The invention relates to a handheld power tool having a linear actuator (10) and a movable member (25), e.g. a blade, wherein the movable member (25) is directly connected to the actuator via a connecting rod (70), which pushes the movable member during a work stroke and pulls the movable member to a starting position during a return stroke. One end of the connected rod (70) is connected, via a concentric dual ball-and-socket joint, to the actuator as well as to a guide ring (80) that slides inside the cylindrical body (38) of the tool. Due to the arrangement of the invention, lateral and bending forces are taken up and transmitted to the body of the tool by the guide ring (80) without affecting the actuator. The ring (80) defines a sealed space that houses the actuator (10). An axial cavity of the connecting rod (70) partially houses the actuator (10) in the retracted position, thus reducing the length of the tool.
