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Why American Farmers Are Hacking Their Tractors With Ukrainian Firmware
Motherboard ^ | 3/21/17 | JASON KOEBLER

Posted on 03/22/2017 1:08:15 PM PDT by Rebelbase

To avoid the draconian locks that John Deere puts on the tractors they buy, farmers throughout America's heartland have started hacking their equipment with firmware that's cracked in Eastern Europe and traded on invite-only, paid online forums.

Tractor hacking is growing increasingly popular because John Deere and other manufacturers have made it impossible to perform "unauthorized" repair on farm equipment, which farmers see as an attack on their sovereignty and quite possibly an existential threat to their livelihood if their tractor breaks at an inopportune time.

"When crunch time comes and we break down, chances are we don't have time to wait for a dealership employee to show up and fix it," Danny Kluthe, a hog farmer in Nebraska, told his state legislature earlier this month. "Most all the new equipment [requires] a download [to fix]."

(Excerpt) Read more at motherboard.vice.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: agriculture; automotive; farm; farms; johndeere; tractors
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To: HKMk23; wally_bert

Misspoke on the transmission; it’s a built-up TH350.


121 posted on 03/23/2017 12:41:13 PM PDT by HKMk23 (You ask how to fight an idea? Well, I'll tell you how: with another idea!)
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To: puppypusher

Why should tractors be different?The Automobile manufacturers are doing the same thing.You won’t even be able to do a tuneup on these new vehicles.

...

Because it’s all wrong. There should be a law against it.


122 posted on 03/23/2017 12:46:51 PM PDT by Moonman62 (Make America Great Again!)
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To: HKMk23

Beautiful car.

I really like the color and tires and wheels.

My old jeeps will never be restored but cleaned up and modernized as much as possible.

Facilities are my big killer. One half of a carport and a building that needs some work is what I have available.

Some bigger jobs are going to be farmed out.


123 posted on 03/23/2017 1:46:50 PM PDT by wally_bert (I didn't get where I am today by selling ice cream tasting of bookends, pumice stone & West Germany)
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To: wally_bert

Thanks.

I had a ‘72 Ford F-250 I worked on a little at a time for years. Got it to where it was pretty nice. Hurt plenty when it got wrecked.

That was 25 years ago & I still miss that truck.

But you do what ya can with what ya got, and find satisfaction in putting in your best effort. Improve a little here, and a little there. You don’t have to make it a #1 Concours vehicle to have something special. Just keep after it so long as you find satisfaction in it.

So, you got your jeeps, and I got an Impala, and we’re having an enjoyable time, and that’s what counts.


124 posted on 03/23/2017 2:25:51 PM PDT by HKMk23 (You ask how to fight an idea? Well, I'll tell you how: with another idea!)
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To: HKMk23

A friend of mine probably had a least one 72 Ford truck like yours many years ago.

I cobble together what I can when I can afford it. Amazon gets a lot from me. Price and selection is just too hard to beat most of the time.

Every so often I take pieces in for powdercoating. I found a place down the interstate that is reasonable and does a good job. I detest rust and grime.

Some photos are here.

http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/Todd4077/library/?sort=3&page=2


125 posted on 03/23/2017 3:57:06 PM PDT by wally_bert (I didn't get where I am today by selling ice cream tasting of bookends, pumice stone & West Germany)
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To: wally_bert

Powder coating just ROCKS. When I was building my F-250 up I had the door handles, buttons, “Custom” script lettering, and the “FORD” block letters on the hood all powder coated Satin Black. Looked GREAT. And talk about DURABLE! You can’t hardly mar it with a hammer blow.

Checked out your pictures. Good work with the wiring on that rig. Monkeying around with the electrical is just about my least favorite thing in the automotive world, but your work looks really neat & tidy. Demonstrates some real perseverance.


126 posted on 03/23/2017 4:13:06 PM PDT by HKMk23 (You ask how to fight an idea? Well, I'll tell you how: with another idea!)
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To: HKMk23

Glad you like the wiring job. Not bad for a somewhat colorblind person. It’s been done in phases. I like neat wiring jobs. Too many times I’ve had to untangle rat’s nests of cables.

I’ve shot up so much wire and shrink-wrap, it isn’t funny. 90% of the wire in the Willys is new. I also got later era tailights. The round ones never did much for me. They are LED.

A friend of mine does a lot of small scale motorcycle powdercoating. He’s done a couple of small pieces for me.

I’ve learned to love powdercoating, no doubt. For the next run in a couple of weeks that I hope to have are a few pieces from my Willys and the K5. I get to spend this paycheck keeping a few medical professionals happy.

The Willys wiring was really deteriorated and the dash was beat up. I got a new dash panel from Walcks. One thing with an old Jeep is that I learned to appreciate good drill bits, especially steppers.

At least the CJ7’s dash won’t require all the drilling. I finally have it down. The next biggie is a windshield and frame.

I wired the dash with some future-friendliness since big bulky me struggles working under the dash of most things.

It also has a 12V USB charger/cigarette lighter.

I used to keep a smugmug account with tons of pictures but the expense and upkeep caused me to shut it down. I like documenting what I do. It might mean something down the road.

On various jobs, I roll video. Some for stock purposes to hopefully make a few bucks and youtube fodder. I spent too many years in TV.

https://www.shutterstock.com/video/search/?contributor_id=64505

https://us.fotolia.com/p/201245571?order=nb_downloads&offset=100

https://www.youtube.com/user/tvengr4047/videos


127 posted on 03/23/2017 4:34:07 PM PDT by wally_bert (I didn't get where I am today by selling ice cream tasting of bookends, pumice stone & West Germany)
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To: HKMk23
Get on out there and do some shopping. You could have that classic in your driveway by summertime.

About four months ago I stumbled across a craig's list ad for a 1931 Pierce Arrow with original engine and transmission. It had been kept in a barn since the 1960s and it was a wonderful candidate for a restoration.

The guy wanted $10,000.00 for it, but I got him to tell me he might take $7,000.00 for it. I almost bought it. For a couple of weeks it was all I could think about, but I kept telling myself that there was no way I could add another project to the list of projects I already had and it would be foolish to buy it just to let it sit in my building.

It would have been a beautiful investment and I am still kicking myself a bit for not seizing it. I still don't have the time though.

128 posted on 03/23/2017 6:47:07 PM PDT by DiogenesLamp ("of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty.")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

My cousin’s farm with A/C only.

They don’t have all the bells and whistles of John Deere, but they can work on them just fine.

They start early, finish on time, and don’t have to have me reprogram the control board.


129 posted on 04/05/2018 5:44:55 AM PDT by redgolum
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