Whether your “to-do” list is getting you down or gearing you up for do-it-yourself fun, you want to be sure you have the right equipment to minimize the time, money and elbow grease you have to expend.

Therefore, you should look for products that can help make lawn care, gardening, home improvement and other DIY projects easier to accomplish.

For example, instead of laboring to push an aerator around your lawn, consider a liquid dethatcher.

You apply the dethatcher using a sprayer on the end of the garden hose, and the formula works to aerate soil and break up the layer of thatch that hinders grass growth.

Renting tools or equipment you use occasionally can save you time and money.

Many home improvement stores now offer a wide range of tools for rent, from bench saws and floor sanders to augers and overseeders.

By renting, you avoid storage issues and maintenance chores.

One piece of equipment a DIYer can use all year round is an off-road vehicle. By having it for heavy jobs, you can avoid the expense of hiring additional workers for projects such as:

• Removing dead branches and towing bushes and trees. With a winch on the front of the vehicle or a tow strap at the rear, you can pull out old brush more easily.

• Smoothing fresh dirt with a plow. Raking by hand is messy and takes a lot of time. Instead, hook up a plow to your off-road vehicle and gently smooth out the dirt. If the dirt is already level, attach a pull-behind rake to the vehicle to get set for planting or seeding.

• Carting lumber. You make fewer trips and save yourself from muscle aches and splinters. You can also reduce the number of helpers you need for the project.

• If you have a boat dock, use your off-road vehicle to tow it into the water.

• Hauling rocks or mulch around. One type of off-road vehicle has a rear dump box so you can move and distribute materials in different garden beds or around all your trees.

• Now for the best part: After all the hard work, take your vehicle out on the trail for a bit of fun.