HONDA 20 HP BF20D3LHT Outboard Motor

Description

Twenty horsepower, a key to start it and a switch to lift it. For a lot of tiller boat owners, that is the perfect small outboard. The Honda BF20D3LHT for sale on this page is Honda’s 20 HP four stroke tiller with electric start, power tilt and a 20 inch shaft. It is the most fully equipped 20 HP portable Honda makes for a standard transom, it is new in the crate, and we ship it worldwide.

Below you will find what the model code means, the full specs, what electric start and power tilt add, which boats it suits, setup and care tips, and how ordering works. Price and cart are at the top.

The Honda BF20D3LHT for Sale at a Glance

The Honda BF20D3LHT for sale is a 20 HP, 350 cc, twin cylinder, four valve four stroke with a three stage carburettor, electric start, a 12 amp alternator and power tilt. It has tiller steering and a 20 inch shaft. It shares its engine with the BF15, tuned to make 20 HP at 5,500 RPM, and it is a favourite with river anglers, guides and anyone who uses a small boat hard and often.

What the Model Code Means

• BF: Honda four stroke outboard.
• 20: 20 horsepower.
• D3: series and type.
• L: long shaft, 20 inches.
• H: handle, meaning tiller steering.
• T: power tilt, which on Honda’s small tillers comes with electric start.

For the pull start version, see the Honda BF20D3LH. For a 15 inch shaft with the same features, see the Honda BF20D3SHT. For 15 HP with power tilt, see the Honda BF15D3LHT.

Specifications of the Honda BF20D3LHT for Sale

Figures from Honda’s official BF15 and BF20 specification page.

What Electric Start and Power Tilt Add

Key start. Turn the key and go. No standing in a rocking boat pulling a cord, no sore shoulder after a day of moving between spots. Anyone aboard can start the Honda BF20D3LHT for sale.

Power tilt. A switch raises and lowers the motor through its full range. Lift it for a gravel bar, drop it again past the shallows, tilt it fully at the ramp or on a beach, all without letting go of the tiller.

More charging. Electric start models get a 12 amp alternator, twice the output Honda lists for pull start models. That keeps a battery healthy with a fish finder, GPS and lights running, and covers the power used by the starter and tilt motor.

The trade off is a battery to maintain and some extra weight. For people who use their boats often, especially in shallow water, it is well worth it.

How the Honda BF20D3LHT for Sale Runs

The 350 cc twin is smooth and quiet, idles steadily for trolling and pulls cleanly when you open the throttle. The three stage carburettor keeps the mixture right across the rev range. Tuned for 20 HP, it revs a little higher than the 15 and feels lively on a small aluminium boat. It uses very little fuel and makes no smoke.

Boats That Suit It

• Aluminium fishing boats and jon boats from about 12 to 16 feet with a 20 inch transom and a 20 HP rating.
• River boats that cross riffles and gravel bars.
• Guide boats used many times a day.
• Duck and marsh boats.
• Boats that are beached rather than launched from a ramp.

Check the capacity plate. If your boat is rated for 25 HP and has a console, look at our 25 HP Honda outboards.

Using Power Tilt in Rivers and Shallows

Read the water ahead. As you approach a shallow riffle, slow down and tilt the motor up a notch or two with the switch, keeping the water intake submerged. Watch the cooling water tell tale; if it weakens or stops, shut down and check the intake. Once past the shallows, tilt fully down before you accelerate so the prop grips properly. It becomes second nature after a few trips.

Beach Landings

Slow well before the shore, tilt up in stages as the bottom rises, cut the engine before the skeg touches, then tilt fully up and step out. When leaving, push out until the water covers the intake, tilt down, start in neutral with the key and back away slowly.

Setting the Trim

The running angle is set with a four position adjuster on the bracket. Power tilt raises and lowers the motor but doesn’t trim it on the move. Choose the position that keeps the motor roughly vertical with your usual load.

Choosing and Fitting a Battery

Use a marine starting battery of the size the manual recommends, in a secured box, as far forward as the cables allow to help balance. Keep terminals clean and tight. Power tilt draws current each time you use it, so a healthy battery matters. Charge it between trips if the boat sits for long periods.

Looking After the Tilt Unit

Check the tilt unit fluid at every service. Rinse the ram with fresh water after salt trips and look for leaks. When trailering, support the motor with the tilt lock or a transom saver.

Mounting

Mount on the centreline, tighten the clamp screws firmly and add through bolts. Start with the anti ventilation plate about level with the bottom of the hull and adjust after a test run.

Choosing a Propeller

Honda lists a 9¼ by 10 inch aluminium prop as standard. At full throttle with your usual load, aim for 5,000 to 6,000 RPM. Drop the pitch if the engine falls short, raise it if it overshoots. On rocky rivers, carry a spare. Honda’s propeller selector is a useful start.

