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Automatic centre punch vs hammer and a solid punch

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are holding a hinge against a cabinet stile with one hand, and the other hand has either a spring punch or a hammer and a solid punch. Automatic centre punch vs hammer is that choice. Use the spring when you need the spare hand and a dimple you can repeat. Use the hammer and a solid punch when reviews of that spring class already call the mark too shallow, or when you need a deeper dent than the spring will give. The [automatic centre punch comparison](/hub/hand-tools/automatic-centre-punch) is the twelve spring tools. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Peter F. wrote this on 21 October 2026 from amazon.co.uk review notes and Starrett's description of a centre punch, not from a lab test.

You are holding a hinge against a cabinet stile with one hand, and the other hand has either a spring punch or a hammer and a solid punch. Automatic centre punch vs hammer is that choice.

Our top picks

Starrett Starrett 18A

Best overall

Starrett Starrett 18A
7.6/10about £32.00
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Starrett Starrett 18C

Alternative

Starrett Starrett 18C
7.0/10about £26.46
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Eclipse Eclipse 65-171R

Best value

Eclipse Eclipse 65-171R
7.0/10about £9.00
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On this page
  1. 1.What each method is doing
  2. 2.When the spring punch is the method
  3. 3.When the hammer is the method
  4. 4.Do not strike the automatic

What each method is doing

A spring punch stores the blow. You press square, the mechanism trips, and the tip leaves a dimple. Lift, and it resets. Starrett describes a 90-degree point. That is the maker's account, not a measured angle for every pack, and not a 60-degree claim these listings do not make. The same cap setting can repeat a dimple without judging a swing. A solid punch stores nothing. The other hand swings the hammer, and the depth is the blow you chose. You need room to swing, or a clamp. Once the cap is fully up and the dimple is still a prick, another press is the same prick.

When the spring punch is the method

Use the spring when the second hand is holding a hinge, a bracket or a small plate. Reviewers of the Eclipse, the 18A and the S&R mention one-handed marking so the work stays put. If you cannot swing under a shelf, the spring is the method. Use it too for a row of holes at one setting. The S&R's 60–130 N and the SabreCut's 60–140 N are the only printed bands. That memory fails if the QWORK catches only at some angles, or the 18A misses a click. The press itself is on the how to use an automatic centre punch page.
Starrett Starrett 18A

Testsieger

Starrett Starrett 18A
7.6/10about £32.00
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When the hammer is the method

Use a hammer and a solid punch when the spring's best mark will not catch the drill. Many 18AA texts say the compact Starrett is not enough on mild steel. Eclipse texts often call the mild-steel mark too shallow, including repeats on 1.4 mm sheet. The 18A is a little light on full setting. The 18C, cited on stainless and 4 mm sheet, is still the wrong method if you cannot press it. The hammer adds a blow you choose, and it costs the spare hand. A heavier automatic does not become a hammer because the title says heavy-duty.

Do not strike the automatic

Do not hit an automatic centre punch to make it fire or to deepen a shallow dimple. The Eclipse listing says a hammer should not be used. Starrett's bullets describe downward pressure. The 18AA locks compressed, the Oavie sticks down, and the 18C has failed out of the box. One GCNWW mallet comment is not the method. If the drill still skates, raise the setting on scrap, step up a class, or change to a solid punch. Eye protection matters when a hammer blow can throw a fragment. The Health and Safety Executive expects protection for impact when the assessment says so.

Common questions

When is an automatic centre punch enough?
It is enough when you need the other hand to hold the work, or you cannot swing, and the dimple at that punch's maximum will catch the drill. Hinges, brackets and a row of holes at one cap setting are the usual jobs. It stops being enough when reviews of that class already call the mark too shallow, which in this set is often the 18AA and the Eclipse on mild steel.
When should you use a hammer and a solid punch?
Use them when the spring's maximum will not seat the drill, or when you can swing and you want a deeper dent than the 18A's little-light strike or the 18C's stiff press will give. You need a hand for the punch and a hand for the hammer, or a clamp. A heavier automatic is not that method.
Can you hit an automatic punch with a hammer if it will not fire?
No. The Eclipse listing says not to, and a Starrett is built to trip under pressure. A silent or stuck punch is a fault: locked spring on the 18AA, failed trigger on the 18C, a miss on the QWORK. Return it or repair it as the maker describes. Do not copy one GCNWW mallet comment across the set.
Does a spring punch give the same mark each time?
It can, at one cap setting, which is why a row of hinge holes is a spring job. It does not, if the mechanism misses. The 18A misses a click for a minority of presses, and the QWORK does not catch at every angle. Sameness also stops at the maximum. Further presses do not deepen a prick into a hammer dent.
Is a heavier automatic the same as a hammer?
No. The 18C is the heavy spring in this set, cited for stainless and 4 mm sheet, and reviewers still describe a hard press and a narrow cap. The depth is the spring, not a swing you can add to. If that blow is not enough, change method. Do not strike the 18C to make up the difference.
What should you do if the dimple is there but the drill still skates?
The dimple is too small for that bit. Raise the setting on scrap, or step up a strike class, or use a solid punch and a hammer. On mild steel, repeating the Eclipse or the 18AA at a setting reviewers already call shallow will not grow the mark. Hitting the automatic to deepen it is the step to avoid.

Related pages

Automatic centre punch for metal

Automatic centre punch buying guide

Automatic centre punch

Best automatic centre punch for the mark you need now

How to use an automatic centre punch, step by step

Sources

Public UK and maker sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures captured on 19 October 2026.

  1. Starrett, punches: types and uses (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Starrett UK, 18A automatic centre punch (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Starrett 18-series data sheet (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Spear & Jackson, Eclipse automatic centre punches (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. HSE, using the right type of PPE (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Resqme, tempered-glass limit on spring breakers (retrieved 22 October 2026)