Patent ID: 7452304

Claim:
A portable power tool comprising: a housing assembly with a first housing shell and a second housing shell; a motor received in the housing assembly; an output spindle assembly having a housing portion and an output member that is rotatably supported in the housing portion, the housing portion being removably coupled to the first and second housing shells; and a transmission assembly having a transmission and a speed selector, the transmission coupling the motor and the output member, the transmission including a plurality of planetary transmission stages, the speed selector having only one switch member and an actuator, the only one switch member forming a portion of an exterior of the portable power tool and being slidably movable between a first position, a second position and a third position, the actuator coupling the only one switch member and the transmission, the actuator being movable in response to movement of the only one switch member to cause the transmission to operate in a first speed reduction ratio when the only one switch member is disposed in the first position, a second speed reduction ratio when the only one switch member is disposed in the second position and a third speed reduction ratio when the only one switch member is disposed in the third position; wherein at least three of the planetary transmission stages are operated in an active mode for performing a speed reduction and torque multiplication operation in at least one of the speed reduction ratios.