Why the hate for mcintosh amps?

it’s like bridging if you need more power, wrong.

You just reminded me of a third good reason for using a trafo - bridging halves the effective impedance. A trafo brings it back to normal again.

Needless to say I don't share your moral view of amplifier utilization, I'm a pragmatist.

lets say we agree to disagree, on this one
Cheers George

" Greatfull dead/Jerry Garcia’s Favorite McIntosh 2300 Amplifiers weren’t owned by them, and were owned by nobody they’re worth around 3K.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/363362695974"

That would be the "Grateful Dead" and the link you posted was an amp for sale, not one that has sold. All amps in the auction sold, I do think at silly prices, however just pointing out. The value to one may not be the value to others.

Since the output transformers allow for 2 4 or 8 ohm (i use 4 ohm) variations in speaker needs, why do they have separate connects for each?

why not a single/universal connect to speakers that can handle all 3?.?.?

I guess that the different speaker binding posts connect to different windings within the Autoformers.