The blue collar Father's Day gift guide

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John Biggs ran his Father’s Day gift guide yesterday, but each one of his items cost well over a hundred dollars. I don’t have that kind of cash and to be honest, my Dad wouldn’t use any of those gadgets anyway. So here’s a Father’s Day gift guide for the working dad with items everyone can afford. Let’s get to it.

ultikey

The Swiss+Tech Utili-Key is one of the most handy tools ever made. It’s a popular multitool with the CrunchGear staff and is cheap at $11. It has everything on it: a knife, screwdrivers, bottle opener. Best of all it snaps right onto a keyring and blends in with other keys. Just don’t forget to take it off when going through security. Devin cried a little when TSA confiscated his.ryobi1

Tool bags are the new tool boxes. They weigh less and can take more abuse. If your pop is a handyman, look for an open mouth bag. This way he can access tools quickly when fixing a leaky facet or installing a new door knob. This Ryobi Tool Bag from Home Depot is a great deal at $20.

maglite1

Every home needs a Maglite. If not for when the power goes out, to knock-out intruders. Get him one of the new LED models. They cost a bit more, but are brighter and the batteries last a lot longer. Get Dad this 3 D-Cell model at Walmart for $33.88.

baseball

You could always take Dad to a baseball game. Don’t worry about getting tickets right behind home plate. Sit with the real fans in the cheap seats. It doesn’t really matter if the tickets are to a Major League ballpark. Sometimes the minors are more fun anyway. Tickets start around $10 at many parks including the new Yankee Stadium via StubHub.com.

srf-m37w

Chances are that you Dad doesn’t care about satellite radio, MPwhatnot, or HD Radio. If he’s anything like my dad, he just wants to listen to 760 AM WJR while riding his lawn mower. Get him this little Sony radio. It’s only $35, it tunes digitally, and works great. I got my Dad one a few years back and he loves it.

knife-leatherman

Dads love knifes. At least they should. You could go with a single blade model that sports a belt/pocket clip or a multitool like a Leatherman or Gerber. The beauty here is that even places like Walmart and Target sell these so you shouldn’t have any problem finding one in your budget.

milwaukees-best

This is what my father-in-law is getting from me and I’ll bet anything he’ll like it better than what his daughters/wife are buying him. You can’t go wrong with beer.