How to Choose Automatic Hole Punches?

A hole punch is an essential tool for organizing loose sheets of paper in binders, folders, and booklets at home, school, or the office. They come in a variety of sizes, depending on how many holes you want to punch and how many pages you want to punch at one time. Read our guide on how to choose the best hole punch, including our top recommended products for the following types of hole punches. 

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• Three Hole Punch
• Portable Three Hole Punch
• Electric Hole Punch
• Heavy-Duty Three Hole Punch
• Heavy-Duty Two Hole Punch
• Single Hole Punch
• Long Reach Single Hole Punch
• Spiral Hole Punch

Best Hole Punch: What to Look For

Best Three Hole Punch

If you’ve only ever used one type of hole punch before, odds are it was a regular three hole punch. The three holes are designed to perfectly align with the most common size of paper: 8.5 x 11 letter-size. They transform any paper into a document you can securely place inside a binder.

Three hole punches are very popular in schools as well as office settings since the punch is measured to create holes that perfectly fit inside binders and duotangs. 

Best Portable Three Hole Punch

Three hole punches can be quite bulky to store, especially if they are designed to punch multiple pages at one time. A portable three hole punch doesn’t take up precious desk real estate and gives you a hole punch wherever you go. 

Best Electric Hole Punch

Electronic hole punches take all the work out of hole punching. They seamlessly punch holes into large stacks of paper without any effort at all. The downside is they tend to take up more space and require a power source—either from an outlet or batteries you’ll need to replace eventually.

Best Heavy-Duty Three Hole Punch

A heavy-duty hole punch is designed to punch many pages at once with ease. These hole punches come with a higher price tag, but they’re ideal for classrooms and office spaces that regularly need to punch many pages at one time. 

Best Heavy-Duty Two Hole Punch

Two hole punches create holes in a standard 2 hole 2-3/4 inch center-to-center configuration . The two hole punching pattern is designed for papers that are stored inside file folders. They are more often used by businesses rather than schools.

Best Single Hole Punch

Single hole punches are used for crafting and scrapbooking. They’re also used to punch tickets at events or on punch cards. You can use a single hole punch to create inexpensive, biodegradable confetti.

Best Long Reach Single Hole Punch

A long reach hole punch helps you access tough to reach parts of a page or project, which is extremely useful for crafting and scrapbook projects that require holes deeper than the edge of a page. 

Best Spiral Hole Punch

A spiral hole punch is a little different than the other hole punches we’ve outlined. Instead of punching a few holes, it creates a series of holes along the side of a stack of paper so that it can be bound with a spiral spine. They’re used to create booklets in offices or to bind larger projects. A student might bind a larger paper or thesis in this way for a professional look that’s guaranteed to stick together. To use a spiral hole punch, you also need to have plastic comb spines that keep the pages together permanently. 

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Automatic Hole Punches.

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I am in need of a center punch. I want a US-made one. I noticed there are sets that have 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, etc up to 7/8". What is the difference between all these, other than the obvious size differences? I was going to get a 1/4" and a 1/2" and be done. I need them to punch dimples for drilling holes in sheet metal. I figure I need a small one and a bigger one. But I saw the sets and thought I'd ask why all the different sizes and if there is any difference or need for so many.

And, any particular brand that is better or to be avoided: Wilde, Craftsman, SK, Proto all make what I need.

I am in need of a center punch. I want a US-made one. I noticed there are sets that have 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, etc up to 7/8". What is the difference between all these, other than the obvious size differences? I was going to get a 1/4" and a 1/2" and be done. I need them to punch dimples for drilling holes in sheet metal. I figure I need a small one and a bigger one. But I saw the sets and thought I'd ask why all the different sizes and if there is any difference or need for so many.

And, any particular brand that is better or to be avoided: Wilde, Craftsman, SK, Proto all make what I need.

The larger center punches can create larger potential divots in the material to be drilled.
With split point ground drill bits, the larger divot might not be as needed, but with older drill bits that are traditionally ground, the center axis webbing of the drill bit gets thicker the more the drill bit is sharpened, and the larger the diameter of the drill bit is.
To drill a hole properly centered on the punch mark, the divot has to be large enough for the drill point to properly seat in the divot, which is harder if the divot is too small.

Also, some drill types including certain types of centering drills, won’t seat and drill properly if the divot isn’t deep enough or wide enough.

And in case you are unaware of it, you’re typically recommended to first create a tiny precisely placed divot using a sharper prick punch, whose more acute tip is easier to properly and precisely place for marking, and then you use the prick mark to properly locate were the center punch tip goes, and you use the center punch to mark and divot the material for the drill.

As far as center punch brands go, Starrett makes excellent center punches in both automatic and regular solid styles.
PB Swiss/Bauman also manufactures nice solid center punches.
Eclipse in the UK makes a couple sizes of automatic center punches that are very nice. They also make solid center punches, but I have no experience with them. I presume they may be nice as well.
Facom makes shock absorbing center punches as well as regular solid center punches. The shock absorbing center punches are nice to use, but not as nicely finished as the Starrett, Eclipse or PB punches. They also make automatic punches, but I have no experience with those.
The Mayhew punches at Home Depot look nicely finished, and it’s one of the things Mayhew mainly does so those might be another option.
Also, if you run into older US made General, Lufkin, or Brown & Sharpe punches, those should all be good.