There is definitely something primal about giving a tool to your dad for Father’s Day. It doesn’t have to be a hammer or circular saw to get the job done either. The way I figure it, as long as it helps to get something done or makes his life just a little bit easier, you are good to go.
This year at BG we offer up ten tools that will make your old man remember why he’s actually thankful that the condom broke all those years ago.
Black & Decker® SmartSelect™ Cordless Drill
This one is a no-brainer, literally. The innovators at Black & Decker have truly added something different and useful to the power tools market with this bad boy. Sporting their new SmartSelect technology, this cordless drill will automatically adjust its speed and torque settings based on the application. All dad needs to do is turn the easy-to-read dial on the side (it even has pictures) to match his job and viola. Your dad will love the flexibility and power and you’ll love the fact that you can borrow it any time. Available in 12V, 14.4V, and 18V models.
www.blackanddecker.com
18V model: $79.99
Swiss Army® Swisscard
I don’t think any tools guide would be complete without throwing in a bit of Swiss Army. As part of their 125th anniversary collection, the Swiss Army Swisscard is more than a tool - it’s your chance to give your dad a piece of history. This little workhorse is packed with nine different tools: a letter opening blade, scissors, straight pin, nail file with screwdriver, tweezers, toothpick, ruler (English and metric) and a pressurized ballpoint pen. It's about the size of a credit card so it won’t give your dad sciatica when he crams it in his back pocket.
www.swissarmy.com
$65.00
Garden Groom Pro Rotary Hedge Trimmer
This little baby does for hedges what the Dyson did for carpet. Created in England, the Garden Groom is the world’s only rotary blade electric hedge trimmer. Spinning a 12” blade at 2700 RPMs, it cuts and shreds to make clipping disposal even easier. It's powered by a 500W electric motor that will let your dad rip through branches up to 3/4” in diameter and the clippings are collected in the attached receptacle. If he has bigger bush to manage (and who doesn’t?), it also comes with a detachable collection bag that holds 700 sq ft of shredded shrub. And don’t worry
- a metal guard protects the blades so you won’t have to worry about pop’s fingers becoming part of the mulch pile.
www.hammacher.com
$199.95
Stanley 55-099 Fubar™
This one is worth it just for the name alone – and, yeah, they trademarked it. The Stanley 55-099 FatMax® Xtreme™ Fubar™ Functional Utility Bar is the most badass utility bar that your dad will ever own. This thing is straight Mad Max and will no doubt become an indispensable part of your old man’s arsenal for years to come. So what does it do? It’s a 4-in-1 tool for prying, splitting, board bending and striking jobs. It has two-tiered jaws for grabbing common dimensional lumber & decking and a beveled nail slot for pulling & prying nails. Nothing says, “I love you dad” like a piece of cold, hard Fubar.
www.stanleytools.com
$39.90
Swiss Tech BodyGard® 7-in-1 Emergency Tool
Are you as worried about your dad crashing his car into a water-filled ravine and drowning needlessly as I am? Well the guys at Swiss Tech want to make sure it doesn’t happen, with their new 7-in-1 Emergency Preparedness Tool called the BodyGard. This chrome-plated beauty will give your dad all he needs to escape his car as it quickly fills with water, including a spring-loaded glass breaker and seat-belt cutting blade. It’s also great for those drier emergencies where things like a sonic alarm, flashlight, and tire pressure gauge will come in handy. Small enough to fit on your dad’s key ring, he shouldn’t leave home without it.
www.swisstechtools.com
$29.99
Leatherman® Skeletool® CX
When I saw the Skeletool by Leatherman I imagined that this is what it must be like when H.R. Giger (Google him) is asked to design a Swiss Army knife. Your dad will dig the DLC-coated stainless steel handle with an almost indestructible carbon fiber insert. This great gift takes the bare necessities from the Leatherman multi-tool and presents them in stripped-down style. With a 154CM combo stainless steel blade, pliers, bit driver, pocket clip and carabiner/bottle opener, you're set. Lightweight (a miniscule 5oz), low volume, perfect size. The Skeletool CX is a great example of the less is more mentality.
www.leatherman.com
$102.00
C.H. Hanson Precision Ball Level
Want something to help keep your dad on the level? OK, that was pretty bad, but you have got to see this step change in level technology that is sure to hit the mark with dad. The Precision Ball Level from C.H. Hanson is touted as the first quick-read, multi-plane, multi-use level. I don’t care what they call it - all I know is that it is damn cool. It uses a 360° precision cast aviation ball instead of the bubble in water most of us are used to. This is the same technology being used by pilots all over the world. This level lets you easily measure if a surface is level or plumb with a quick glance at the crosshairs on the ball and it’s the only level on the market that lets you measure angles and pitches.
www.chhanson.com
$50.00
Friendly Robotics™ Robomow® RL1000
This is definitely in the category of gifts for the dad that has everything (including a son with tons of coin). The Robomow RL1000 is brought to you by the same people that make the Roomba robotic sweepers. The Robomow® RL1000 is an automatic lawnmower that cuts the grass all by itself. After your dad sets up its weekly program, it will depart from its Base Station at the pre-set scheduled days and times. At the end of each operation it returns for charging until the next scheduled operation. It comes with a 21” mowing deck, built-in theft protection, and even has a manual mode. (Though I'm not really sure why.)
www.friendlyrobotics.com
$2,500
HK1 Hydrokinetic Adjustable Wrench
I am not even sure I really understand how this one works, but it is definitely high on the hip factor. This is the world’s first liquid core adjustable wrench, and it will virtually replace every socket and wrench your dad owns. Talk about a space saver, this little gizmo can adjust to over 23 different standard and metric sizes.To adjust the HK1, just open the valve, fit it around the nut or bolt of your choice and push the gripper on the opposite end. It will compress the internal liquid, which will, in turn, push the gripper on the end you want. Once it's snug against the nut (just like we like it), close the valve and the wrench is locked into position. This is a truly original idea and those are pretty damn hard to come by.
www.expeditiontools.com
$25.00