Although it is skill and not tools that matters most, few contractors will deny that having the right tool often means the difference between making a profit or not. But with manufacturers busily introducing new tools, and builders finding new ways to use the old ones, it is not always clear which is the "right tool." Last August, to find out which tools are being used in the field and in what ways, we went to the best source we know — our readers. The tool surveys were sent to 750 randomly chosen readers and were returned by 176. The 23% response, considered outstanding for any survey, says in itself that the builders
