Tractor Hacking: The Farmers Breaking Big Tech's Repair Monopoly

[Chris]

Farmers should be able to hack their tractor computers. They shouldn't need government to give them permission.

[Captdon]

Farmers should be able to hack their tractor computers. They shouldn't need government to give them permission.

I didn't know it was illegal.

[Chris]

I didn't know it was illegal.

From what I understand, it violates purchasing contract.

I understand why companies like Deere want to protect their business, maintain ownership of the software, but also understand the need for farmers to fix their own tractors.

[jigglepete]

From what I understand, it violates purchasing contract.

I understand why companies like Deere want to protect their business, maintain ownership of the software, but also understand the need for farmers to fix their own tractors.

Lesson in "always read the fine print?" Seems wrong regardless...

[Chris]

Lesson in "always read the fine print?" Seems wrong regardless...

Not much different than any software you purchase, you don't really own it.

[HawkTheSlayer]

John Deere is all but dead. This has become a major issue over the last decade.
America's Tractor has become nothing more than a plastic shell of lost pride.

And these are the good ones you buy at dealerships.
God forbid you buy a JD riding mower at places like Home Depot, etc.
The decks are paper thin and soon rust out.

I have an old International 1066(around 110 hp) which I seldom use and a 50 hp Kubota(4 wheel drive) I bought about 10 years ago with little tech and no cab.
The quality of any Kubota product is unmatched in the market for performance and longevity.

Some of the things these newer tractors can do is truly amazing. Things like calculating planting rates and adjusting seed distribution and gps forward lets you drive the tractor without steering it.
If you do a gps while planting and save it, you can literally go back to your starting point and cultivate or fertilize without touching the steering wheel.
Kinda takes all the fun out. Lol.

Im all for disabling regular maintenance overides and even many proprietary electronic features.

In much the same fashion as everything we do on the net is recorded forever, JD is also acquiring personal data from every farm that utilizes its electronics.

Maybe farmers should wise up and put a clause in the purchase agreement requiring John Deere to pay them for the info JD collects.

[Peter1469]

From what I understand, it violates purchasing contract.

I understand why companies like Deere want to protect their business, maintain ownership of the software, but also understand the need for farmers to fix their own tractors.

Yes, that is what is going on. The manufacturers have a separate software license so when you buy the tractor you have no rights to the software installed.