Comparison Tohatsu MFS9.8BS vs Tohatsu MFS20CEFS

The maximum operating power of the outboard motor, expressed in horsepower.

Horsepower (hp) has traditionally been used primarily to refer to the power of internal combustion engines, including gasoline engines (see "Engine type"). However, in outboard motors, these units are also used for electric models (see ibid.). This is due to the fact that the majority of gasoline engines are on the market, and boat manufacturers prefer to indicate the maximum recommended engine power in “horses”.

The general patterns when choosing outboard motors in terms of power are as follows. On the one hand, a more powerful unit will allow you to develop more speed and is better suited for a heavy boat (see "Maximum boat weight"). On the other hand, weight, dimensions, cost and fuel/energy consumption also directly depend on power. Therefore, it does not always make sense to chase the maximum performance.

In addition, the choice of motor for maximum power also depends on the characteristics of the craft on which it is planned to be used. It is not worth exceeding the recommended power stated in the specifications — firstly, the boat transom may not be designed for a heavy large-sized unit, and secondly, the boat itself may not be suitable for acceleration to high speeds. There are also more specific recommendations. For example, from the point of view of efficiency and safety, the engine power at the level of 60 – 80% of the ma...ximum specified in the characteristics of the boat is considered optimal. Lower values may be useful if economy and low noise level are important to you, and higher values if high speed and acceleration dynamics are key points.

There is one more specific point associated with this parameter: most often, the characteristics indicate the power output directly to the propeller, however, some manufacturers (mostly east european) can go for a little trick, indicating the power on the main motor shaft. When power is transferred to the screw, losses inevitably occur, so the useful power of the motor in such a case will be less than claimed. Thus, when choosing and comparing, it's ok to clarify what kind of power is meant in the characteristics — on the propeller or on the shaft.

The maximum operating power of the outboard motor, expressed in kilowatts.

The practical value of motor power is described in detail in “Maximum power" is higher. Here we note that the kilowatt (derivative of watt) is just one of the units of power used in fact along with horsepower (hp); 1 HP ≈ 735 W (0.735 kW). Watts are considered the traditional unit for electric motors (see "Engine Type"), but for a number of reasons, outboard motor manufacturers use this designation for gasoline models as well.

The highest shaft speed that the outboard motor is capable of developing.

Theoretically, the speed of rotation of the propeller (or turbine — see "Motor type") depends on the engine speed, and, accordingly, the speed that the boat is capable of developing. However, in addition to this indicator, many other factors also affect the performance of the motor — engine power (see above), gear ratio (see below), propeller design, etc. As a result, situations are quite normal when a more powerful and high-speed motor has lower revolutions than the weaker one. Therefore, this parameter is, in fact, a reference one, and has almost no practical value when choosing. Unless it can be noted that high-speed motors are more susceptible to noise and vibration than low-speed ones; however, this moment can be compensated by the use of various technical tricks.

The working volume of a gasoline outboard engine (see "Engine type"). This term usually means the total working volume of the cylinders.

The larger this value, the higher the motor power, usually (see the relevant paragraph). At the same time, with an increase in the working volume, fuel consumption, weight and dimensions of the unit also increase; and power depends not only on this indicator, but also on a number of other factors — ranging from the number of strokes (see "Engine duty cycle") or the presence of turbocharging (see below) and ending with specific design features. Therefore, situations are not excluded when a smaller engine will have more power, and vice versa.

The diameter of a single piston in a gasoline (see "Engine type") outboard motor. In most cases, this parameter is purely reference; situations where data on the piston diameter is really needed are extremely rare — usually during the repair or maintenance of the engine.

The working stroke is the distance between the two extreme positions of the piston in a gasoline (see "Engine type") outboard motor. In most cases, this parameter is purely reference; situations where such data is really needed are extremely rare — usually during the repair or maintenance of the engine.

Possibility to use a petrol engine generator(see "Engine type") to power an external load.

The generator is an indispensable element in the design of any petrol engine — it is responsible for creating the spark necessary for ignition. However, not every outboard motor has the ability to power an external load from this generator — therefore, if such an opportunity is important to you, you should choose a model where it is directly stated. And the generator system can come in handy, first of all, if you plan to use additional equipment on the boat — power from the generator is in a number of ways more convenient than from autonomous batteries, and it is for it that many navigation systems, echolocation, radio communications and other instruments and equipment are made . In addition, if necessary, devices outside the boat can also be powered from the generator — for example, a starting charger for a car.

The highest current that the generator system installed in the outboard engine is capable of delivering (see above). The characteristics of the load that can be connected to the generator depend on this indicator: its total current consumption should not be higher than the maximum current of the generator, otherwise the latter will work with overload, which is fraught with malfunctions and even accidents. Also, this information is useful if you plan to use the generator to charge batteries (car or boat): each battery has its own charging current, and the power source must match them.

The type of gasoline recommended for use in an internal combustion engine outboard (see "Engine Type"). In fact, this paragraph indicates gasoline with the lowest octane rating that is allowed to be used in the engine; higher rates are allowed, lower ones are highly undesirable, if not outright prohibited.

The octane number is an indicator that determines the resistance of a particular brand of gasoline to detonation (self-ignition during compression in the cylinder). Detonation is a very undesirable phenomenon, because. it leads to an increase in engine loads simultaneously with a decrease in its power and an increase in the amount of harmful substances in the exhaust gases. And this phenomenon occurs in cases where the engine uses gasoline with lower octane numbers than those for which the unit is designed.

Automobile gasoline, which is also used for refueling boat engines, is marked with the AI or RON index; the first option is used in the characteristics of east european motors, the second — in foreign ones. However, in both indexes, the number after the letters means the octane number. The higher this number, the more demanding the engine is on fuel quality. Thus, for example, a unit under AI-92 will be able to work normally with AI-95, but AI-90 or AI-87 cannot be filled into it. "Record holders" for unpretentiousness today are engines that can work even on the AI-76; but they are a rare exception to the general rule.