Electric Start Outboard Motors for Sale: Buy an Electric Start Outboard
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Shop electric start outboard motors for sale
Buy an electric start outboard and you turn a key instead of pulling a cord. Every electric start outboard motor for sale here comes with the charging system that keeps the battery topped up, so the engine runs the starter it was built with rather than one bolted on afterwards. That covers outboard motors electric start across the small ranges and every electric start outboard boat motor in stock.
An outboard motor electric start setup is worth the premium on anything you start more than a few times a trip, on any engine heavy enough to make pull starting awkward, and on any boat where the person most likely to be starting it should not have to wrestle a recoil.
Send the hull model and transom height before you order and we will confirm the fit. Shaft length decides whether an outboard motor with electric start bolts on at all, so it comes before the starting method in the decision.
Buy the smallest outboard with electric start
The smallest outboard motor with electric start is the question people actually ask, and the answer sits lower than most expect. Several manufacturers fit it from around 9.9HP, and a handful go smaller, so the smallest electric start outboard motor on the market is a lot smaller than most buyers assume.
Electric start outboards smallest in any range is rarely the right question on its own, because what comes with the engine matters more. A small electric start outboard motor needs a battery aboard, a charging circuit rated to keep it there, and somewhere to mount it. On a small tender that is three items you did not have before, and the combined weight can exceed what you saved by choosing a small engine.
Small electric start outboard motors for sale should be checked on two points before you buy a small electric start outboard: whether the model keeps a manual recoil as backup, and what the charging output is. An engine that charges at a few amps will not recover a flat battery on a short run.
Small outboard motors with electric start against pull start
Pull start is lighter, simpler, cheaper and has nothing to go flat. On a 5HP tender motor carried to the water, it remains the right answer.
Electric start wins once the engine gets heavy enough that the recoil takes a real pull, which in practice is around 15HP to 20HP, and wins immediately on any boat where starting happens repeatedly. A 15HP or 20HP outboard with electric start is the size band where most buyers cross over, which is exactly why the demand concentrates there.
Many small outboard motors with electric start offer both. An electric start tiller outboard with a manual backup is the safest specification for a boat that lives on a mooring, because a flat battery does not end the day. Small electric start outboard motors sold this way cost little more than recoil only versions.
Electric start outboard motors by horsepower
Demand for electric start concentrates between 9.9HP and 30HP, because that is the band where recoil starting stops being trivial and before electric start becomes standard equipment.
9.9HP. A 9.9 hp outboard electric start is the entry point for most ranges, and a 9.9 electric start outboard motor is light enough that the battery is a real consideration rather than an afterthought.
10HP. A 10 hp electric start outboard motor sits in the same bracket. A 10 hp outboard motor with electric start needs the same battery and charging circuit as the 9.9, so choose on the engine rather than the starter.
15HP. The biggest size in the set. A 15 hp electric start outboard motor is where most buyers cross over, and a 15 hp outboard motor electric start or 15 hp outboard with electric start specification costs little more than the recoil version. A 15 hp 4 stroke outboard electric start is the common configuration now that two strokes have gone from the range. Check whether you need a 15 hp outboard short shaft electric start before ordering, since transom height rules out more engines than anything else.
20HP. A 20 hp electric start outboard motor and a 20 hp outboard motor electric start are effectively the same specification listed two ways. At this weight the recoil takes a real pull, so a 20 hp electric start outboard for sale rarely stays long.
25HP and 30HP. A 25 hp electric start outboard motor is close to the top of the band where the choice still exists, and a 25 hp outboard 4 stroke electric start is now the standard build. Above 30HP electric start comes fitted as standard and there is no decision to make.
Electric start outboard motors by brand and size
Every major manufacturer fits electric start across the small ranges. What differs is where it starts, what it is bundled with, and whether a recoil backup is retained.
Yamaha. Offered from 9.9HP up, so a Yamaha 9.9 outboard electric start, a 15 hp Yamaha outboard electric start, a 20 hp Yamaha outboard electric start and a 25 hp Yamaha outboard electric start are all standard configurations. Buyers checking Yamaha 25 hp outboard price electric start against the recoil version usually find the premium smaller than expected. The smallest Yamaha outboard with electric start sits lower in the range than most people assume.
