Tohatsu 6HP | MFS6DWL

One person can carry the MFS6DWL between a vehicle and the water without much trouble. It is a single-cylinder, 123cc four-stroke rated at 6 hp, carburetor fed, mounted on a 20-inch shaft with tiller steering and manual pull start. Shipping weight is 57 lbs, and the full-throttle ceiling sits at 5000 to 6000 rpm.

Why owners pick this size

Dinghies, small jon boats and inflatables that get moved often are the usual home for a motor this light, since a single person can lift it on and off a transom or trailer without help. Fuel use at this displacement stays modest enough that a small external tank covers a full day out.

What this generation changed

The cowl was reworked with separate carrying handles front and back for a steadier grip when lifting, and the engine can now be laid on its side, upright, or angled — 3 positions in all — for storage without oil finding its way into the cylinder bore. This 6 hp line comes in white only.

Equipment on board includes an owner's manual, a stop-switch lanyard and a service tool kit, plus the propeller and a fuel system built around an external 3.1-gallon tank with its own fuel line hose.

Will a 20-inch shaft fit any small boat? No; measure the transom first, since the wrong shaft length runs the propeller too high or too low in the water. Coverage runs 5 years.