A Guide’s Day With the Honda BF20D3LHT for Sale

A fishing guide might start and stop the motor forty times in a day and tilt it twenty. Clients sit still while the guide repositions the boat. The motor comes up for a riffle with a thumb on the switch and drops back down just as quickly. The battery stays charged thanks to the 12 amp alternator. And at the end of a long season, fuel costs are a fraction of what an old two stroke would have used. That is why so many guides run exactly this setup.

15 or 20 HP?

The BF15 and BF20 share the same engine and weight. If your boat is rated for 20, the Honda BF20D3LHT for sale gives you a third more power for no extra weight. If it is rated for 15, choose the BF15D3LHT. Never exceed the capacity plate.

Charging Your Electronics

The 12 amp alternator keeps a starting battery topped up while running a fish finder, GPS, navigation lights and a small livewell pump. Charge a separate trolling motor battery bank at home.

Break-In and the First Service

For the first several hours, vary your throttle, avoid long stretches at full throttle and don’t hold one steady RPM for ages. The owner’s manual gives the exact steps. After break-in, change the engine oil and filter and check the gearcase oil. That first service clears out the fine particles from new parts bedding in, and it is one of the cheapest ways to help the Honda BF20D3LHT for sale last.

Fuel Quality Wherever You Boat

Water, dirt and stale fuel cause more outboard problems than anything else. Fuel quality varies from country to country and from one station to the next, and boats that sit in heat collect condensation in their tanks. Fit a good water separating filter, check the bowl often and change the element when due. Buy from busy stations, keep containers clean and sealed, and add stabiliser if the boat will sit for more than a few weeks.

Carburettors are simple and can be serviced almost anywhere, but stale fuel leaves sticky deposits in their tiny jets. Drain the carburettor before long storage, as the owner’s manual describes, and most starting trouble never happens.

Salt Water Care

Honda protects its outboards with layered paint, sacrificial anodes and sealed electrical connectors, but salt always wins against neglect. Flush the engine with fresh water after every salt trip, rinse the outside, check the anodes each season and replace them when about half worn, and touch up any chipped paint on the lower unit before corrosion spreads.

Storage Between Seasons

Before storing the motor for more than a month or two, change the oil so old oil doesn’t sit inside, treat or drain the fuel, flush the cooling system, check the gearcase oil for water and store the motor so water drains from the lower unit. In hot, humid climates, keep the boat covered and run the engine every few weeks if you can.

New Versus Used

Used outboards can look like a bargain, but you rarely know the full story. Was it flushed after salt? Were oil changes done on time? Did it ever overheat? A brand new Honda BF20D3LHT for sale starts at zero hours, with a clean history and factory warranty coverage where it applies. For a motor you plan to keep, that certainty is worth paying for.

Why Honda

Honda is an engine company first. Its outboards borrow heavily from its car, motorcycle and power equipment engines, which is why they tend to start easily, run smoothly and keep going for years with ordinary care. Honda was also one of the first big outboard makers to go fully four stroke, long before emission rules pushed the rest of the industry that way.

Service and Parts Near You

Honda has marine dealers and distributors in many countries, and routine parts such as filters, plugs, anodes and impellers are widely stocked. Look up your nearest service point on Honda’s dealer locator or through your local distributor before you order.

Safety

Wear the kill switch lanyard whenever the engine is running. Carry life jackets for everyone, a way to call for help and basic tools and spares. Check fuel and oil before every trip and tell someone your plans. Honda’s boating safety tips are worth a read at the start of each season.

Keep a Service Log

From day one, write down engine hours, services and parts. It keeps you on schedule, helps any mechanic diagnose problems and adds real value when you sell. Honda motors hold their value well on the used market, and a documented history makes that even more true.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ordering the wrong shaft length. Ignoring the capacity plate. Forgetting controls, harness or a battery where needed. Mounting a new motor on a damaged transom. Never checking wide open throttle RPM after fitting a prop. Skipping the first service. Letting fuel go stale. Each is easy to avoid, and avoiding them keeps the Honda BF20D3LHT for sale running well for years.

Why Buy From Us

We are an online outboard dealer shipping to customers around the world. We sell genuine new Honda motors in their factory crates, help you choose the right model and shaft length, and assist with shipping and customs paperwork. If you are unsure whether the Honda BF20D3LHT for sale suits your boat, send us photos and details before you order and we will give you a straight answer.

Getting Ready Before the Motor Arrives

While the crate is on its way, get the boat ready. That way the Honda BF20D3LHT for sale can go on the transom the day it arrives.

