2017 Tohatsu 20 HP MFS20DEFTL Outboard Motor (Power Tilt)

The 2017 Tohatsu MFS20DEFTL adds power tilt to the 20 hp, 20-inch long-shaft, tiller-steered line, so the motor raises and lowers at a switch instead of a manual lever. Electric start and the same 351cc twin-cylinder carbureted engine carry over from the manual-tilt version in this family.

Power tilt versus manual tilt

Power tilt earns its added weight if you move between shallow water and running depth often, since it trims through five positions at the touch of a switch rather than a hand lever at the motor. The 20-inch shaft still has to match your transom height regardless of which tilt type you pick, so measure before you order rather than after.

Fuel and equipment

Fuel comes from a 3.1-gallon tank mounted outside the block, feeding the carburetor through its own line; an aluminum prop and a manual-plus-parts bundle round out the rest, bagged separately. Electric-start runs get their charge from the built-in 145-watt alternator, and the top end here reaches 6,100 rpm, bottoming at 5,400.

Q: Can I switch back to manual tilt later? Confirm with us before assuming parts interchange between the manual and power-tilt versions of this model; the tilt hardware isn't something to swap casually between them.

Tohatsu's 5-year warranty covers this unit. As with the rest of the carbureted 20 hp family, running a tank of fresh fuel through it before winter storage helps keep the carburetor from gumming up.

Specifications