In a hydraulic drive of a tool, a piston is adapted to be acted upon by a pump via a pressure limiting seat valve and a parallel switching seat valve of a valve arrangement. A restriction is provided in a pressure line upstream of the pressure limiting seat valve which is connected to a tank on the flow-off side. A drain line leads from a working chamber of the piston via the switching seat valve to the tank. A closing side is adapted to be acted upon by pressure and an opening side is adapted to be acted upon by a force generated when the pressure limiting seat valve responds. The pump is adapted to be switched off when the maximum operating pressure has been reached, so that the piston will execute a return stroke. A pressure-increasing restriction is provided on the flow-off side of the pressure limiting seat valve.