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Farmers Deserve the Right to Repair Their Tractors

farms.com

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Re: Farmers Deserve the Right to Repair Their Tractors

#71

Post by WalterBright »

vimacs2 wrote: post #65
WalterBright wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The hockey stick innovation curve started at the time of the industrial revolution, thanks to free markets.

Or it could have also been due to the whole having access to orders of magnitude more mechanical power on tap, assembly line production allowing for rapid prototyping, and industrialisation of agriculture leading to a population boom.

Which happened in free market countries, not unfree ones.

P.S. the assembly line (invented in a free market country) is not about rapid prototyping. Prototypes are not built on an assembly line.

Re: Farmers Deserve the Right to Repair Their Tractors

#72

Post by noisy_boy »

BeFlatXIII wrote: post #58
_wldu wrote: post #50

Old tractors are bringing top dollar at auctions (and have been for some time now). IMO, the same thing will happen with old cars/trucks some day. Now, they are mostly hobby cars for collectors and auto enthusiasts, but some day will be widely sought after due to more people wanting/needing to repair them. Late 80s and early 90s Toyotas will be sold at a premium as will any/all old Ford F-150 trucks.

In the year 2121, the Toyota Hilux will still be the go-to choice for aspiring warlords. The difference is that they may have competition from Americans who want a repairable vehicle.

By that yardstick, Thailand will be the richest country on earth in terms of value of cars owned because I have never seen a higher concentration of HiLux cars anywhere else in the world.

Re: Farmers Deserve the Right to Repair Their Tractors

#73

Post by vimacs2 »

WalterBright wrote: post #71
vimacs2 wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or it could have also been due to the whole having access to orders of magnitude more mechanical power on tap, assembly line production allowing for rapid prototyping, and industrialisation of agriculture leading to a population boom.

Which happened in free market countries, not unfree ones. P.S. the assembly line (invented in a free market country) is not about rapid prototyping. Prototypes are not built on an assembly line.

Russia and China or do those not count?

Re: Farmers Deserve the Right to Repair Their Tractors

#74

Post by dncornholio »

the_biot wrote: post #39

There is a lot of misinformation about this. At face value, articles like this imply you're not able or allowed to fix mechanical issues, how dare they! What they don't mention is that manufacturers protect their electronic gear i.e. the consoles inside the machine that use GPS to run a field, adjust the attachment acccording to various sensors etc. This is very sophisticated stuff, and farmers need and want this fun…

> This is very sophisticated stuff

So what? A PC is very sophisticated as well but no matter which parts I put together, it works. You can abstract the sophisticated stuff away.. This is just a bad excuse IMHO

Re: Farmers Deserve the Right to Repair Their Tractors

#75

Post by libertine »

_wldu wrote: post #69

I wonder why JD does not make a large simple tractor that is mostly mechanical and hydraulic using standard/common parts and sell them at a higher price? They could advertise them to be owner repairable to justify the higher price. It seems there is a demand.

That would be a proof of concept that their current practices aren't justified, not only from a marketing standpoint but probably also from a legal standpoint.

The problem isn't providing replacement parts. I think the issue is that locking their customers in their maintenance services is part of their business model.

Most likely the lifetime of service (decades) wouldn't easily be fitted into the margin of a specific model.

Re: Farmers Deserve the Right to Repair Their Tractors

#76

Post by bserge »

rahkiin wrote: post #66
teachingassist wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The opposite, surely. If there's no market for old hardware, there's no benefit to making new products which hold their value.

When a company rents out equipment, the longer the equipment is usable, the more rent can be earned on it. So there is an incentive to have durable products when the income is on a subscription basis.

It could be even more profitable to do a subscription with a "swap your old one for a new one for a big discount" on a regular basis.

Re: Farmers Deserve the Right to Repair Their Tractors

#77

Post by maxerickson »

beckman466 wrote: post #2

> A few decades ago, any given farmer often had the skills and tools needed to quickly make repairs if their machinery broke down. These days, however, it’s not so straightforward. Most modern farm equipment is technologically advanced, containing computers and sensors that collect and transmit data. As a result, specific software tools are typically necessary to address mechanical failures and other issues. > Howeve…

The DRM in these tractors doesn't really depend on any IP laws.

There's probably some restriction on reverse engineering it, but for a relatively low volume market with difficult to manufacture hardware parts, there's not going to be all that much interest in overcoming DRM even if there weren't laws.

Re: Farmers Deserve the Right to Repair Their Tractors

#78

Post by ClumsyPilot »

vbezhenar wrote: post #19
ClumsyPilot wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pleasse stop rehashing free market platitudes without any thinking. Look at the actual manufacturers, realise that noone is producing simple tractors any more, where are they going to come from?

Belarus produces simple and cheap tractors since forever, they are popular in Russia and other CIS countries. Just import them.

I dont think "just import them" covers the difficulties a lone farmer would have in transport, customs, language barrier and maintenance of a fairly random piece of equipment across an ocean that is also critical for their primary source of income.

And imagine you have a warranty dispute or similar

Re: Farmers Deserve the Right to Repair Their Tractors

#79

Post by bserge »

theshrike79 wrote: post #36
sackerhews wrote: post #6

Making something that only you can repair can be quite a lucrative business. This documentary is quite interesting: McDonalds Ice Cream Machines Are Always Broken: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrDEtSlqJC4

A similar thing is happening with EVs. Many car dealers don't make their money from selling cars, they make most of their money from being the only authorized repair shop for said car model. And to keep the warranty valid, you need to service the car at an authorized shop. EVs, by design, don't require as much maintenance or as often as ICE cars. This will result in a disruption in the existing chain at some point. W…

Batteries will need swapping (not often, but a high price), and there's the added bonus of being able to "encourage" people to come in for repairs by just tweaking some OTA updates. I wonder who will get caught doing that first.

Re: Farmers Deserve the Right to Repair Their Tractors

#80

Post by WalterBright »

vimacs2 wrote: post #73
WalterBright wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which happened in free market countries, not unfree ones. P.S. the assembly line (invented in a free market country) is not about rapid prototyping. Prototypes are not built on an assembly line.

Russia and China or do those not count?

Russia and China did not industrialize until well over a century later. Or are you saying Russia and China build prototypes on an assembly line? I'll need a reference for that!
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