LOCKDOWN DIY: 73% OF DON’T KNOW WHAT THIS BASIC TOOL IS

• Google searches asking whether DIY stores are open during lockdown have increased by 1000%
• Millennials could not name 8 out of 15 tools on average
• Shockingly, 73% of millennial Brits can’t identify a level
• Other surprising entries for the least most recognisable tools include hacksaw, wrench and wood chisel
• Bench wise and callipers are the most difficult tool for Brits to name
• Chainsaws, hammers, and screwdrivers among most recognisable handyman tools for Brits
• Men can identify more tools than women on average (women were right 2% of the time while men named the correct tool 6% of the time)

The UK is officially under lockdown, which means people will have more time on their hands for the foreseeable future.

Naturally, Brits will be tending to household jobs that they have been putting off for some time such as fixing a broken shelf or adding a new bathroom lock. Whatever it is, the next few weeks will determine just how DIY savvy Brits truly are.

Tradesmen directory MyJobQuote.co.uk wanted to assess just how uneasy British millennials feel with the prospect of having to do their own DIY jobs. MyJobQuote looked at Google Trends over the last seven days to find out which search terms have increased the most.

Unsurprisingly, ‘Any DIY shops open’ has had the most searches on Google, experiencing a staggering +1000% increase.

Other notable Google Trends Brits have queried over the last seven days include:

• ‘B&Q click and collect’ = +950%
• ‘Any DIY shops open today’ = +750%
• ‘DIY stores open near me’ = +650%

To further complement the findings, MyJobQuote surveyed 1073 British millennials to determine how many basic handyman tools they can name as they begin to task themselves with DIY jobs.

From the 1,073 surveyed, millennials on average could not name 8 out of 15 tools.

the most difficult tools Millennials couldn’t name were:

• Bench Wise – 98%
• Calliper – 94%
• Bar Clamp – 89%
• Jigsaw – 88%
• Industrial Shears – 86%

surprising tools millennials couldn’t name were:

• Wood Chisel – 82%
• Level – 73%
• Hacksaw – 65%
• Wrench – 60%

THE MOST RECOGNISABLE TOOLS WERE:

• Chainsaw – 100%
• Hammer – 100%
• Screwdriver – 100%
• Drill – 3%
• Wire Cutters – 15%

MEN VS WOMEN

Men were able to name more tools than 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 men and women were able to identify most were the drill (99% men, 95% women) and the wrench (88% men, 62% women).

When it comes to the most unfamiliar tools, differences between the two sexes begin to show. The four tools which were least recognisable (bench wise, calliper, bar clamp and jigsaw) 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. 

Full survey results:

Notes to editors: We really hope you find this release useful. If you do end up using it, we would very much appreciate a link https://www.myjobquote.co.uk/ who commissioned the data. A link credit allows us to keep supplying you with future content that you may find useful.