I know I would not mind if I were the dad in your situation to be taken to the store and told to pick out the trimmer I wanted. I would ask how much is set aside and go from there. If that is not possible than a certificate saying pick a trimmer of your choice and let's buy it today. Some possibilities to avoid the dreaded "that is not the one I wanted" scenario" :). All good questions above. Price will determine alot. I think the best all around trimmer/brushcutters are in the $3-400 range with $400 being high. You can get a really nice trimmer in the $200 range though. It is really a question of what exactly is needed and how much you want to spend. Your dad may have a preference for makers. I personally like the Stihl and Echo for ease of availability. The Kawasaki's I know nothing about and I stay away from currentl Homelite products although the older Homelite equipment was really good from what I have read. How old or how to spot them I don't know. I prefer straight shaft and a good harness. Cutting heads can be a personal preference. I like the bump and go, some like the quick insert and some like the fixed plastic blades. At the 3-400 price level, I am not concerned about the 2 vs 4-mix debate. The 4-mix's are young but have good reviews so far. Your dad could probably do okay with a good consumer grade trimmer with a flexible shaft. A solid shaft will be more expensive but will better handle brushcutting. I don't have much need for attachments but they make the units more expensive. I did the "cost analysis" of those models and it seemed that they did not pay for themselves until you bought 3 useful attachments. I could see the mini-tiller but an edger was really not necessary for me. A pole saw, maybe. Just little things that I could not really get alot of use from. All really good questions. Alot of the answers will be personal preference. Best of luck with getting your dad to smile on his bday.

My SD called and wished me a Happy Mothers Day. I was very touched because we have had a rough time of it. My SS did not, but I decided not to worry about it. My kids bought me a flower and a card for the 1st time. They are 16 and 11. They were with their Dad, but came to spend the day with me. My Ex never reminds them or offers to take them shopping, so I was so surprised that I received anything this year. My 11 yr old even told me that he spent his own money on the flower!!! I was very happy just to spend the day with them.

I’d say yes. A gesture of solidarity. If you’re thinking in these terms, it appears family relation of extended family is good. You are lucky and any action towards preserving harmony is a good move.

In the pre-covid days I hosted major holidays and my brother took Father's Day. I take care of Dad's groceries, meds, some bills, and generally boss him around (according to him). I was at his place Friday to take delivery of his gift--new lift chair, since old chair broke just in time for FD. My DD lured him out to the back porch on the pretext of showing him an update on his cell phone, so I could let in the (masked) delivery guys. I was cleaning house, and wiped down chair control and door knobs. Dad was still on the porch when we left. We pulled off the surprise!! 😁 My brother was visiting with him when I called this morning, but I will stay home today. We lost my DFIL in early March--due to his health issues I had spent spent a couple of days each week taking him to health care visits, and I miss him this year. My kids who don't live here usually call me on FD, since they lost their Dad. Today is my younger grandson's 4th BD, so we are celebrating a different occasion. Happy Father's Day to all dads!