I bought a General Tools automatic center punch a while ago and it has always disappointed me. It was always very difficult to get it working no matter how I set it up. Also, the tip always loosened with each hit. But the worst thing is that no matter how I adjusted it and no matter how gently I squeezed it, when fired, the tip ALWAYS jumped about 64 inches from the cross scratch. Not suitable for precise work. I have NONE of those problems with this Starrett beat. The mark isn't as deep as my old one, but when the job calls for a big deep mark I just put a regular center punch in a small indentation and use a hammer to make it deeper. After putting up with my old General for too long, I am now a happy camper.