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Well, it’s growing season again—the time when everything comes alive with a vengeance. The grass, weeds, thorny bushes, carpenter bees, wasps, ants, flies and stinkbugs all make their return. The only things I really like are the chameleons and lizards—I love those little guys. But with every season comes a long list of repairs and, sometimes, total replacements.

Living on a farm provides me with a constant supply of hard-earned lessons, so much so that I always feel compelled to pass them along. Before moving to a working horse farm, I rarely used tools. Now, I use them daily.

One tool that has revolutionized my workday—whether it’s farmwork or household repairs—is the battery-powered drill. Specifically, the DEWALT Lithium-Ion Drill/Driver and Impact Driver Combo Kit. Every home should have one.

Other essential items to keep handy and organized include socket wrenches, extensions, a full set of Allen and hex wrenches, standard and Phillips ratchet sets, WD-40, Deep Creep lubricating oil, electronics cleaning spray—the list goes on.

Anytime something breaks on the farm, no matter how expensive or dreadful it may seem, I try to see it as a valuable learning experience—one I’ll appreciate after recovering from the financial hit.

Recent examples include leaking hydraulic cartridges on front-end loaders. That puddle of fluid under your tractor? It’s your machine giving you a work order. Often, you can fix this by removing the leaky cartridge and taking it to a reputable tractor repair shop to have it “repacked.”

Then there’s the surprise of needing a bush hog. Where do you even start to find a replacement? Sure, you could patch-weld the old one, but sometimes a new one is the only real solution. In that case, I recommend asking a local farmer or hay baler for a referral. These folks know the market—and they know when you’re being ripped off.

One of the best lessons I’ve learned is to always ask for a lower price when buying expensive replacement items. If they don’t budge, ask for free delivery. If they still don’t budge, ask if they’ll install it for free.

What a target I must look like, walking into a tractor supply store in Ruth, North Carolina. Here comes this Yankee from Cleveland, Ohio, asking about a new tractor, bush hog or chainsaw. “Let’s have some fun with this young fellow”—when, in reality, I’m probably older than they are.

Here are a few sanity-saving tips when dealing with an agricultural salesperson:

Be polite. No one likes a know-it-all.

Pay by check to avoid the 3% or higher credit card fee. (Debit cards may or may not carry that charge.)

If your farm is your business, use your tax ID number—not your Social Security number.

If you see a cool Kubota, John Deere or Husqvarna hat on the wall, ask them to throw one in for free.

And finally, remember my reference to my beloved lizards? Be careful with carpenter bee or wasp traps that use sticky attractants. Make sure those little guys don’t have a way to climb up and get stuck while trying to snag an easy meal.

Happy summer, everyone.