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#The Wall Street Journal: Deere will allow customers to repair their own farming equipment

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“The Wall Street Journal: Deere will allow customers to repair their own farming equipment”

Farmers had complained that proprietary software and repair restrictions were driving up costs

Machinery manufacturer Deere & Co. signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation on Sunday that the group said ensures farmers can repair their own farm equipment or take it to independent repair shops.

The agreement addresses a debate that has grown in recent years, as the farm industry has implemented high-tech equipment like software and sensors in machinery like tractors and harvesters aimed at boosting harvests and speeding planting.

Some farmer organizations and consumer advocacy groups have accused Deere
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and other manufacturers of using proprietary software on their equipment to restrict repair work to the manufacturers’ own dealers.

Some farmers have said it has increased their costs by forcing them to call in technicians from dealerships for repairs they could handle themselves, if the equipment companies would give them greater access to the software.

An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.

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