Which center punch is best?

There are a few different types of center punches out there and I figured it would be worthwhile to show the ones I use on a regular basis. Each one has its pros and cons and it really depends on what you're trying to do and what you like.

Here are the punches I showed in the video. These are affiliate links, FYI.

00:00 Intro
00:29 What is a Center Punch and Why?
01:19 Classic Punch Set
02:41 Spring-Loaded Punch
04:03 Spring Tools Hammerless Punch
06:03 Cost and Final Comparison

[Ad-utvv]

It's 2:00 AM, and I am watching the center punch video for no particular reason.

[Mike-vnys]

Somethings that were not discussed.
As an Ironworker, Fabricator and Shop Fitter I use punches many times when laying out holes. I like a solid punch with a wide tip. If the tap is to sharp even the small drill bit can change directions. This way your drill bit tip will sit in the hole and has a better chance at a precise drill hole. Then you can step drill sizes from there. Do not double tap your holes. Softly hit your tap, check your hole alignment, reset your tap in the direction needed and retap. Just a few more tips.

[fiercefix]

The best thing about YouTube is there is nearly coverage of everything

[ryanmast]

Great video! Don't forget the Optical Center Punch for when precision really matters.

[Tarex_]

For further usecases of the spring tools i can recommend Deviant Ollam and the magic he can do to doors with them

[venomxx]

Thank for the video I'm making some fishing jigs out of some old butter knives and I'm having trouble drilling the holes but whit this bad boys I'll get the job done ✔️

[lzh]

I’m need to make punch marks on my internal steering column, “Do Not Want / Afford”, to mess this up. Thank you for the video. I feel more confident in doing this now. Really appreciate these kind of videos.👍😊

[TheEcorristine]

Thank you for a very comprehensive tutorial on center punches, have been looking to buy a few and as per usual there are a million and one choices on Amazon and eBay BUT there's nothing worse than buying a product to find out it's completely garbage. Have become an immediate subscriber as you seem to be a very well spoken and intelligent man. Very thorough with products so appreciate the heads up.

[bludolfin]

thank you so much for sharing this info regarding these center punches. I really like how you explain and demonstrated.

[A_Bird]

For getting the maximum precision with wood, I like a square awl. Just needs a few twists, and it's easy to control depth. It cuts the wood fibers with the sharpened edges while twisting, rather than splitting and/or compressing like with a punch. This makes it better for handling endgrain, wood with rings that vary hard/soft like pine, or knotty grain in general without drifting from your intended point due to being guided by the fibers of the wood.

[MichaelCorsetto]

This is the video I didn’t know I needed.

[mylifeisdope]

awesome video. ordered some of those USA built spring punches. also subscribed. thank you!

[bisonuberti]

Thank you for your assistance with my purchasing choice.

[felgate]

Centre punch the hole position, then Pilot the hole using a No 4 or 5 Centre drill. The Centre drill has a finer tip & Web. (That's the thickness between the cutting edges in short terms)

[darkcorsair]

great video. precision is always the key

[oldmanadventuring]

Thank you for the review. I have a busted stud on an exhaust pipe and need a good center punch to put a start for a left handed drill bit and extractor. I went with the Spring dual head punch.

[M.TTT.]

Glad I found this video, I've been using a cheap auto punch with steel, but those spring punches look much better. Ordered the one with the hardened tip.

[NoferTrunions]

Need deep setting one-handed automatic center punch. To achieve that, punch needs to be large and massive - as heavy as possible. Unfortunately, while a prerequisite, that does not ensure it will be the deepest setting. I think I saw some that were 6 inches long somewhere which might be a starting point - large body diameter also probably a good metric. Will also require a lot of manual force input.

[shaylynn]

Thanks for the informative video. Didnt know about the spring tool. Definitely looks like itll help with stainless.

[imanoutkaster]

These look closer to what I'm looking for, but maybe there's already a specific tool I just haven't found. I want to put decent size drain holes in oil filters without swinging a hammer and punch in tight spaces.