A Better Way to Flush

I still remember how excited I was when my wife brought home our Suzuki 2.5 HP tender motor. It was the perfect addition to the dinghy on our Ranger Tug R27, giving us the freedom to roam farther while at anchor. I set it on the simple 2×4 mount I’d screwed to my workbench and started familiarizing myself with every component, eager for our first trip the next day. 

Then a question hit me: “Where’s the flushing port?”

What I didn’t realize was that small outboard motors don’t have a hose‑connection port for flushing.

I grabbed the manual and flipped straight to the maintenance section, hoping for a clear answer. When I finally found it, my excitement evaporated. The manufacturer recommended placing the motor’s leg in a bucket of fresh water and running the engine to circulate it. 

A bucket. Every time. What a pain.

That kicked off a long parade of improvised setups — sawhorses of various size, buckets of every size, awkward balancing acts — each one leaving me muttering, “There HAS to be a better way.” And judging by the internet, the bucket method was simply “the accepted way.”

After every saltwater outing (which is the only place we use the tender), I’d lug the motor home, set up the sawhorse, fill the bucket, and think of the Mandalorian: “This is the way.” But I still knew… there HAS to be a better way.

A few times I tried flushing it right on the boat by lifting a 5‑gallon bucket under the motor and securing it with a sophisticated arrangement of rope loops. Predictably, the bucket never stayed put. That’s when the idea of “the better way” really started forming.

And that’s how the No More Buckets small outboard motor flusher was born. 

You can find plenty of “flushing ears” for larger motors, but nothing for the small outboards. By modeling the engine leg, I designed a way to connect a garden hose directly to the water inlets. No bucket. No balancing act. No hauling the motor home. 

The result is simple, compact, and genuinely better:

• Continuous fresh water instead of recirculating salty water
• Less water usage
• Far less storage space than a bucket
• So easy to use that I now flush the engine more often — which means better longevity
• And honestly… it’s actually fun 

I’ve met plenty of boaters who never flush their tender motors because the bucket routine is such a hassle. With our No More Buckets models for Suzuki, Yamaha, and more on the way, there’s finally no excuse not to maintain your small outboard properly.

Yes — there is a better way to flush your small outboard engine.

The No More Buckets flusher is it.