Less torque equates to less shock,so yes.Broken PTO usually is a sign of hitting something solid that tries to suddenly stop the implement causing a shock to the system.The weak point is what broke.Bouncing the front end will cause the steering gear to take a shock and the weakest part broke,the link.The steering was probably damaged prior to the lawn work.bouncing across it at a fast speed probably finished breaking the link.Turning sharply or jerking a tractor around at speed will also cause steering gear failure.I won't mention the safety issues with this operational technique.