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

Why did you pick this product vs others?:Anyone who knows the Starrett brand knows that their products are of the finest quality and design and this is autopunch is no exception. I do a reasonable amount of control panel design and construction requiring starter punches prior to drilling/tapping fastener holes and this punch makes me smile every time I use it. Solid construction, fluid action with a point that resists deformation.

Don't buy this expecting to use it on hardened steel for large projects. It's a compact punch for smaller scale, light duty use. It's slightly smaller than a tube of chapstick and 4" long. Works great on aluminum, brass, copper, or soft steel that requires a small, precise dimple for a small diameter hole.If you're needing a punch for a 1/2" drill bit on carbon steel, buy the 18C. It's much larger and has a more robust spring. Both tools are exceptionally well made and Starrett will replace them with no questions asked in the event of failure.

Quality looks very impressive at first glance, but had the center punch break after less than 20 punches. The threaded portion snapped off. I sent it back for a new one and the exact same thing happened this time only after 6 punches! I use a Starret caliper daily and love it, but i would not recommend these center punches. Hopefully it’s just a fluke that i 2 bad ones in a row, but buy at your own risk.

I use this metal punch nearly every day as a carpenter. It has worked every time, and has been dropped a lot, amd still works perfectly. If you're looking for a metal punch. Buy this brand.

Awesome as usual

After yet another Harbor Freight punch wore out, I decided to buy a real tool. The Starrett auto punch is definitely well made and feels good to hold, and operates smoothly -- but it doesn't do much. I'm getting just a tiny nick in 24ga steel sheet metal, and not much better in 1/8" aluminum extrusions. This is at the "highest" setting.I guess this punch is only really intended for softer materials, but that wasn't super clear to me in the description. I'm just a "weekend warrior" and not familiar with the intricacies of selecting proper fabrication tools. Evidently I I was also surprised by how small it is...the dimensions are clearly given but I have small hands so figured it wouldn't be an issue. I can hold it fine but it gets lost in the pencil-loop of my toolbelt where I kept my old one -- I have to take off my gloves and poke around in there to fish it out, which isn't much of a time-savings.I'm returning the punch in favor of the full-sized 18C, which apparently is more like what I'm looking for.

Starrett makes great tools and one of things that Toolmakers and Machinist's the world over revere in addition to that quality; is the boxes that they are packaged in. That's something that Amazon doesn't seem to understand. The bench block that I ordered a while back and now this automatic center punch delivers with a wad of clear tape wrapped around the box instead of using bubble wrap, a rubber band or another box to protect it. I store Starrett tools in their original boxes because it makes storage in my Kennedy Toolbox easier to manage and more organized. Understand that if you order a Starrett tool from Amazon, the box will most likely be a casualty in the process.

Ordered three Starrett 18AA Automatic Center Punch with Hardened Steel Metal - 100mm Length. One came broken. Photo shows broken threads. The other two usually work. Need constant cleaning and adjustments. Have ordered dozens over time. They do wear out and stop working. But in the end, these are the best light weight small punches we can find on the market. Starrett usually is a reliable brand.Update: Three weeks later. Punch #2 broke. Adjustment threads broke off the second one. We have enough barrels from worn out ones that I think I can get this one to work again. At $42 these should not break. Starrett ususally is a reliable brand.