Mercury 20HP 20MH FourStroke Outboard

The 20HP 20MH FourStroke is a new two-cylinder outboard with manual starting rather than an electric starter, on a 15 inch shaft with tiller steering. Mercury rates it at 103 lbs, spinning to 5700 to 6200 rpm at full throttle, and fits a three-blade aluminum propeller sized at 9.2 inch diameter, 9.1 inch pitch.

Starting without a battery

Manual starting means you pull-start this motor rather than relying on an onboard battery and electric starter, a common choice for small boats, backup motors, or anywhere you want to skip the wiring. Tiller steering keeps the whole setup self-contained at the transom, with nothing routed to a console. A pull-start motor like this one has no battery dependence at all, which keeps wiring simple but means every start is a manual pull of the cord. That simplicity suits a lightweight boat better than one already carrying several battery-dependent accessories.

What ships with it

Mercury supplies the propeller described above, along with a printed manual, a tool kit, a quick-connect fuel line, and a tank sized at 3.2 gallons.

Pull-start motors like this one skip the wiring a battery and electric starter would need, simplifying the install on a small boat.

Electric or manual starting? Manual, pull-start rather than a battery-powered starter.

What coverage comes with it? New-motor coverage here is Mercury's usual 3-year warranty.