- 92% of British survey participants were only able to name 4 of 15 handyman tools correctly
- Callipers are the most difficult tool for Brits to name (less than 1% answered correctly)
- Chainsaws, hammers, and screwdrivers among most recognisable handyman tools for Brits (100% correct answers)
- Men were able to name more tools than women on average (women were right 2% of the time while men named the correct tool 6% of the time)
- 3% of respondents weren’t able to name a drill when shown a picture of one
Tradespeople directory MyJobQuote.co.uk has surveyed 1,073 UK residents in order to determine what percentage of Brits can name a variety of handyman tools.
92% of respondents were only able to name 4 tools out of 15.
Only 2% managed to name more than 10 of 15.
THE MOST DIFFICULT TOOLS TO NAME WERE:
- Calliper (less than 1%)
- Bench vise (1%)
- Stud finder (less than 2%)
- Bar clamp (2%)
THE MOST RECOGNISABLE TOOLS WERE:
- Chainsaw (100% of respondents)
- Hammer (100% of respondents)
- Screwdriver (100% of respondents)
- Drill (97% of respondents)
MEN VS WOMEN
Men generally had an easier time naming the tools compared to women. While women were only able to come up with the correct name 2% of the time on average, men boasted a slightly higher percentage: 6%.
Apart from the chainsaw, hammer and screwdriver, the tools which men most identified were the drill (99%) and the wrench (88%). Women were most familiar with the same two tools: the drill (95%) and the wrench (62%).
When it comes to the most unfamiliar tools, differences between the two sexes begin to show. The four tools which were least recognisable (calliper, bench vise, stud finder, bar clamp) were all named by male respondents. The average age of these respondents was 65. Furthermore, while 80% of men correctly named the sledgehammer, only 50% of women managed to do the same. 42% of men correctly named the rotary tool, while only 20% of women did the same.
HANDYMAN TOOLS AND GOOGLE UK SEARCH TRENDS
“How to take reading on a Vernier calliper?” is the most searched for calliper question on Google. With so few people being able to even recognise the tool, one would expect the question to only rack up approximately 40 searches per month.
50 Brits asked Google what a bench vise was last month.
The most asked stud finder question is “How to use a stud finder?” (140 searches/month). “What is a stud finder?” comes in a close second with 110 searches/month.
Much fewer people seem to be interested in bar clamps though. The most Googled question relating to this tool was “how to make bar clamps?” (30 searches/month), with “what is a bar clamp used for?” coming in a close second (20 searches/month).
When it comes to the tools Brits are most familiar with, questions vary quite a lot:
“How to sharpen a chainsaw?” 1,300 searches/month
“How to use a chainsaw?” 390 searches/month
“How to care for a hammer?” 90 searches/month
“How much is a hammer?” 90 searches/month
“How to drill into brick?” 720 searches/month
“How to drill through tile?” 480 searches/month
“How to use a drill?” 390 searches/month
As for screwdrivers, most would like to know if there is any way they could remove different types of screws without using this tool. “How to unscrew a screw without a screwdriver?” gets 100 hits per month on Google, while “how to remove torx screws without a screwdriver?” sees 110 searches per month.
Many Brits need pointers on how to draw common handyman tools. 110 look to Google for pointers on how to draw a hammer, while 90 search for an answer to the question “how to draw a screwdriver?” on a monthly basis.
Full survey results:
| Tool Name | Correct Answer (%) |
| Chainsaw | 100 |
| Hammer | 100 |
| Screwdriver | 100 |
| Drill | 97 |
| Wrench | 75 |
| Multitool | 72 |
| Sledgehammer | 65 |
| Level | 53 |
| Rotary tool | 31 |
| Hacksaw | 12 |
| Jigsaw | 9 |
| Bar clamp | 2 |
| Stud finder | >2 |
| Bench wise | 1 |
| Calliper | >1 |