June 02, 2023
By Lynn Burkhead
As the Great American Spring continues to bathe the nation’s landscape during one of the most beautiful times of the year, there is ample reason to want it to stay around for a long while.
Wildflowers are blooming, everything is green, temperatures are just right and the scent of honeysuckle and other natural fragrances drifts through the evening air. It's a time for shorts, balmy evenings and maybe even getting the smoker or pellet grill going for a memorable meal shared with family and friends.
But eventually, as the globe keeps spinning around, spring will give way to summer. And then summer gives way to fall, and eventually, fall turns into winter. The seasons pass slowly day by day, but Earth never rests from turning on its axis and there’s always something more to do during the daily process we call life.
That’s true in a variety of outdoors pursuits too, as Outdoor Sportsman Group TV personality and magazine editor Jeff Weakley knows well. Juggling family responsibilities and work projects, and having to find a few moments to scratch out some time on the water or in the field, the executive editor of Florida Sportsman magazine rarely has much down time.
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When he does find such moments, Weakley tries to take care of the little things that pop up, like making sure that his boats and paddle crafts are properly rigged, fuel and oil levels are topped off, and storage bins are filled with necessary items like personal floatation devices and other safety gear. There’s even the need to update registrations for gear that leads first responders if trouble develops on the water, along with keeping updated legal documents handy for fishing rigs, truck, and more.
While such chores might seem a bit mundane for a guy that has wrestled triple-digit fish back to the boat, they are quite necessary as summertime comes around, because the cargo aboard his rigs once school is out is quite precious for the Florida family man who lives in the shadow of the Atlantic Ocean. Weakley knows that there will soon be longer runs with loved ones to mangroves teeming with snook, offshore spots where sailfish and cobia swim the deep, and recreational trips to fishing grounds and remote beaches where some good times and big smiles can be enjoyed.
Some of those smaller chores might not be the most glamorous things in the world for a well-known outdoors communicator, but they are necessary and then some.
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The Right Tools Matter
The same can be said for having the right yard care gear ready to go in your garage or workshop, having tools rigged up and ready to use when the situation demands. One tool that fits that bill is the Toro 60V MAX 16-inch Brushless Chainsaw.
While chainsaws might seem a luxury item to some, or something that a rancher or owner of a large piece of property might need, they prove to be quite handy for a number of household and recreational chores.
Springtime is storm season in many states, and when the lightning starts to flash and heavy rains and hail start to come down, your home or property is one big wind gust away from having a few downed limbs to cut and clear away. You might even need one to cut away a huge trunk of a tree that has fallen on a vehicle during a storm—don’t ask me how I know.
During the summer months, as the height of the growing season takes place, maybe you’ll discover some unwanted saplings starting to encroach on a backyard fence line, or a tree's expanding root system suddenly threatening a water line or septic system.
It could be that you’ll need a chainsaw for cutting a bit of firewood for the backyard firepit, a summertime campfire on the beach, or a few pieces of downed oak or hickory to fit into the smoker as a beef brisket or rack of spareribs gets going.
In the fall, if your home has a woodburning stove or fireplace, you may need to cut some downed trees on your property for firewood or trim up the big chunks that a friend gave you after a summer storm. Maybe you need to trim a silent path to a hunting blind or deer stand, or you’ll need to take out some weather-weakened limbs before winter storms arrive.
While some of these situations aren’t going to happen everywhere to everyone—like Weakley’s Florida backyard that is all but immune to wintry weather but does have the occasional hurricane—nearly every landowner not living in a high-rise condo in the big city has the need for a chainsaw on occasion. And when they do need one for around-the-yard chores, the Toro 60V MAX 16 in. Brushless Chainsaw fits the bills
It’s easy to start—push the power button, pull the trigger, and away you go—and is powered by Toro’s versatile 60V battery, which is interchangeable with over 75 tools in the Toro Flex-Force Power System.
Once going, the 2.5Ah battery will power the chainsaw through up to 50 cuts all the way through 6x6 timber, thanks to its 16-inch bar and chain, chain tensioning, and automatic chain oiler. If you need to adjust the chain tension, the unit features an on-board tensioning tool that is quickly accessed and utilized from its storage spot.
With the brushless motor, this Toro chainsaw model can easily clear away woody debris, giving users digitally controlled power that features more runtime and longer powered-up life as you create a little sawdust. That means power when you need it and more in reserve when you don’t.
Safety is factored into the construction of the Toro 60V MAX 16 Brushless Chainsaw with its Kick-Back Guard with Electric Chain Break. That feature automatically stops the chain if the chainsaw kicks back during operation. And with the unit’s View-Through Oil Tank with Fill Gauge, you can also easily check to see how much oil is left in the tank as you cut away.
The point of the matter is that a chainsaw is a tool that few know they need until they do, and this one is easy to own, easy to store, easy to maintain, and easy to operate, all in a powerful package that makes short work of wood cutting needs.
For Jeff Weakley, this Toro Battery Chainsaw model is perfect for the chores he needs it for in a state where the sun usually shines, but not always. And when it’s pressed into backyard service, well, he’ll make short work of the task at hand and get back to more important things, like taking his family and friends fishing or maybe cooking up a dinner that will be talked about for weeks to come.
“All of these things make a superior machine that helps me get my chores done faster so I can get back on the water sooner,” notes Weakley with a smile.
And if that’s true for someone who makes his living from getting out on the water, then it’s almost certainly true too for those who don’t, but sure do enjoy their time there on the water when it does in fact happen.
No matter what season of the year it happens to be.