If you want to reach home building contractors (despite their gloomy economic outlook), the International Builders Show delivers. From the IBS coverage round up we found we picked out these tools that debuted at the 2009 International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas.

1) Festool’s $500 T12+3 and T15+3 Lithium Ion Cordless Drills

They beep at you when over loaded or the battery’s low. They feature brushless motors. They have interchangeable chucks (standard, right angle and eccentric). They start at $500. $500. For cordless drills. Unless they come with GPS tracking my gut tells me we won’t be seeing many of these showing up on theft-prone jobsites where contractors use HF tools on purpose ;)
Live from the International Builders’ Show: Festool Introduces Line of Smart Drills that Perform Big

also see: Festool Increases Price of Products by $6339.99
Best of the Fest: The Top 5 Festool Tools

2) “Modular” Tool Belt

“All pieces are made with rugged leather, ballistic nylon and quality construction, and are interchangeable so you can customize your tool belt to fit the project or specific need. Don’t need the drill anymore? Fine, unclip the holder and swap it for the beverage holder instead. Smart.”
Live from the International Builders’ Show: New Iron Dog Tool Gear Offers Functionality and Extreme Quality

3) Generac Goes Portable

“Features include utility quality electrical output, low-oil pressure protection, circuit breaker protected outlets, and easy-to-use controls.”
Live from the International Builders’ Show: Portable Power from Generac

4) Recip Saw Scraper Attachment

“Once attached, the 4-inch wide blade makes quick work of laminate flooring, grease, paint, wallpaper and pretty much anything that you would normally try to scrape off with a putty knife or other hand-held scraper. It can be re-sharpened and is priced at $12.99.”

Live from the International Builders’ Show: New Scraping Tool Makes Quick Work of Any Job

5) Faster, Cleaner Drywall Cuts

“If the tool works as designed, you should be able to avoid common drywall missteps, including torn paper and wandering cutlines, not to mention injuries. It should also eliminate the time wasted scoring both sides of a sheet of drywall and smoothing rough edges. The Blade Runner accepts the end of a tape measure (shown) so you can make straight cuts without marking them in advance.”
International Builders’ Show Product Preview: Blade Runner Drywall Cutter

LOTS more International Builder Show coverage at this post: Mean, Green and Lean: International Builders Show 2009 Round Up