Happy Father's Day! (Or, Lawnmower Envy Hits The Burbs)
Behold the Cub Cadet i1000 Series Zero Turn Lawn Tractor, featuring 25 Horsepower Kohler Courage V-Twin OHV Engine. At $3,799, it's one of the cheaper zero turn mowers out there. Credit: CubCadet.com hide caption
For some it's an iPhone, for others it's those flip-flops with the bottle openers on the bottoms, but all of us in this consumer culture want something. And with Father's Day coming up, you're probably wondering what your dad craves. Well, if he's like a lot of folks who do their own lawnmowing, he wants a zero turn radius lawnmower. They're the Viking grills of lawncare, and sales are going through the roof. But what exactly sets a zero turn mower apart, and how did they become so popular? Alison spoke to Roy Berendsohn, Senior Home Editor of Popular Mechanics, about the phenomenon. (If you want to see a zero turn mower in action, check out this video.)
And just in case a zero turn mower is out of your price range, we asked Roy for a few other Father's Day gift ideas. Here's what he recommends:
1. Milwaukee Super Sawzall with a rotating rear handle. Cuts anything from a tree root for that shrub he wants to remove to old plumbing and lumber for that bathroom remodeling job that he's been putting off. It's the ultimate demolition and remodeling tool.
2. If you don't want to spend a fortune, try giving Dad a nice set of drill bits. Don't laugh. He'll probably love them. I bet his bits are shot (ahem). I have a set of these bits by Irwin Industrial Tools. They're great.
3. Is Dad a gardener? Thirty years ago, I bought my dad a Blue Ensign Rhododendron. He said it was one of the nicest Father's Day gifts he ever received.
For more gift options, check out the Popular Mechanics Editor's Choice Award winners. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!