Tohatsu 20HP MFS20EWEPTL Outboard Motor

The Tohatsu MFS20EWEPTL combines console steering with a 20-inch shaft and an electric starter backed by a rope, weighing 116 lbs, one of the longer-shaft, console-controlled builds in the 20 hp range.

Choosing console over tiller

Console steering on this engine means cables run between the motor and a helm control head rather than a handle at the transom; confirm that rigging already exists on the boat, or budget to add it, before picking this over a tiller-steered version elsewhere in the lineup. The 20-inch shaft matches a standard transom height.

Starting and specs

Turning a key covers routine starts, with a pull cord ready if the battery runs low, so neither failure leaves the boat stranded out on the water. Displacement is 333cc from a two-cylinder EFI engine, with the throttle running up near 6,100 rpm at the top end, and Tohatsu's warranty on this unit runs 5 years.

Q: Can this be started with just the pull cord? Yes, that backup works whether or not the battery holds a charge.

Q: What shaft length does this version carry? Twenty inches, sized for a standard transom rather than a shorter or longer setup elsewhere.

Q: Does the weight include the power-tilt hardware? Yes, 116 lbs is the running weight with trim and tilt fitted.

Q: How many cylinders power this engine? Two, in the same 333cc EFI design used through the 20 hp range.