces pointeaux automatiques méritent largement 5 étoiles. Certains commentaires reprochent le manque de puissance. Il faut savoir ce qu’on peut attendre d’un produit. Je trouve au contraire ce 18A un peu trop puissant et plus difficile à manier que le 18AA, que je préfère car la force pour déclencher est réduite, ce qui permet de pointer le trou à coup sûr. L’impact du 18AA est très suffisant pour l’alu et aussi pour les panneaux melaminés de meubles de cuisine etc : ça évite de déraper avec les mèches à pointe centreuse. Et, au cas où, il y a le 18C qui marque l’acier sans pb mais au prix d’une force importante (à ne pas utiliser sur tôle fine, il fait une cuvette). Donc, si vous n’en avez qu’un le 18AA est le meilleur choix si vous n’avez pas à travailler l’acier. Pour l’acier, il vaut mieux le 18A, objet de l’offre ci-dessus. Et, chance ! J’ai retrouvé mon 18AA ...

Great punch