I've got the necessary skills and I'm much too bourgeois to be seen with a mere watering can. Nothing against the lesser implement, but both serve the same purpose. Toolbox space is much too valuable to be used on redundancy. Thanks!
I agree that it seems weird that street projects require high-level skills to be done with basic tools. I am guessing that this is because basic tools break more quickly, which allows other players a chance to contribute some work units while you repair the tools.
Until this changes, I plan to pack some basic tools to take with me to street projects along with my better / sturdier upgraded tool set.