A shearing tool comprising: a housing; a blade set having first and second shearing blades (40 and 42 respectively); a drive unit received in the housing and drivingly coupled to at least one of the first and second shearing blades, the drive unit having a motor having an output shaft that is rotatable in a first rotary direction and a second rotary direction that is opposite the first rotary direction, wherein rotation of the output shaft of the motor in the first rotary direction creates relative motion between the first and second shearing blades that permits the blade set to shear a workpiece; a trigger switch; a release switch; and a controller coupled to the drive unit, the trigger switch and the release switch, the controller being configured to operate the drive unit at least partly in response to a state of the trigger switch and a state of the release switch, characterised in that: the trigger switch is configured to provide a first trigger signal when the trigger switch is in a first trigger switch state, and to provide a second trigger signal when the trigger switch is in a second trigger switch state; wherein the release switch is configured to provide a first release signal when the release switch is in a first release switch state, and to provide a second release signal when the release switch is in a second release switch state; and wherein the controller is configured to operate the drive unit in a cutting mode in which the motor is driven in the first rotary direction when the trigger switch is in the second trigger switch state and the release switch is in the first release switch state, and wherein the controller is configured to operate the drive unit in an anti-binding mode in which the motor is alternately driven in the first and second rotary directions in response to maintained operation of the trigger switch in the second trigger switch state with operation of the release switch in the second release switch state. a housing; a blade set having first and second shearing blades (40 and 42 respectively); a drive unit received in the housing and drivingly coupled to at least one of the first and second shearing blades, the drive unit having a motor having an output shaft that is rotatable in a first rotary direction and a second rotary direction that is opposite the first rotary direction, wherein rotation of the output shaft of the motor in the first rotary direction creates relative motion between the first and second shearing blades that permits the blade set to shear a workpiece; a trigger switch; a release switch; and a controller coupled to the drive unit, the trigger switch and the release switch, the controller being configured to operate the drive unit at least partly in response to a state of the trigger switch and a state of the release switch, characterised in that: the trigger switch is configured to provide a first trigger signal when the trigger switch is in a first trigger switch state, and to provide a second trigger signal when the trigger switch is in a second trigger switch state; wherein the release switch is configured to provide a first release signal when the release switch is in a first release switch state, and to provide a second release signal when the release switch is in a second release switch state; and wherein the controller is configured to operate the drive unit in a cutting mode in which the motor is driven in the first rotary direction when the trigger switch is in the second trigger switch state and the release switch is in the first release switch state, and wherein the controller is configured to operate the drive unit in an anti-binding mode in which the motor is alternately driven in the first and second rotary directions in response to maintained operation of the trigger switch in the second trigger switch state with operation of the release switch in the second release switch state. the trigger switch is configured to provide a first trigger signal when the trigger switch is in a first trigger switch state, and to provide a second trigger signal when the trigger switch is in a second trigger switch state; wherein the release switch is configured to provide a first release signal when the release switch is in a first release switch state, and to provide a second release signal when the release switch is in a second release switch state; and wherein the controller is configured to operate the drive unit in a cutting mode in which the motor is driven in the first rotary direction when the trigger switch is in the second trigger switch state and the release switch is in the first release switch state, and wherein the controller is configured to operate the drive unit in an anti-binding mode in which the motor is alternately driven in the first and second rotary directions in response to maintained operation of the trigger switch in the second trigger switch state with operation of the release switch in the second release switch state.