Whether a builder does or does not use a tension meter isn't a good way to gauge his skill. Many of the most skilled and experienced builders live without tension meters, because they started before these were common, and still have the calibrated feel to continue without.

Consider an analogy to pilots. Who would you rather have in the cockpit? An old hand that flew before planes were as instrumented as much as they are today, and can still fly "by the seat of his pants", or someone who started flying after planes became as smart as today's planes. If all goes right, it won't make a difference, but if something goes wrong, experience tells, and there's no substitute for it.

I don't know the players, or their skills, so a change may be indicated, but look for skill, and not ownership of tools.