Trigger lock-on lock-off mechanism

A power tool comprising:

• a housing;
• a motor disposed in an interior portion of the housing;
• a working element selectively driven by the motor;
• a trigger having an aperture in an internal portion thereof, the trigger being moveable in a first direction to move the trigger to an ON position, the trigger being movable in a second direction to move the trigger to an OFF position;
• an electrical switch selectively activated by movement of the trigger between the ON and OFF positions to turn the motor ON and OFF;
• and
• a locking mechanism moveable by the user in a third direction to unlock the trigger from the OFF position and being moveable by the user an additional distance in the third direction to position a portion of the locking mechanism in the aperture to lock the trigger in the ON position.

A method of locking a trigger for a power tool in an ON position comprising:

• providing a trigger having an aperture in an internal portion thereof, the trigger being movable in a first direction to move the trigger to the ON position and in a second direction to move the trigger to the OFF position;
• moving a locking mechanism in a third direction to unlock the trigger from the off position;
• moving the trigger in the first direction to place the trigger in the ON position;
• holding the trigger in the ON position;
• moving the locking mechanism an additional distance in the third direction to place the locking mechanism in a locked-on position;
• holding the locking mechanism in the locked-on position;
• and
• releasing the trigger and the locking mechanism so that the locking mechanism holds the trigger in the ON position.