Mercury. A 15 hp Mercury outboard electric start and a 25 hp Mercury outboard electric start are the volume sellers, and the 20 hp Mercury outboard electric start power trim specification bundles trim with the starter, which is the combination worth having on a heavier tiller boat. Mercury 15 hp outboard electric start models are the easiest to get serviced anywhere in the country.
Suzuki. A 15 hp Suzuki outboard electric start and a 20 hp Suzuki outboard electric start are the best value specifications in this band. Suzuki also offers a Suzuki 9.9 outboard electric start, a Suzuki 20 hp outboard electric start and a 25 hp Suzuki outboard electric start, and the charging output across the range is solid for the engine size.
Honda. Goes lower than most, with a Honda 8 hp outboard electric start in the range alongside the Honda 9.9 outboard electric start, and an 8 hp Honda outboard electric start listing means the same engine. A 9.9 Honda outboard electric start is the volume seller. A 15 hp Honda outboard electric start, a Honda 20 hp outboard electric start and a Honda 25 hp outboard electric start cover the rest. Honda never built two strokes, so the whole range was designed around four stroke starting loads.
Tohatsu. A Tohatsu electric start outboard is worth shortlisting on price. A Tohatsu 20 hp outboard electric start and a Tohatsu outboard 15 hp electric start both undercut the bigger names.
Johnson. Discontinued, so a Johnson 15 hp outboard electric start or a 25 hp Johnson outboard electric start only turns up used, and usually at the lowest price in the size.
Shop the brands directly: Yamaha outboard motors, Mercury outboards for sale, Suzuki outboards for sale, Honda outboard motors and Johnson outboard motors.
What an outboard motor with electric start needs on the boat
| Engine size | Start options | Battery needed | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 9.9HP | Manual recoil, electric start on some models | Yes, plus charging circuit | Tenders where lifting matters more than convenience |
| 9.9 to 15HP | Both commonly offered, recoil often retained | Yes, small battery sufficient | Dinghies, small skiffs, moored boats |
| 20 to 30HP | Electric start standard on most | Yes, sized to the charging output | Jon boats, small aluminum hulls |
| Above 30HP | Electric start standard | Yes, part of the rigging | Everything larger, no decision to make |
Used electric start outboard motors for sale
Used electric start outboard motors for sale need one check the pull start versions do not, and the same applies to any electric start outboard engine bought secondhand. Test the starter under load, not just a click, and confirm the charging circuit actually puts current back into the battery.
A starter that turns slowly on a fresh battery is a starter on the way out, and on a small engine that repair costs a meaningful share of what the motor is worth. Get it demonstrated running before you pay.
Otherwise the usual applies: compression on every cylinder, corrosion at the midsection and trim rams, and confirmation of whether controls and battery cables are included.
Frequently asked questions
What is the smallest outboard motor with electric start?
Several manufacturers offer it from around 9.9HP, with a few smaller models available. Check whether the model keeps a manual recoil as backup, because that matters more on a small engine than the starter itself.
Do I need a battery for an electric start outboard?
Yes, along with somewhere to mount it and a charging circuit rated to keep it charged. On a small tender the battery and its mounting can outweigh the convenience, which is why pull start persists at the bottom of the range.
Can you add electric start to an outboard that does not have it?
Adding electric start to outboard engines is possible on some models through a conversion kit, but the cost of the kit, battery, cabling and fitting frequently approaches the difference between buying the pull start and the electric start version in the first place. Electric start for outboard motor conversions rarely pay for themselves. Buy the configuration you want.
Is electric start worth it on a 15HP outboard?
This is the size where most buyers cross over. A 15HP recoil takes a genuine pull, and if more than one person will be starting the engine, electric start earns its money.
What happens if the battery goes flat?
On models that retain a manual recoil, nothing. On models that do not, you are not going anywhere. For a moored boat, specify the version with recoil backup.
How much does it cost to ship an outboard motor?
Freight is quoted by weight and destination. Outboards ship curbside on a liftgate truck rather than by parcel carrier.