January 10, 2023
Farmers who use John Deere equipment will get a break beginning in 2023, thanks to an agreement reached between the company and the American Farm Bureau Federation that guarantees farmers and ranchers the right to repair their own farm equipment.
Farmers’ access to diagnostic and repair codes, as well as operator, parts and service manuals and product guides, is formalized by the agreement. It will save farmers money, particularly those in rural areas far from a dealership or approved mechanic. It will also ensure that farmers can buy diagnostic tools directly from John Deere and get help from the manufacturer when ordering parts and products.
The AFBF President Zippy Duvall released a statement, “AFBF is pleased to announce this agreement with John Deere. It addresses a long-running issue for farmers and ranchers when it comes to accessing tools, information, and resources, while protecting John Deere’s intellectual property rights and ensuring equipment safety,” adding, “A piece of equipment is a major investment. Farmers must have the freedom to choose where equipment is repaired, or to repair it themselves, to help control costs. The MOU commits John Deere to ensuring farmers and independent repair facilities have access to many of the tools and software needed to grow the food, fuel and fiber America’s families rely on.”
David Gilmore, John Deere’s senior vice president for farm and turf sales and marketing, said the agreement reaffirms the company’s “longstanding commitment … to ensure our customers have the diagnostic tools and information they need to make many repairs to their machines.”
The sources for this piece include an article in ZDNet.
