By your description, sounds to me like your father needs something that could trigger the "kid in a candy shop" reflex.
I note from your profile that one of your various locations is Richardson Bay. I don't know where you father lives, but if you and he are still there: Only about 6 miles from Sausalito, in San Rafael, is a Harbor Freight store. The Harbor Freight chain has lots of outlets all around the USA.
Granted, a lot (if not most) of the items at Harbor Freight correspond to the lower end of "Made in China" quality ranking. But also Harbor Freight has many hidden gems for the DIY enthusiast who has the experience to ferret out the good from the bad. And if he goes wrong: 1) The item can be returned. 2) The item probably worked OK for a while and at the low price he got his money's worth, probably cheaper even than renting the equivalent tool.
Anyway, where I am going is buy him a Harbor Freight gift card. He is sure to spend many minutes (if not at least an hour or two) going through the aisles. If nothing else, he will get a lot of entertainment value out of it!