John Deere agrees to let US farmers repair their own equipment

John Deere has reached an agreement with an agribusiness lobby group to allow US farmers and ranchers to repair their own equipment, a move to settle a long-standing dispute between the company and its customers as tractors and other hand tools become more fashionable.

The agreement with the American Farm Bureau Federation, signed today at the farming lobby group’s convention in Puerto Rico, ensures farmers have access to diagnostic and repair codes, as well as manuals and product guides, according to a joint statement. In addition, US farmers can buy tools directly from Deere and get help from the company when ordering products.

Farmers have long campaigned for the right to repair their equipment themselves as technology becomes more complex. The company has claimed it needs to control access to its software to ensure its products work securely and its intellectual property is protected.

A study by the Public Interest Research Group last year found that Deere, which controls 53 percent of the US large tractor market, has just one authorized dealership chain for every 12,018 farms and every 5.3 million acres of American farmland, according to PIRG.

“A piece of gear is a big investment,” association president Zippy Duvall said in a statement. “Farmers must have the freedom to choose where equipment is repaired or repair it themselves to control costs.”

Bloomberg.