A percussion tool comprising: a housing; an electric motor positioned within the housing; a sensor to detect a motor characteristic; a percussion mechanism driven by the electric motor and including a striker supported for reciprocation in the housing; a battery pack removably coupled to the housing for providing power to the electric motor when coupled to the housing; and an electronic controller including an electronic processor and a memory, the electronic controller coupled to the electric motor and configured to activate the motor, determine whether the percussion tool is in a loaded condition, in response to determining that the percussion tool is in the loaded condition, operate the motor in accordance with a predetermined profile, and in response to determining that the percussion tool is in a no load condition, operate the motor at a no-load speed; the percussion tool being characterised in that: the sensor is a rotational speed sensor for detecting motor speed and wherein the motor characteristic is the motor speed, and in that while in the loaded condition, the electronic processor is further configured to: detect, using the rotational speed sensor, motor speed; and determine whether the motor speed satisfies a load condition speed threshold, wherein determining that the percussion tool remains in the loaded condition includes determining that the motor speed does not satisfy the load condition speed threshold, and wherein determining that the percussion tool is in the no-load condition includes determining that the motor speed satisfies the load condition speed threshold. a housing; an electric motor positioned within the housing; a sensor to detect a motor characteristic; a percussion mechanism driven by the electric motor and including a striker supported for reciprocation in the housing; a battery pack removably coupled to the housing for providing power to the electric motor when coupled to the housing; and an electronic controller including an electronic processor and a memory, the electronic controller coupled to the electric motor and configured to activate the motor, determine whether the percussion tool is in a loaded condition, in response to determining that the percussion tool is in the loaded condition, operate the motor in accordance with a predetermined profile, and in response to determining that the percussion tool is in a no load condition, operate the motor at a no-load speed; the percussion tool being characterised in that: the sensor is a rotational speed sensor for detecting motor speed and wherein the motor characteristic is the motor speed, and in that while in the loaded condition, the electronic processor is further configured to: detect, using the rotational speed sensor, motor speed; and determine whether the motor speed satisfies a load condition speed threshold, wherein determining that the percussion tool remains in the loaded condition includes determining that the motor speed does not satisfy the load condition speed threshold, and wherein determining that the percussion tool is in the no-load condition includes determining that the motor speed satisfies the load condition speed threshold. activate the motor, determine whether the percussion tool is in a loaded condition, in response to determining that the percussion tool is in the loaded condition, operate the motor in accordance with a predetermined profile, and in response to determining that the percussion tool is in a no load condition, operate the motor at a no-load speed; the percussion tool being the sensor is a rotational speed sensor for detecting motor speed and wherein the motor characteristic is the motor speed, and in that while in the loaded condition, the electronic processor is further configured to: detect, using the rotational speed sensor, motor speed; and determine whether the motor speed satisfies a load condition speed threshold, wherein determining that the percussion tool remains in the loaded condition includes determining that the motor speed does not satisfy the load condition speed threshold, and wherein determining that the percussion tool is in the no-load condition includes determining that the motor speed satisfies the load condition speed threshold. detect, using the rotational speed sensor, motor speed; and determine whether the motor speed satisfies a load condition speed threshold, wherein determining that the percussion tool remains in the loaded condition includes determining that the motor speed does not satisfy the load condition speed threshold, and wherein determining that the percussion tool is in the no-load condition includes determining that the motor speed satisfies the load condition speed threshold.