Abstract: A work apparatus has a gear unit which is arranged in a gear housing. The gear unit includes a drive part arranged in a first housing part of the gear housing and an output part arranged in a second housing part. The two housing parts are connected to each other via a pivot joint which permits pivoting of the second housing relative to the first housing part about a pivot axis. The pivot joint has a clamping device for bracing the two housing parts in the direction of the pivot axis. The force exerted with the clamping device on the two housing parts is adjustable via a clamping element. To avoid loosening or releasing of the clamping device even after frequent pivoting, the clamping element moves during clamping in the direction of a clamping axis which encloses an angle ? which is more than 10° with the pivot axis.