General Tools Heavy-Duty Automatic Center Punch #78 - Nail Punch Tool to Mark and Scribe - Machinist Tools

Nice punch. Works well.

This is a two handed tool, it has a very robust spring. That’s not a complaint, it’s a compliment. Its tips are replaceable, also a bonus. Well constructed, decent price.

I have to but one of these every decade or so. They occasionally wander off to environs unknown; likely someone else's shop. General tool is the standard others copy bought my first General Tools automatic center punch off the rack at Sears over forty years ago. I have never broken one, they just evaporate. I have three models currently this one is the best, the version with out the replaceable tip works is good, and the narrower pencil version is lighter to carry for occasional use.

It did not function correctly when I fist got it. After researching the science behind the function and removing sharp edge burr on the hammer mechanism I was able to get it working fairly consistently. It is quite serviceable but do not use a hammer on it which will permanently damage the punch.

Reliable, use often, great price.

Thing broke in less than a month. Tired of taking it back apart. Do not buy, its not any better than the cheap ones. 30$ down the drain. Back to the hammer and punch

Updated: I have enclosed my fix at the end of the review. This thing is working well and I hope I just got a Friday made unit. The model 78 has a very strong spring compared to the 79. So I will reserve the heavy duty model for thicker metal and save the smaller one for thinner materials and plastic. I still want to order another model 79 because I used it so much. The review plus update. I had one of these for years. Picked it up from a SnapOn truck around 2000 or 2001 and it has been one of my favorite tools since then. I had to reduce the stars due to the state this thing arrived. I still love these especially because the tips are replaceable. For years I thought I had a Sterrett brand (I probably paid that much on the truck) until I went to buy another one and found the tip was different from the general tools one. Because I used it on so many projects and carry it between shops and tool boxes I thought I should treat myself to a second one. (Because it was on sale) I did not have my original handy to look at the number (it was in a different work area) so I just picked this one. This looks a lot like my original but it is a lot bigger. The original must be a different model. This one came in a sealed package covered in rust protective oil. So I took it apart, cleaned off the packaging oil and lubricated it with the same oil I use on the original. While doing so I found this thing had a lot of burrs. I suspect that it was tested with out the tip since the metal was peened over near where it threads in the punch shaft, it was also burred where it interacts with the anvil/hammer thing. I polished those up a little since this thing was very hard to push when I opened the package. It was still very stiff so I took it back and greased the anvil/hammer thing with low viscosity grease that works in cold weather. This helped quite a bit. The over all machining was very rough. My original was not pretty but this had a lot of galling from the machine tool engaging it outside and in so I'm thinking over time it will get better. Hoping! I was rather confused when this did not work at all when adjusted to its heaviest load, I had to back of the adjustment a little to get it to function. I did some tests on softer steel and it did leave a mark. The larger tip did not do as well as the smaller tip, but it did leave a mark. Now that is cleaned up some, it works fairly well but frankly... about the same as the original, I do not see how it is "heavy duty" in comparison. I still have to make multiple strikes to get the same depth. I will keep this one, I may purchase the same model that the original is since somewhere in a tool box nearby is a whole bag of replacement tips for that size. I just wish they kept up on the quality. Update: This thing stopped working correctly again. So I pulled it back apart and compared it to my Blue Point model 79 version (the smaller model) what I found was that the inside of the handle had grooves cut from a bad setup or bad bit between the ledge that triggers the release of the punch and the hammer, which I gave some attention to with 400 grit sandpaper spinning on a drill shaft. I also found that radius on the trigger mechanism did not sit flush with the hammer/anvil thingy. I found a metal chip between the spring and the little part which was causing a lot of the problem., I did not remove that when I greased and oiled it. The only problem now is the little screw that holds the spring is sitting in a hole with stripped threads... if it holds it will never be a problem. It works great now. The spring is definitely stronger and harder to push thames the smaller 79 version, however it leaves a nice wide center punch now in comparison. I tried both on a galvanized pip cap that was laying around, I adjusted the spring tension to about the same and the 78 is much wider than the 79.

Just what I needed

MI PRINCIPAL Y DIRIA YO MI UNICO PASATIEMPO ES CONSTRUIR PRODUCTOS DE METAL. MI PRIMER CENTER PUNCH FUE UN GENERAL TOOLS DEL MODELO DE USO LIGERO EL CUAL USE POR MAS DE 10 AÑOS SIN NINGUN PROBLEMA, DESPUES DECIDI COMPRAR EL MODELO DE USO RUDO DE LA MISMA MARCA QUE TAMBIEN USE POR MAS DE 10 AÑOS, HASTA QUE HACE UNOS 6 MESES PORQUE SE ROMPIO PARTE DEL SISTEMA QUE GOLPEA CUANDO SE LIBERA EL RESORTE. SOY UNA PERSONA MUY LEAL A LAS MARCAS, PRINCIPALMENTE CUANDO LA CALIDAD Y DURABILIDAD DE SUS PRODUCTOS LO MERECEN, ASI QUE DECIDI COMPRAR UN NUEVO CENTER PUNCH DE GENERAL TOOLS DEL MODELO USO RUDO, SIN EMBARGO EN ESTA OCASION CON MENOS DE 3 MESES DE USO ME DOY CUENTA QUE COMO EN MUCHOS PRODUCTOS, ORIGINALMENTE HECHOS EN USA Y AHORA HECHOS EN UNA LINEA DE ENSAMBLE CHINA, LA CALIDAD HA DISMINUIDO CONSIDERABLEMENTE Y EN ESTE ULTIMO CENTER PUNCH LA CUERDA QUE LA CUERDA DONDE SE ATORNILLA LA PUNTA AL CUERPO DE LA HERRAMIENTA, ESTA BARRIDA Y NO SE PUEDE APRETAR. ASI MISMO ME PASO CON UN TIPO AVELLANADOR (DE LA MISMA MARCA) PARA REBABEAR ORIFICIOS EN METAL DESPUES DEL TALADRADO, QUE EL MANERAL DE PLASTICO SE DESPRENDIO DEL AVELLANADOR Y NO PUEDES USARLO. ES UNA PENA QUE MARCAS TAN ICONICAS POCO A POCO VAYAN DISMINUYENDO SU CALIDAD Y TENGAMOS QUE CONFORMARNOS CON PRODUCTOS PRACTICAMENTE IGUALES CON COLORES Y MARCAS DIFERENTES, PERO HECHOS BAJO ESTANDARES DE CALIDAD MUY CUESTIONABLES EN LINEAS DE PRODUCCION QUE LO MISMO LE FABRICAN A MARCAS DE RENOMBRE COMO A MARCAS CON NOMBRES INPRONUNCIABLES.

Muito boa qualidade , e original bem embalado , eu tenho a menor da mesma marca e resolvi comprar esta que e maior e toda em aço e muto boa nota 10 , e tem a ponta removivel facil subistituir

Fonctionne très bien sur l'aluminium et même sur l'acier sans endommager la pointe. 👌👍

La cabeza que vino con el punzón central es demasiado pequeña. Está roscado, pero como puede ver en las dos fotos, nunca se quedará dentro del eje principal. Por lo tanto, la herramienta no se puede usar cuando llegó, por lo que solicitaré un reemplazo. Ojalá llegue con la propina adecuada.

Solid. Beefy. Seems to do an excellent job marking holes on mild steel and softer. Time will tell if it lasts long term. If it doesn’t believe me I’ll update this. Nice and girthy