• Measure the transom height and confirm the shaft length.
• Check the capacity plate for maximum horsepower and engine weight.
• Inspect the transom for soft spots, cracks or corrosion and repair them.
• Replace old fuel hoses and fit a water separating fuel filter.
• Charge or buy a good marine battery, box and cables.
• Pick a first propeller to try.

Weight and Balance

On a tiller boat the stern carries the motor and the driver, which can make the bow ride high. Spread the load forward, keep the fuel tank central and your boat will run far better with the Honda BF20D3LHT for sale on the back.

Real World Performance

Top speed and fuel use depend on hull, load, prop, motor height and trim, so any single number is only a guide. Honda publishes real test results, with speed, RPM, fuel flow and the prop used, on its performance test page. Look for a boat similar to yours for a realistic idea of what to expect from the Honda BF20D3LHT for sale.

Trailering

For trailering, tilt the motor up and support it with the tilt lock or a transom saver bar so the lower unit clears the road and the bracket isn’t taking every bump. Remove the key where fitted and disconnect a portable fuel tank. At the ramp, only lower the motor once the water is deep enough to cover the cooling water intake.

Spares Worth Keeping Aboard

A spare spark plug, a fuel filter element, a spare prop nut and cotter pin, and the basic tools to fit them take up almost no space. Read the owner’s manual section on emergency starting before your first trip, so you know what to do if the battery ever fails. Far from help, those few items can save your day.

Living With It Long Term

Look after the basics, oil, filters, impeller, anodes and clean fuel, and the Honda BF20D3LHT for sale should give many years of dependable running. Honda four strokes are known for going a long way on simple, regular care.

Commercial and Rental Use

Marinas, lodges, fish farms and rental fleets run Honda outboards because they start easily and keep going. If you plan to use the motor commercially, check the warranty terms in your country, since commercial cover is usually shorter than recreational cover, and keep closely to the service schedule.

Resale Value

Honda outboards are always in demand on the used market because people know how long they last. Keep your receipts and a simple service record, and the Honda BF20D3LHT for sale will hold its value well and help your boat sell when the time comes.

Getting Help Before You Buy

Not sure about shaft length, starting type, controls or shipping? Send us a message with photos of your boat. We would much rather answer a few questions now than have you wait weeks for the wrong motor.

Why the Honda BF20D3LHT for Sale Suits Busy Boats

Some boats go out twice a season. Others go out every weekend, or every day. The more you use a small boat, the more the Honda BF20D3LHT for sale pays you back. Each trip might mean ten starts and a handful of tilts. Over a season, that adds up to hundreds of pulls on a cord and hundreds of lifts of a hundred plus pound motor that you simply don’t have to do. Your back, your shoulders and your clients will all notice.

It also makes the boat easier to share. A partner, a child or a guest who has never run an outboard can start it with a key and lift it with a switch after a two minute lesson. For family boats, that alone can be the deciding factor.

Pull Start or Power Tilt?

If you boat in deep water, rarely tilt and like the idea of no battery at all, the pull start BF20D3LH is lighter and simpler. If you run rivers, beach the boat, fish shallow flats or just want the least effort, the Honda BF20D3LHT for sale is the better choice. Both share the same engine, so performance on the water is the same.

Is the Honda BF20D3LHT for Sale Right for You?

If your boat has a 20 inch transom and a 20 HP rating, you steer from the stern, and you tilt or restart the motor often, the answer is yes. It is the most convenient 20 HP portable Honda builds for a standard transom.

Ordering the Honda BF20D3LHT for Sale

1. Add it to your cart, or contact us first.
2. We confirm stock, address and shipping method.
3. The motor ships in its Honda crate.
4. You get tracking details.
5. You receive the crate and check it before signing.

International buyers pay their own import duties and taxes. We supply the paperwork.

See all Honda outboard motors, the 20 HP Honda outboards, or our full shop.

Similar Honda Outboards

• Honda BF20D3LH: 20 HP, pull start.
• Honda BF20D3SHT: 20 HP, 15 inch, power tilt.
• Honda BF15D3LHT: 15 HP, power tilt.
• Honda BFP10D3LHT: 9.9 HP Power Thrust, power tilt.
• Honda BF25D3LRT: 25 HP remote, power trim.

Browse 15 HP and 25 HP Honda outboards.

Questions About the Honda BF20D3LHT for Sale

Is it new?

Yes. The Honda BF20D3LHT for sale is new in the factory crate.

Electric start?

Yes.

Power tilt?

Yes.

Shaft length?

20 inches.

Battery included?

Batteries are normally sold separately.

Do you ship worldwide?

Yes.

Buy the Honda BF20D3LHT for Sale

For a 20 inch transom tiller boat rated at 20 HP that sees a lot of use, the Honda BF20D3LHT for sale makes every trip easier. Add it to your cart, or contact us first.

More choices are in our Honda outboards range.