Tiller Outboard Motors for Sale: Buy a Tiller Outboard Motor

Shop tiller outboard motors for sale

Buy a tiller outboard and you steer from the back of the boat with the engine in your hand. No helm, no console, no cables, and the whole center of the boat stays free.

Every tiller outboard for sale here lists its shaft length and horsepower in the title. Tiller outboard motors for sale, outboard tiller motors for sale and outboard tiller for sale listings all show the same detail, so you can shop straight to what fits your transom. Send the hull model and transom height before you order an outboard motor with tiller and we will confirm.

What is a tiller outboard motor

A tiller outboard is an engine steered by an arm attached directly to the powerhead rather than by a wheel at a helm. Twist the grip for throttle, push the arm to steer, and on most models the shift lever sits on the same arm.

An outboard engine tiller setup suits boats where deck space matters more than comfort, and outboard tiller steering keeps the cost down. A tiller steer outboard leaves the middle of a jon boat or skiff completely open, puts the weight of the operator at the stern where a small hull wants it, and removes the cost and complexity of cables, a console and a control box.

The tradeoff is exposure and fatigue. You sit at the back in the weather, and on a long run holding a tiller arm gets tiring in a way a wheel does not.

Tiller outboard motors by horsepower

Under 10HP. The natural home for tiller. A 2.5 hp, 4 hp, 5 hp, 6 hp or 9.9 hp tiller outboard motor is lighter and cheaper than the remote equivalent, and there is no sensible reason to fit a helm to a boat this size.

15HP to 30HP. The volume band. A 15 hp tiller outboard, a 20 hp tiller outboard, a 25 hp tiller outboard and a 30 hp tiller outboard cover jon boats, small aluminum hulls and tenders. A 25hp tiller outboard, a 30hp tiller outboard or a 30hp outboard tiller is the common repower here, and a 25 hp outboard tiller at this weight is heavy enough that electric start becomes worth specifying alongside it.

40HP. The biggest single slice of tiller demand. A 40 hp tiller outboard, listed by some sellers as a 40hp tiller outboard, is as much engine as most people want to steer by hand, and a 40 hp tiller outboard motor is the size that moves fastest in this configuration. A 40 hp outboard motor tiller listing, a 40 hp tiller outboard for sale or a 40 hp outboard for sale tiller all point at the same engine.

50HP to 60HP. A 50 hp tiller outboard motor and a 60 hp tiller outboard are serious pieces of equipment. At this weight, power trim and electric start stop being luxuries. A 50hp tiller outboard is the crossover size, a 60hp tiller outboard the practical ceiling, and a 60 hp tiller outboard for sale rarely stays listed long, and a 60 hp tiller outboard motor for sale on a flat-bottomed hull is one of the most capable shallow-water setups available. A 90 hp tiller outboard exists but is specialist.

The biggest tiller outboard motor you can buy

The biggest tiller outboard in current production runs well past what most buyers expect. Manufacturers build tiller versions into the 60 hp range as standard, and a large tiller outboard above that exists but narrows sharply.

The largest tiller outboard makes sense on flats boats, duck boats and river hulls, where standing at the stern with the engine in hand gives better control in skinny water than any helm position. A tiller jet outboard takes that further for gravel and shallow rivers.

Above 60HP the physics work against you. The steering loads get heavy, the engine weight at the transom becomes a trim problem, and most buyers move to remote.

Tiller outboard motors by brand

Mercury. The deepest tiller range we handle. A Mercury tiller FourStroke outboard motor is available across the small sizes, and the EFI versions cover the volume band: a Mercury 4hp tiller FourStroke outboard motor at the bottom, then the Mercury 15hp EFI tiller FourStroke outboard motor, Mercury 20hp EFI tiller FourStroke outboard motor and Mercury 25hp EFI tiller FourStroke outboard motor. A Mercury 9.9hp tiller handle outboard motor is the most searched single tiller engine in this data, and a Mercury 4-stroke 20hp tiller handle outboard motor covers the next size up.

Yamaha. A Yamaha outboard tiller setup is available across the small and midrange. Yamaha tiller outboards go up through the 40HP and 50HP sizes, and buyers checking Yamaha 40 hp tiller outboard price or Yamaha 50 hp tiller outboard price against the remote version usually find the tiller cheaper. A 40 hp Yamaha outboard tiller is the popular configuration.

Suzuki, Honda and the discontinued brands. Suzuki and Honda both build tiller across the small ranges with solid charging output, which matters once you add electric start. An Evinrude outboard tiller handle turns up on used stock and the arms are not interchangeable between brands.

Shop the brands: Mercury outboards for sale, Yamaha outboard motors, Suzuki outboards for sale and Honda outboard motors.

Tiller handle outboard motors and extensions

The tiller handle outboard setup that comes on the engine is sized for someone sitting right at the transom. An outboard motor tiller handle puts you at the very back, which on a small boat means poor weight distribution and a wet seat.

An outboard tiller extension fixes that. An outboard motor tiller extension, an outboard tiller extension handle, an outboard tiller handle extension, an outboard motor tiller handle extension or an outboard motor tiller extension handle lets you sit forward of the engine, moving your weight toward the middle of the hull where it trims better. An extension for outboard tiller use is the cheapest handling improvement available on a tiller boat, an outboard engine tiller extension is model specific, and a tiller handle extension for outboards has to match the arm it clamps to.

Tiller handle outboard motors are sold with the handle fitted. Tiller extensions for outboard motors are an addition, not a replacement, and a tiller handle outboard motor keeps its original arm.

Used tiller outboard motors for sale

Used tiller outboard motors for sale carry one check the remote versions do not. Work the throttle grip and the shift through the full range before you buy. A stiff or notchy tiller arm means worn linkage, and on a small engine that repair is a real share of what the motor is worth.

Used outboard tiller motors for sale should otherwise be checked as any used engine: compression on every cylinder, corrosion at the midsection and trim rams, and confirmation of what is included.

Tiller outboard motors by boat type

Frequently asked questions