Starrett Automatic Center Punch with Hardened Steel Metal - 100mm Length, 11mm Punch Diameter Tapered Point - 18AA

This punch is super high quality, I’ve had it a few months and still working great. But I would say it’s not the best for hard metals, which is what I bought it for. If you are using for marking wood & soft metals (aluminum, brass) should be fine but not so much on steel. I would recommend getting the heavy duty version for about $10 more.

Took me a while to decide to spend the money for this center punch. It is a lot more expensive than the cheap Chinese products sold under different brand names. I cant compare this Starrett to the other products since I only have this one. The Starrett seems to be of the high quality expected from this brand - and the price tag. It malfunctioned a couple of times at the beginning but probably due to some burrs left from the manufacturing process. It works well now, did not have any more issues.

Ok for soft metals, needs stronger spring for most steels

Good for woodworking, even on softer woods. Sometimes takes a couple punches to make the size of hole that I want but given how easy it is to use this isnt really a con, just press up and down a couple times. It works on metal too but obviously if you are primarily doing metal working this probably wont be heavy duty enough.

I use this to punch/stamp date codes into metal castings and I typically have to do it multiple times in the same spot for it to be deep enough for QA purposes (by deep enough, I mean visible without a magnifying glass and/or light to notice the difference). The tool came fully tightened, so theres no way to make the punch hit harder unless I use a hammer (which is impractical in some cases). Maybe the spring is faulty and thats my issue? I dont know as Im not going to try to open it up and risk not having it work even at this level. The tip has retained its point after multiple uses, so thats a definite plus. I would have given this 5 stars if I didnt have to punch the same spot multiple times to see an effect.

This gets a solid five stars because it really is perfect. The wind up is very, very smooth with a nice and short throw, which helps keep it on the spot while pressing on it. The resulting action is quick, firm, and surprisingly powerful considering how effortless the wind up is. It makes me wonder if they are somehow cheating the conservation of momentum and energy... Oh yeah and the knurling and overall look is second to none. It feels super sweet to hold! Given all of this, plus the fact that it only costs as much as 6 lattes, plus the fact that its still made in the USA, dont even bother to waste your money on a cheaper import (which are only cheaper by about 1/2 as much - were still in the impulse dollars range here folks...).

I bought these vs the knock off brands... I heard too many frustrations that the knock offs dont last and they miss punches after a little bit of use. Not sure how to rank that, but this device works as described for the first few months. Still, they are pricey as heck - buy once cry once... Cheap tools are expensive, I tell myself lol...

I had to return this for a replacement. Half the time, the spring would not rest after triggering. The replacement (same make/model) is great -- heavy, precise, and reliable.

Pay attention to the recent reviews regarding failure to reset after triggering, which it mostly doesn’t do. Unfortunately I waited too long before I realized how bad it was. Test immediately, if you bother at all. Apparently, Starrett isn’t the company it used to be. I have vintage tools that are 50 years old and work perfectly, but now there’s a 30-day return limit? Ridiculous! Also, this model is TINY! I didn’t realize a micro-version was an option. Fool me once…

High quality center punch, USA made, type of tool that will last generations