A combustion-powered placing tool for driving fastening elements into a subsurface comprises a main combustion chamber for a compressible fuel, a driving piston, which in a starting position is retracted, and which can be driven from the main combustion chamber in the placing direction via expandable gases, a prechamber to which an ignition device is assigned, and in which a pressure acting upon the main combustion chamber can be build up prior to ignition of a fuel-air mixture in the main combustion chamber, wherein an additional ignition device is assigned to the main combustion chamber. In order to improve the effectiveness and/or the functionality during driving-in of a fastener, the placing tool comprises a selector device, allowing a selection between a reduced energy operation having an ignition in the main combustion chamber and a high-energy operation having an ignition in the prechamber.