I bet that a lot of tools have been good for productivity, but that the additional drag over the years has more than soaked it up. But I do think you've hit the

I bet that a lot of tools have been good for productivity, but that the additional drag over the years has more than soaked it up. But I do think you've hit the nail on the head (har har) of the class of tools that have been the most beneficial: small-to-medium power tools. Modern angle grinders with dust collection systems, cordless track saws, torque-controlled drills with tool-free chucks, the PEX plumbing ecosystem, 3-plane self-leveling laser projectors, brushless demolition hammers, etc. All this stuff is great. In practice I think modern construction is (by time) about 70% paperwork, 20% pipeline stalls while waiting for some tradesperson to show up, and 10% actual work happening. Or at least that's been my less-than-deluxe experience.