Tohatsu 4HP MFS4DDS Outboard Motor

Here is the short-shaft member of Tohatsu's 4-hp family, model MFS4DDS: a 123cc single-cylinder four-stroke on a 15-inch shaft, with tiller steering, manual start, and a 57-lb build weight, sold new.

Why shaft length matters on a small motor

At only 4 hp, getting the shaft length wrong has an outsized effect, since there is little power in reserve if the propeller ends up sitting too deep or too shallow for your transom. Tohatsu builds this particular motor on the shorter of its two 4-hp shaft lengths, so measuring your boat before ordering matters more here than on a bigger engine, and a dinghy or small jon boat is the usual match for this length.

What it is built around

Manual start keeps this single-cylinder four-stroke light, with no battery or electric starter weighing it down or needing upkeep, which is a large part of why it stays easy to lift and carry by hand. Full throttle runs in a 4500-5500 rpm range, which suits the small dinghies, inflatables and jon boats this size of engine typically powers, and the single-cylinder carbureted design keeps the whole package simple to service and inexpensive to maintain over its life.

• Weight: 57 lbs
• Starter: manual pull start
• Steering: tiller

Is this electric or manual start? Manual pull start. What shaft length is this unit? 15 inches.