Tools:

TEKTON Automatic Center Punch
http://amzn.to/2vFuhMu

Neiko Automatic Center Hole Punch
http://amzn.to/2uquDH1

Rennsteig Adjustable Automatic Center Punch
http://amzn.to/2wuR6A7

Transcript:

Hey, I’m Donald Bell and in this Cool Tools video I am going to take a look at automatic center punches. Maybe you have a cheap one like this for marking drill holes in wood or metal. I’ll show you how this performs against two higher end options. I’ve got Amazon links for all of these in the description, and if you pick one up using the link, it helps to support my videos and the Cool Tools blog.

So here’s what we’re looking at. This is a generic brass handle punch, the cheapest I could find. Costs around $5.

For $10, I bought the Neiko. It’s well liked on Amazon and has a different type of handle.

And for the top of the line, I got this $30 punch from Rennsteig. Highly rated. There are pricier options people rave about, but paying more than $30 for a punch is probably silly for most of us.

So here’s the generic punch you’ve probably used before. Up here you can adjust the striking force. Loose is less, tight is more. You push it into the material you want to make a dimple on until it clicks, and you’ve made your mark.

There may be an amazing version of this style of punch, but because they’re visually indistinguishable, there’s no good way I know of to tell the good from the bad without handling one.

As I understand it, what you’re looking for in a punch is a useful amount of striking force to dent the material you’re marking, and durability. Bad punches will get dull quickly. A lot of people just resign themselves to replacing these every year or so with a new cheap punch. Considering the price, it makes sense.

But even on it’s best day, new from the package, tightened up for maximum impact. Here’s the divot this makes on steel. A decent starting point for a drill bit, but it’s going to go downhill quick.

Find more Cool Tool reviews here:
http://kk.org/cooltools