# 70s sears st ten FOR SALE



## DonCam (Dec 11, 2013)

*Jackson Power Steering Quality*

I purchased a power steering kit for my Ford 860 from Jackson Power Steering sometime over a month or so ago. The kit was shipped quickly and in my opinion on the expensive side. When I opened up the box the kit came in I was happy to see the items that Jackson purchases from other vendors to be of decent quality and in good condition. Jackson also seems to have someone make brackets for him. One of the brackets house the power steering unit, shaft and steering wheel, the other brackets are what hold the hydraulic cylinders in place. I was not at all pleased with any of these brackets. They were poorly built and poorly welded. Below is the top of the bracket, some may be ok with installing this on their tractor but I am not. 

Side shot of the bracket, nothing is square and the brackets are too wide apart, should be 7.5" but are 8.75, was told by Jackson to just stretch my sheetmetal around it, no go for me.

Bottom plate of bracket, this plate is supposed to seal on the top of the steering box, won't get much of a seal with it warped that bad. 

Bracket used for mounting the hydraulic cylinders, very pourous welds and the holes drilled for the cylinder mounts were in different spots on each bracket.


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## DonCam (Dec 11, 2013)

This is another of the hydraulic cylinder mount brackets, the steel is only 1/8" thick and is already warped from just drilling the hole I assume. Can't imagine this will hold up very long on a tractor with full hydraulic steering. 



I could have made repairs to all of these brackets but feel I should get good quality made parts when I purchase a kit especially for the price I paid for this one at 1405 which included 45 dollar in shipping. I did send these pictures to Jackson and he didn't seem real concerned. He stated he never really had complaints from these kits and told me the very kit I sent back to him was used on a tractor that just happen to be brought to his shop shortly after arriving and it installed with no issue. Some folks may not have issues with this kind of quality but wanted to make folks aware of what you might get if you order a kit from Jackson Power Steering. The other thing that bothered me is when I told him I wanted to return the kit he was not going to pay me the shipping cost I paid to him to ship the kit to me. He finally agreed to pay that but I did have to pay return shipping to him even though in my opinion the brackets in his kit have some serious quality problems.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Looks like they had the shielding gas turned off when they did them welds (Perosity).


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## Brutus (Oct 6, 2012)

Was their QC guy on vacation when that was made?


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## Roland_Jackson (Dec 21, 2013)

Hello Everyone!

Yes, I did sell a power steering kit to Don Cambell around a month or two ago. I am so embarrassed, but Don is right, the steering kit was not up to my quality standards.

As some of you may know, I have had some major health problems the past two years. During my recovery from cancer surgery this year, I decided to hire a young man to help me build steering kits. I spent a lot of time training him and and I honestly felt comfortable enough, with his work, to let him build steering while I was out of the office on my medical visits.

On the day, Don's steering kit was built, I had a doctor's appointment and sadly, was not around to inspect the steering kit that was shipped to him. After Don received the steering kit, he contacted me and sent me the same pictures that you are seeing....pointing out the quality issues with the steering kit that was sent to him. I agreed with him and I apologized. I told Don that I would like to make it right or I would cheerfully refund all the money he paid me for the steering kit. Don ask me to drastically reduce the price of the steering kit. I told him that couldn't really do that...I would rather he return the kit and I would issue him a full refund. So, Don sent the steering kit back to me and I refunded of all the money he had paid me for the steering kit....which was $1360 for the kit plus $55 for the shipping charges...$1515 total.

And it is true that the very next day, after receiving the steering kit that Don returned, I installed that very steering kit on a customer's tractor. I did show the tractor's owner the brackets in question and explained to him that they had been returned because of a quality issue. After looking at the brackets, he had no problem with me installing the kit on his tractor. The kit fit perfectly and my customer is totally satisfied.

