Farmers are calling for free access to the software that runs their tractors and other farm equipment. “You’re paying for the metal but the electronic parts technically you don’t own it. They do,” says Kyle Schwarting, a farmer in southeast Nebraska.
A used tractor like Schwarting’s Deere S670 still runs as much as $200,000-$300,000, but when it comes to fixing the engine, he has to call the dealership. “Only dealerships have the software to make those parts work, and it costs hundreds of dollars just to get a service call,” says NPR. “Schwarting worries about being broken down in a field, waiting for a dealer to show up with a software key. If he had that key, he could likely fix the machine himself.”
Eight states, including New York, Illinois and Nebraska, are mulling bills that would force manufacturers to sell repair software for tractors as well as phones and computers. Some farmers take matters into their hands and “hack” the software with directions they find online, but equipment dealers say there is good reason they discourage this, since “farmers could damage the machines, like bypassing pollution emissions controls to get more horsepower,” says NPR. And manufacturers don’t want to uphold warranty guarantees if the machinery has been tampered with by a non-professional.