TLDR version:
Tools/Workshops made from certain materials should get bonuses to speed, Fishing needs its own tool, Toolboxes allow non-tool jobs to have use tools to speed up work.
Tools work faster depending on quality, certain jobs can have a toolbox created for them but are not required (IE: Carpentry, Masonry etc.) and they will work at a base rate without one but at an advanced rate with one.
Certain professions (Mining/Woodcutting) would have a base rate that is just where the miner/woodcutter will pick up a rock or something nearby that is relatively hard, hit a tree a couple million times or a cliff face, and then chop it down or mine it. For Miners and Woodcutters this base speed is terribly slow, so its suggested that asap you get yourself a nice pickaxe.
Note these Speed Rates are using modifications I've done to my own files, the ones followed by a number that's the full amount (IE: 60 (+60)) are ones i've added, feel free to ignore them, the others show minor tweaks due to my OCD on intervals of 2/5.
Tool Speed Bonuses/Rates
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Tin: 45% (+45)
Silver: 50% (+50)
Zinc: 55% (+55)
Gold: 60% (+60)
Copper: 65% (-1)
Nickel: 70% (+70)
Brass: 72% (+72)
Bronze: 75%
Bismuth Bronze: 80% (+5)
Nickel: 90%
Iron: 100%
Steel: 133%
Platinum: 250% (+250)
Adamantium: 500%
Tools affected/added by these changes:
Pickaxe
The Pickaxe will mine faster the more powerful the tool you have, current mining rates may have to be slightly modified to balance this out.
Axe
The Axe will chop lumber faster the more powerful the tool you have, Adamantium Axes make you chop lumber so fast every Elf on the face of Ishgabalgure will explode.
Fishing Spear
As Dorfs think that waiting for fish to come to you is a wimpy way of doing it, they have spears. Base fishing still uses their beards to filter fish, but spears allow them to chase down the bastards and catch them. The more powerful the spear the fast the Dwarf can catch his prey.
Toolboxes
These fun little boxes are created by a metalsmith and are used to speed up the jobs some of your dwarfs do. Certain jobs work faster depending on the material used to construct the workshop (Mason Workshop and Carpenter's Workshop are good examples) however if they go construct something like walls or something else none-workshop created they will use their toolboxes.
Professions Affected by Toolboxes: Mason, Engraver, Carpenter, Grower, Herbalist, Milker, Mechanic
Notes: This post was written in notepad before hand, also the search function was used and I do see that there are other posts about this subject, I've taken some ideas from a lot of them to compound into one solid suggestion. The thing is that through this suggestion there will be no more complication or such because you can continue playing your old way and have no loss or gain from it essentially, but if you want to craft those Adamantium Carpenter Tools so your carpenter can construct barrels by the thousands than so be it.