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community weblog
Right to repair reforms to be expanded to farm machinery
Right to repair reforms to be expanded to farm machinery. After years of depending on dealership networks for essential repairs, farmers will have the right to fix their own equipment. (Australia)
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries on Dec 07, 2025 at 5:07 PM
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He said TMA members supported a farmer's right to repair and to use third-party technicians, with many already expanding access to diagnostic tools and manuals.
However, Mr Northover said the industry distinguished repair from modification.
"What we don't support is ... the unfettered right to modify machines," he said.
Funny way of showing your support, bud. But also, is the machine the farmer's or what? If I want to modify my tractor, I don't want to have to ask the TMA for a permission slip.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 6:16 PM
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One of the reasons OEMs oppose modifications is that they don't want to carry the warranty risk on a million dollar machine that has been suped up to increase power and bypass emissions controls.
posted by Popular Ethics at 7:24 PM
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If it's anything like cars they don't anyways. "Oh, we're sorry your engine blew up but you didn't use genuine Weighty Moose brand air cleaner nuts and so your warranty is void".
The manufacturers are being forced to open the ability to repair to third parties but they'd still like to lock that behind software they control and set pricing for and they want to require factory parts by serializing them and enforcing it via signing.
And ideally they want to keep control of whether you are allowed to use your tractor at all. Remember John Deere bricking all those stolen tractors when Russia invaded?
posted by Mitheral at 8:26 PM
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One of the reasons OEMs oppose modifications is that they don't want to carry the warranty risk on a million dollar machine that has been suped up to increase power and bypass emissions controls.
While that is a legitimate concern, it shouldn't matter, especially since such modifications should by default void a warranty.
posted by JHarris at 10:36 PM
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It seems insane how quickly we've moved into a world where you can spend millions of dollars on something and still have to buy a subscription to keep it working.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:18 AM
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