It's a "we can build each snowblower for 75¢ cheaper if we don't install a fuel filter" thing more than anything. So if a manufacturer makes, say, 5 million snowblowers in a year that's $3.75 Million more in "shareholder value". And the odds are against this missing fuel filter causing issues for most people inside the warranty period. After that, they don't give a ****.
If you look at a modern piece of equipment like this (snowblowers, lawnmowers, etc) vs one built even 10 (much less 20 or 30) years ago, it's astounding how much most manufacturers are cheaping out now. It's all about being able to put **** on the sales floor for the lowest possible price now, not building something that'll still be in someones garage and operating 30 years later.