Power tool with transmission cassette received in clam shell housing

A power tool comprising:

• a housing having a pair of mating housing shells that cooperate to define a handle and a pair of first mounts, each of the first mounts comprising a pair of circumferentially spaced-apart ribs, wherein at least one of the circumferentially-spaced apart ribs is contoured to define a notch;
• a motor received in the housing shells, the motor having an output shaft;
• a trigger coupled to the housing shells and configured to control operation of the motor;
• an output spindle;
• and
• a transmission assembly having a transmission sleeve, a multi-speed reduction gearset, a first thrust washer and a second thrust washer, the transmission sleeve having a pair of second mounts, each of the second mounts comprising a boss that is configured to be received in an associated one of the notches between a corresponding pair of the circumferentially-spaced apart ribs to thereby inhibit axial and rotational movement of the transmission sleeve relative to the housing, the multi-speed reduction gearset being received in the transmission sleeve and transmitting rotary power between the motor and the output spindle, the multi-speed reduction gearset having an input pinion that is mounted on the output shaft of the motor, the first thrust washer being fixedly coupled to the transmission sleeve and comprising a first body with a first aperture through which the motor output shaft and the input pinion are received, the second thrust washer being fixedly coupled to the transmission sleeve on an end opposite the first thrust washer, the second thrust washer having a second body with a second aperture through which the output spindle is received;
• wherein the first thrust washer is not press-fit to the transmission sleeve.

A method for forming a power tool comprising:

• providing a first housing shell, the first housing shell having a first mount comprising a first pair of circumferentially spaced-apart ribs, wherein one of the ribs of the first pair of circumferentially-spaced apart ribs is contoured to define a notch;
• providing a transmission assembly having a transmission sleeve, a multi-speed reduction gearset, a first thrust washer and a second thrust washer, the transmission sleeve having a pair of second mounts, each of the second mounts comprising a boss, the multi-speed reduction gearset being received in the transmission sleeve, the first thrust washer being fixedly coupled to the transmission sleeve and comprising a first body with a first aperture, the second thrust washer being fixedly coupled to the transmission sleeve on an end opposite the first thrust washer, the second thrust washer having a second body with a second aperture;
• and
• mounting the transmission assembly to the first housing shell such that one of the bosses on the transmission sleeved is received in the notch to axially and radially align the transmission assembly to the first housing shell.