comments:
https://a.co/d/0fHm9bNR This is the one I bought. Haven't used it a ton, but it's served it's limited purpose.
This is a tough question to answer (as you've probably realized), as most home-labers already have what they need to do projects, and additional items tend to be specific and non-obvious; I love that you're asking though! So here's my input: Are there tools or equipment that he's had to borrow, or talked about getting but not followed through on? That may be one way in to something he needs or might enjoy. Some specific ideas: A label-maker - If he's the organized type, and his homelab is going to grow, then it'll be useful for equipment, ports, and cables. An experience - is there a computer museum a reasonable distance from you? Maybe he's not interested in old gear, but if he is; maybe he'd appreciate a trip. And as a bonus it's something you can do together, which is not often the case with a home-lab, if you are not into it. A multimeter, if he doesn't have one; not a must have tool for a home-lab (at all; lol) but kind of fun to have. There are some that measure just about everything at a reasonable cost.