During my many, many conversations and emails with Don, concerning all of this, I was kind and respectful and cheerfully tired to do everything I could to make up for the mistake. So, I don't understand why Don is trying to harm my business. He is posting the pictures and his version of what happened on many of the tractor forums. It is like he is on a mission.

I will be the first to admit that a mistake was made. I am human. In the fourteen years that I have been building power steering for tractors, I have made and shipped several thousand of them to every state in the country. I have always enjoyed many, many compliments about my product from satisfied customers both in the United States, Mexico and Canada...even one in Australia! I am very proud of that! Building a quality product is very important to me. I value my reputation. I am an honest person and will bend over backwards to do the right thing.

So, in reading what Don had to say about my reaction, what he says I said and all the events that happened, well, I don't recognize much of what Don has written in his posts.

But, i am an honest, forgiving person that wants to do the right thing....always. And, I am a firm believer that out of everything bad that happens in life, good will always come from it. In this case, I made a mistake..which was bad...but the good...I have had so many phone calls and emails of support from tractor enthusiasts who have read Don's posts and have a hard time believing what he has written about me not caring about the mistake.

On a different subject, I just want everyone to know that I recently received a good report from my doctor. The cancer I once had is gone and my heart condition has been resolved.

If there is one thing I would like for everyone to know...is that when a man turns 50, getting regular PSA tests is so important. It was the continued elevation of the PSA in my blood that alerted the doctor that something was wrong.

Also, to track the condition of the heart, periodic stress tests are so important If one person decides to do preventive measures for his health, because of what I have written, all of this will have been worth it!

In this life, if one has their health...that is the important thing....the rest that happens is just stuff! What happened between Don and I is just stuff that can be corrected! I have learned from my mistake and will do my best not to let it happen again, therefore, I will be doing all the building of my power steering kits from now on. If any of you have any questions or concerns, I would value your feedback.

Blessings to all,
Roland


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

DonCam said:


> I purchased a power steering kit for my Ford 860 from Jackson Power Steering sometime over a month or so ago. The kit was shipped quickly and in my opinion on the expensive side. When I opened up the box the kit came in I was happy to see the items that Jackson purchases from other vendors to be of decent quality and in good condition. Jackson also seems to have someone make brackets for him. One of the brackets house the power steering unit, shaft and steering wheel, the other brackets are what hold the hydraulic cylinders in place. I was not at all pleased with any of these brackets. They were poorly built and poorly welded. Below is the top of the bracket, some may be ok with installing this on their tractor but I am not.
> 
> Side shot of the bracket, nothing is square and the brackets are too wide apart, should be 7.5" but are 8.75, was told by Jackson to just stretch my sheetmetal around it, no go for me.
> 
> ...




Did Mr. Roland give you a full refund? I did a little research on his Co, and the little I did find was all positive.


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## DonCam (Dec 11, 2013)

wjjones said:


> Did Mr. Roland give you a full refund? I did a little research on his Co, and the little I did find was all positive.


He did give me a full refund but wouldn't pay for me to return the kit to him which cost me 60 dollars. He made it seem as though I was being overly picky about the quality which I don't think I am. I asked him if he had other brackets that were better, to include being the right width for my sheet metal and he said they were all the same. His kits are quite expensive, and I expect to get some decent quality brackets. 

I did the same research and found nothing bad. I did happen to notice that on one of the testimonies that the guy said he had to do some modifications to the brackets, I don't believe I should have to start modding out parts on a kit I paid 1345 dollars for. He did say that I was only the second person to return a kit to him. So either folks don't care how poor the quality is on the brackets or he has had a decline in assembly quality of the brackets. When I looked at his instructions you can see that the brackets are beefier and better built, which leads me to believe the assembly quality has dropped.


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

I dont now many businesses that will refund your shipping cost but I can understand wanting the best quality product you can find. Did you ever get it worked out, and your tractor fixed?


