by Gregg Wartgow, associate publisher and editor in chief of Green Industry Pros magazine.
With Father’s Day fast approaching, my mind
immediately reflects on a lifetime of struggling to find the right Father’s Day
gift for my dad. He’s always been a blue-collar guy who doesn’t golf or travel.
He works, works some more, then comes home and works around the house on the
weekend. For my dad, like so many dads out there, another Packer’s shirt or
necktie falls pretty flat at the gift-giving ceremony.
You know what would make for a fantastic gift for a
lot of dads out there? A new piece of lawn equipment. There are several
emerging trends in the landscaping industry right now that have led to
countless new product introductions. The neat thing is that many of these
advances in product design have made it more feasible for the average homeowner
to put his hands on a quality product without having to take out a second
mortgage.
Here are some Father’s Day gift ideas based on the
most-popular products being researched at our website’s online product guide.


Just like the pros use. Then again, if your dad is a traditionalist and would
just as soon work with a gas-powered trimmer, hedgetrimmer of leaf blower,
there are many “prosumer” models available for a good price. By “prosumer” I
mean product that’s designed for everyday homeowner consumers, but features
commercial-duty performance in many respects. You’ll only find these
high-quality products at independent servicing dealerships.
Mowers. Speaking
of prosumers, zero-turn riding mowers have officially become main-stream.
Prices have also really come down. A time-saving, well-made zero-turn can be
had for $2,000 to $3,000 these days. Wait … that’s a pretty expensive Father’s
Day gift, right?! Well, if that’s the case, get together with other family
members and go in on it together. Dad will totally thank you, especially as he
gets older and things like speed and comfort become more important to him when
doing yard work.
Hopefully some of these ideas help to get your wheels
turning as you shop for the perfect Father’s Day gift this spring. If not, you
could always get Dad another necktie. After all, he’ll need something to wipe
the dirt and grease off of his hands when he’s working out in the yard this
summer.