Last Minute Father's Day Gifts

More Father's Day Tool Gift Suggestions

Continued from Part 1 of Father's Day Gift Ideas

...from the eyes of a real life handyman:

#11: Pressure Washer:
Dad may not readily admit it but he's always wanted one of these. Imagine a toy water spray gun but with 10x the water force of the average garden hose pressurized by either an electric or gas pump. No better way to blow gunk and oil spots off a driveway or the side of a house, clean a window 40' up off the ground or blast those dead bugs off your car windshield for the ultimate car wash. Aaargh! Not for the faint at heart but will definitely be used by Dad if he has one as I do. Electric units are smaller and less powerful than the bulkier gas engine units, but may have plenty of juice for blasting jobs around the house. Of course, if Dad has always dreamed of starting a graffiti removal business, then bigger is better. ($150 - $800)

#12: Work Bench:
Sometimes Dad just needs his own space where he makes the rules and stuff stays where he left it. A sturdy workbench tucked in the garage or the backyard can become that refuge. With the variety of sizes, capabilities and materials available, Dad might just follow through with those home repairs which require space and solitude for serious tinkering. Some inexpensive composite versions for garage or outdoors are surprisingly flexible, lightweight and can include optional locking weatherproof storage and plenty of gadget attachments. ($100 - $600)

#13: Rolling Tool Cabinet:
This may be the king of Dad's treasures. A place to store, preserve, display and admire the hand tools and gadgets which he's been collecting and lovingly operating for years past and yet to come. Never to be embarrassingly hidden or pushed into a lowly corner of the garage, this shrine houses practicality and pride, muscle and mechanism, beauty and brute. Obviously this one will be around for a while so use care to shop around for a quality, sturdy, attractive unit that you'd be proud to have in your living room if need be. ($300 - $1500)

#14: Gift Card:
A gift certificate from Mr. Handyman may be your last resort due to time and location limitations. Not bad if you take a little time to make it special and personal. Definitely a card or note to holster it and how about a follow up call a week later to see what he bought and how he's enjoying it. In this modern day of texting, IMing, EMing and VMing, let's try to give the special people in our lives a little personal and special time. ($50 - $∞)

I must, of course, throw in a few presumptions and caveats based upon variances among people types, life situations and just outright personal preferences:

a) I presume that Dad already has the basics like tape measure, hammer, fastener & anchor assortment, adhesive tapes (yes, including duct), hand saw, screwdrivers, chisels, saw horses, pry bar, brushes, rags, etc. If he's new to tools, then some quality basics as listed here might just be a good start.

b) My intention here is not to advertise or promote any specific brand. However, some of the pictures may be from a particular manufacturer as they were readily available, and to the best of my knowledge, had no copyright restriction issues and are intended as a reference guide only. I am allowing that you take the time to do your own personalized research online, at a local hardware center, or through personal recommendations; hence, there are no hyperlinks to any store or web site when you click on pictures.

c) Generally my personal desire is to buy the best quality tool I can afford based upon overall safety, comfort, job requirements and frequency of use. However, we live in a time of real financial choices, restraints and limitations so the dollar figures I have included reflect a general price range for what you can expect to pay for average mid range quality of items. Pro level industrial duty tools can cost 5x-10x my estimates, so were excluded due to my list being compiled for reasonable, interesting, and useful gift purchases.

d) I often meet clients who tried to "do-it-themselves" and are now left with what seems a larger, even worse project than when they started. I believe there is no shame in asking a Mr. Handyman, like myself, for advice and help in completing a task which looked easy on paper or on a home improvement TV show. Quite honestly, I applaud anyone for the courage and inventiveness they show when tackling repair projects that sometimes challenge even me.