Yep, those side slashes look like shark gill slits, aggressive and waiting for more revs to suck in air.
On the scout for a Borat-like machine and came across a similar but unfortunately 3hp version. Pretty sure it’s the same model Craftsman as Borat’s with a HSK600. I wondered what that big case was all about and it’s not much. It’s an empty cavern in there with the peanut size 600. Tons of room.
Twenty dollars, electric start, augers fine, and it fires up with gas in the throat. I put out a couple of emails looking for an 850.
The red one is Murray 3hp HSK600. Ten dollars. Got that apart and it seems fine. Augers are full, 95 psi compression and the carb cleaned right up. Starts fine and runs well. It needs a chute hold down bracket in the front but that’s about it for flaws.
It was a surprise to find a carb bowl access plate on the bottom cover. But after seeing what was required to get the bottom cover off for carb access it makes sense. Getting the bottom cover off requires taking off the belt cover and they used bolts rather than sheet metal screws. The bolts are hard to get to. So I think the carb bowl plate was added to give the mechanic a shot at cleaning the carb somewhat and not have to go through taking off the covers. A carb cleaning on this would probably be $200 at a shop.
The Craftsman cover is ringed with scads of bolts and looked like a hassle which is why the red Murray got done first. Not looking forward to taking off the Craftsman covers.
