PACKO

Perhaps if you state the actual model number and serial number someone can help you.

This is what caused my "non- shear bolt " to break.  Cast iron approximately 7" across and one piece until I  broke it.

I have a 1996 Toro 824 Power Shift with the drum auger.  A couple weeks ago I broke an Auger bolt after eating a 6" round cast iron plate.  This machine doesnt use "shear bolts" either.  The machine stopped dead in its tracks and I had to push it home like a dead mule.  I feared the worse since I knew it didnt have "shear bolts" according to Toro.  It did in fact break an auger bolt.  The bolt was brass colored and had three radial lines on the head which indicates a steel grade 5 bolt, There were no lines cut around it like a "shear bolt" to cause it to break easier.  There are small spacers used by Toro on  each bolt and these are not stocked by any dealer in the area.  Luckily I found the one that flew off when it broke.  I found some grade 5 bolts at the hardware store and reassembled the machine and its up and running again.  I will order the correct parts in the future.  I agree it is a pain in the a-s to replace these, glad I was close to home when it happened.  With the drum auger you have to work down inside the drum thru a large hole on each side of the drum to access the bolts.  I was lucky I was able to punch the broken  piece out with a long screw driver.

Toro has a nice marketing thing going by saying "no shear bolts required" they just dont tell the rest of the story by saying the auger bolts will break when they really have to, so have some on hand if you need them.  I couldnt imagine what it would have cost to fix the differential or the transmission.  This machine has an actual multi geared transmission, so there is no slipping rubber drive wheel to deal with.  I bought this in November for $300. sure beats the Ariens single stage I had.

We have no idea what type of machine you have.  If it has a rubber drive wheel and plate and ithey may have gotten covered with a gas or  oil mixture and just slides instead of grabbing.  Just a blind guess.

Usually there is a decal on the housing showing which way to turn the choke.  Perhaps the linkage is hooked into the wrong hole.