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## DonCam (Dec 11, 2013)

wjjones said:


> I dont now many businesses that will refund your shipping cost but I can understand wanting the best quality product you can find. Did you ever get it worked out, and your tractor fixed?


I didn't figure he would pay to return the item even though it's not my fault there is a quality issue, I still felt he should. 
The tractor will be fine, the old steering had already been rebuilt and worked perfect. Just a pain to steer with my one arm loader on the tractor, even without a load. The tractor is still in peices though, I ended up with a buldged disc in my neck while taking apart the tractor and just had some fusion surgery done a couple of weeks ago. It will be a little while before I can get back to getting the tractor finished. While apart I changed the clutch and am redoing the paint on the front sheetmetal.


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

DonCam said:


> I didn't figure he would pay to return the item even though it's not my fault there is a quality issue, I still felt he should.
> The tractor will be fine, the old steering had already been rebuilt and worked perfect. Just a pain to steer with my one arm loader on the tractor, even without a load. The tractor is still in peices though, I ended up with a buldged disc in my neck while taking apart the tractor and just had some fusion surgery done a couple of weeks ago. It will be a little while before I can get back to getting the tractor finished. While apart I changed the clutch and am redoing the paint on the front sheetmetal.




Well we love pictures here if you can get us some of your tractor, and the work your doing to it? Have you tried finding a kit anywhere else?


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

Where are you located?


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## DonCam (Dec 11, 2013)

wjjones said:


> Where are you located?


I am located near Baton Rouge Louisiana.


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## DonCam (Dec 11, 2013)

wjjones said:


> Well we love pictures here if you can get us some of your tractor, and the work your doing to it? Have you tried finding a kit anywhere else?


No other kits out there that I know of currently. A kit like the one from Jacksons could be easily built in reality. The link here is what a kit would need to have to work. Seems some of the off roaders build a similar kit for full hydraulic steering. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...a=X&ei=Rmu8UvXUDqbi2wXY04C4CQ&ved=0CDkQ9QEwAA


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

DonCam said:


> I am located near Baton Rouge Louisiana.


 

Cool my neighbor is from Jefferson parish. I wish you where closer I would buy that sears tractor from you.


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## DonCam (Dec 11, 2013)

wjjones said:


> Cool my neighbor is from Jefferson parish. I wish you where closer I would buy that sears tractor from you.


Very familiar with Jefferson Parish, used to live there and know quite a few folks that still live there east and west bank. What made your neighbor move, Katrina maybe?

I don't really have a tractor for sale, think my thread was moved here due to some issues.


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

DonCam said:


> Very familiar with Jefferson Parish, used to live there and know quite a few folks that still live there east and west bank. What made your neighbor move, Katrina maybe?
> 
> I don't really have a tractor for sale, think my thread was moved here due to some issues.




He worked with Western electric which is now AT&T he moved up here along time before Katrina but some of his children where dis-placed by katrina they moved here, and stayed with him while they waited for their homes to be recovered, or paid for by their insurance. Some of them moved back there, and a few stayed here in Tn. Martinez is the name. I have another neighbor that moved here way before that too he lost his house that was for sale down there. Have they ever done anything to build a storm surge barrier like they said they where going to do?


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## DonCam (Dec 11, 2013)

wjjones said:


> He worked with Western electric which is now AT&T he moved up here along time before Katrina but some of his children where dis-placed by katrina they moved here, and stayed with him while they waited for their homes to be recovered, or paid for by their insurance. Some of them moved back there, and a few stayed here in Tn. Martinez is the name. I have another neighbor that moved here way before that too he lost his house that was for sale down there. Have they ever done anything to build a storm surge barrier like they said they where going to do?


Martinez, work with a few with the same last name but they are from the Chack Bay area. They have worked on a lot of barriers in the area, west back and east bank and have built pumping stations and added pumps to existing stations.


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

Are you asking enough for your tractor? I saw one close to me, and the guy is asking $1250 with a plow, and grader blade.


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