I'm not versed in coding nor the creation of mods, but just curious if it'd be easier to just auto-unlock the mansion upgrade which negates tool specificity. Might that possibly even make it less likely to cause problems with older game versions?
Sounds like the player wouldn't have to bother un-equipping tools for the mod behavior to take effect this way too.
Viewing post in Mod: Automatic Tool Equip (ATE)
Unlocking the mansion upgrade ought to be simple enough, but the effect it provides covers only dungeons and one-time tasks. For those who gather resources from the mansion and villages instead, the upgrade does not truly support their use case - especially in the early game, as workers are constantly shuffled around.
Admittedly, I also dislike the upgrade at a conceptual level: it eliminates the need to build and manage different kinds of tools, deciding where to invest your limited resources to gain the most benefit. In terms of role play, I also prefer the idea of "stocking the workshop" and letting my workers choose their tools themselves, as opposed to creating a universal multi tool for everyone to use.