Deere lifts repair limitations allowing farmers to repair own tractors

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - John Deere is allowing farmers to diagnose and repair broken-down agricultural equipment on their own.

CNN reports the agreement signed Sunday alleviates complaints from farmers over having to wait days or weeks for an official repair, which they say disrupts planting and harvesting schedules and harms the food supply chain.

It comes after farmers across the country, including in Iowa, dealt with supply chain issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic and additional shortages amid a strike that involved 10,000 Deere employees in 2021.

Under the agreement, farmers will have access to the same Deere documentation, data and diagnostic tools used by the company’s authorized repair shops. That means farmers will be able to determine what’s causing a break-down and repair it themselves, or take the equipment to an independent repair facility.

However, farmers and independent repair shops are not allowed to disable safety features or use Deere’s technology to illegally copy the software that controls the equipment.

The American Farm Bureau Federation says the agreement addresses farmers’ complaints while protecting John Deere’s intellectual property.

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