A powered fastener driver comprising: a driver blade (26, 226, 426, 626, 826, 1026) movable from a top-dead-center position to a driven or bottom-dead-center position for driving a fastener into a workpiece; a drive unit for providing torque to move the driver blade from the BDC position toward the TDC position, the drive unit including an output shaft (86, 286, 486, 686, 886, 1086); a rotary lifter (66, 266, 466, 666, 866, 1066) engageable with the driver blade, the lifter configured to receive torque from the drive unit in a first rotational direction for returning the driver blade from the BDC position toward the TDC position; and characterized in: a kickout arrangement (136, 336, 536, 736, 936, 1136) defined between the lifter and the output shaft, the kickout arrangement configured to permit limited rotation of the lifter relative to the output shaft between a first position and a second position, wherein the lifter is in the first position relative to the output shaft when returning the driver blade from the BDC position toward the TDC position, and wherein the lifter is rotatable relative to the output shaft from the first position to the second position by the kickout arrangement, without torque being applied to the output shaft in an opposite, second rotational direction, after the driver blade reaches the TDC position to release the driver blade and initiate a fastener driving operation. a driver blade (26, 226, 426, 626, 826, 1026) movable from a top-dead-center position to a driven or bottom-dead-center position for driving a fastener into a workpiece; a drive unit for providing torque to move the driver blade from the BDC position toward the TDC position, the drive unit including an output shaft (86, 286, 486, 686, 886, 1086); a rotary lifter (66, 266, 466, 666, 866, 1066) engageable with the driver blade, the lifter configured to receive torque from the drive unit in a first rotational direction for returning the driver blade from the BDC position toward the TDC position; and characterized in: a kickout arrangement (136, 336, 536, 736, 936, 1136) defined between the lifter and the output shaft, the kickout arrangement configured to permit limited rotation of the lifter relative to the output shaft between a first position and a second position, wherein the lifter is in the first position relative to the output shaft when returning the driver blade from the BDC position toward the TDC position, and wherein the lifter is rotatable relative to the output shaft from the first position to the second position by the kickout arrangement, without torque being applied to the output shaft in an opposite, second rotational direction, after the driver blade reaches the TDC position to release the driver blade and initiate a fastener driving operation. a kickout arrangement (136, 336, 536, 736, 936, 1136) defined between the lifter and the output shaft, the kickout arrangement configured to permit limited rotation of the lifter relative to the output shaft between a first position and a second position, wherein the lifter is in the first position relative to the output shaft when returning the driver blade from the BDC position toward the TDC position, and wherein the lifter is rotatable relative to the output shaft from the first position to the second position by the kickout arrangement, without torque being applied to the output shaft in an opposite, second rotational direction, after the driver blade reaches the TDC position to release the driver blade and initiate a fastener driving operation.