12 votes

Why American farmers are hacking their tractors with Ukrainian firmware

5 comments

  1. [2]
    time
    Link
    This is so blatantly anti-consumer, it should be illegal, and large fines (% of yearly revenue ideally) should be levied against Deere or anyone else who acts like this. Looks like people are...

    A license agreement John Deere required farmers to sign in October forbids nearly all repair and modification to farming equipment, and prevents farmers from suing for "crop loss, lost profits, loss of goodwill, loss of use of equipment … arising from the performance or non-performance of any aspect of the software." The agreement applies to anyone who turns the key or otherwise uses a John Deere tractor with embedded software. It means that only John Deere dealerships and "authorized" repair shops can work on newer tractors.

    This is so blatantly anti-consumer, it should be illegal, and large fines (% of yearly revenue ideally) should be levied against Deere or anyone else who acts like this.

    Kenney and Kluthe have been pushing for right-to-repair legislation in Nebraska that would invalidate John Deere's license agreement (seven other states are considering similar bills). In the meantime, farmers have started hacking their machines because even simple repairs are made impossible by the embedded software within the tractor. John Deere is one of the staunchest opponents of this legislation.

    Looks like people are trying to get things moving in the right direction to fix this. Hopefully we can overcome the oligarchy and get some laws passed that forbid such terrible corporate behavior.

    6 votes
    1. Khorne
      Link Parent
      The comment the AT&T represnetative makes in the video during the hearing is..just insane: Also the John Deere comment to everything: [emphasis mine] just reads as "well, we can do that but we're...

      The comment the AT&T represnetative makes in the video during the hearing is..just insane:

      I just don't sell in Nebraska

      Also the John Deere comment to everything:

      Customers, dealers, and manufacturers should work together on the issue rather than invite government regulation that could add costs with no associated value

      [emphasis mine] just reads as "well, we can do that but we're gonna jack prices regardless".

      4 votes
  2. [3]
    nsz
    Link
    Damn, this is kind of crazy, would have never though tractors would get so high tech.

    Damn, this is kind of crazy, would have never though tractors would get so high tech.

    2 votes
    1. [2]
      lars
      Link Parent
      Yeah, the technology we have now is insane. Thing is, a lot of farmers ain't got internet because they live in a super rural area.

      Yeah, the technology we have now is insane. Thing is, a lot of farmers ain't got internet because they live in a super rural area.

      2 votes
      1. nsz
        Link Parent
        Yeah wow, it's like a different world.

        Yeah wow, it's like a different world.