Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I found a leaf loader on Craigslist and couldn't resist bringing it home (familiar story?). The 11hp briggs IC motor and does not smoke or vibrate. The intake on the blower housing is 12 inches with a 6 inch discharge. The previous owner used it to spread mulch. I was planning on doing the same and also sucking up leaves. The loader came with a long sectiono of 12 inch intake hose and also a 6 inch discharge hose for spreading mulch. It runs really strong. I had to disassemble things to get it into the trunk of my car for the ride home and while I did give it a good once over, I did not notice a hairline crack along one of the impeller blades until I got it home and was putting it back together. I was curious what my options might be at this point. The price was so low that I can't really make an argument with the seller and ask for my money back. The engine alone is worth what I paid and the seller tossed in a two man auger with another 11hp briggs (sounds like another project). The impeller is made of steel. Can it be welded? Will a weld throw everything out of balance and destroy the motor in short order? Can these impellers be replaced or is the ussually cost prohibitive? Is this a common problem with leaf / debri loaders? I'll post a picture of the crack when I get some daylight.