Tohatsu 15HP | MFS15ES

The Tohatsu MFS15ES carries the same 15 hp four-stroke block as its long-shaft siblings but on a 15-inch shaft, with tiller steering and manual rope start, weighing 95 lbs. The short shaft is built for lower transoms, commonly found on inflatables, dinghies, and smaller jon boats.

Check your transom height first

Measure straight down from the top of the transom to the bottom of the hull before ordering a short-shaft motor; a shaft that's too short for the boat leaves the propeller running shallow, while one that's too long causes drag and spray at speed. Tiller control keeps throttle and steering at the motor, which suits boats without a console to mount a remote control.

Standard equipment

Each unit includes its propeller, an external fuel tank sized at 3.1 gallons, a fuel line hose, a basic spares pouch, a cutoff-switch cord, and the printed owner's manual, so it's ready to fuel up and go. Displacement is 333cc from a two-cylinder EFI layout, and Tohatsu's coverage on this engine runs 5 years.

Who it fits: Buyers replacing a short-shaft kicker or outfitting a small inflatable or tender will find the manual-start simplicity easier to handle on and off the water than an electric-start, long-shaft unit, and there's no battery to charge between outings. Rinse the lower unit with fresh water after a day on salt before storing it, the same habit worth keeping with any small outboard regardless of shaft length.