Looking for a hole punch

[countryroad82]

My HF punch/flanger just literally died in my hands. I'm suprised it's lasted as long as it did, 2 years. I bought it to see if I would like a punch verses drilling plug weld holes and while I wasn't crazy about the small holes it would punch, it has saved me a **** load of time drilling. So what are you guys using for plug welds? I don't care if it has a flanging end, I don't lap weld my panels as I'm one that is in the 'it's an extra place for rust to collect' camp. I would prefer to not sink more than $150 in one but if there is something better I'm all ears. So let's have it!!! Now I'm off to finish drilling about 75 holes in a full length rocker panel on a king cab GMC....... Ugh!!!

 

[countryroad82]

I take it I'm going to be taking a crapshoot?

 

[gungatim]

I use the handheld HF one, it has 3 or 4 hole sizes but no flanger. I have had it for a few years now. I bought it to replace VW beetle floors and it worked like a charm. have a few panels on a MG to do this summer so hopefully it keeps functioning. Don't know what it was patterened after, but there is probably a brand name tool the HF folks copied.

Sorry that's not much help, but as cheap as it is, just buy another one.

 

[countryroad82]

The only one I could find from Harbor Frieght is like the one I had. I would love to find something that had interchangeable heads there maybe I'm not looking hard enough.

 

[Thunderbisciut]

How about this? Made in the US still, well under budget, pretty compact. According to their chart, you "should" be able to punch a 5/16" hole in 18 gauge mild steel with this. It's right at the limit according to them though. Next step up is considerably larger and more expensive, but you should be able to find a used one for cheap.

 

[countryroad82]

While I have used a Whitney punch in the past, I'm just lazy and carpel tunnel is starting to set in on my hands

 

[gungatim]

well I can't find it on the HF site, but on this link half way down the page is a picture of the hand punch I have from HF. Maybe they don't sell it any more. the blog says it is a copy of roper-whitney *********** punch. It was only around $25 when I got it...

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi...ums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=68962

 

[gungatim]

heres the manual link, item 91510

http://images.harborfreight.com/manuals/91000-91999/91510.pdf

 

[countryroad82]

Thanks, although I'm wanting to go pneumatic, I might pick one up for occasions like this..... When the pneumatic dies!!!!

 

[Brad54]

Just buy another HF one. Yeah, it died, but you got two years worth of hard use out of it, right?
It's $40, without a coupon. Knock another $10 off with the 25-percent off coupon that seems to show up in my Sunday paper every week, and you've got a $30 flanger/punch to last another two years.
At that price, you can buy five cheap flanger/punches for the price of one $150 tool... at two years service, that's 10 years of use to break even.
And that assumes you won't wear out the more expensive tool in 10 years of use. If the more expensive tool has to be serviced or replaced during that time, you're money WAY behind.

-Brad