Mr Haney is always trying to make a buck...
Posted on 02/13/2023 10:39:25 AM PST by Olog-hai
On Colorado’s northeastern plains, where the pencil-straight horizon divides golden fields and blue sky, a farmer named Danny Wood scrambles to plant and harvest proso millet, dryland corn and winter wheat in short, seasonal windows. That is until his high-tech Steiger 370 tractor conks out.
The tractor’s manufacturer doesn’t allow Wood to make certain fixes himself, and last spring his fertilizing operations were stalled for three days before the servicer arrived to add a few lines of missing computer code for $950.
“That’s where they have us over the barrel; it’s more like we are renting it than buying it,” said Wood, who spent $300,000 on the used tractor.
Wood’s plight, echoed by farmers across the country, has pushed lawmakers in Colorado and 10 other states to introduce bills that would force manufacturers to provide the tools, software, parts and manuals needed for farmers to do their own repairs — thereby avoiding steep labor costs and delays that imperil profits. […]
In Colorado, the legislation is largely being pushed by Democrats while their Republican colleagues find themselves stuck in a tough spot: torn between right-leaning farming constituents asking to be able to repair their own machines and the manufacturing businesses that oppose the idea.
The manufacturers argue that changing the current practice with this type of legislation would would force companies to expose trade secrets. They also say it would make it easier for farmers to tinker with the software and illegally crank up the horsepower and bypass the emissions controller — risking operators’ safety and the environment. …
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Nope, no bias there!
“illegally” crank up the horsepower”
That's a tough one. Which to represent? The people?? or the Corporations?? Golly. What is an elected official to do?
You are correct that Government interference (in Technology) is an important part of the problem, however the "Right To Repair" is an Economy wide Right, not just for the Farming section.
That’s idiotic. The mfgr can easily control what gets exposed for maintenance purposes. They just like gouging users for “service”.
The fake environmental issues are what the regulations sprung from (which attacked the right to repair one’s own equipment in the first place), which imperils the trade secrets of the companies so that government can get even more entrenched.
You sure they like it?
Remember, this came about due to environmental regs.
Mr Haney is always trying to make a buck...
My former employer grew a $100M+ business because of CAFE requirements. There’s no doubt that electronic computerized controls has dramatically improved the efficience of IC engines and automobiles in every way. But anyone can buy an OBD-II scanner and obtain diagnostic information and if they know what they’re doing, make repairs. The car companies did that to maintain their service revenue stream for themselves and their dealers, just like in the days before electronics. Farm equipment is the same but the mfgrs are trying to keep end users (i.e. farmers) out of having access. All they have to do is follow the model that has worked so far in other segments.
Yes, because of having regulations, most about phony environmental issues.
Like I said at the beginning, this is crafted by politicians to set farmers and equipment makers at each others’ throats. Divide and conquer.
None at all. /sarcasm
Now do cars!
Unfortunately a good number of republicans are in the pockets of the corporations and support allowing manufacturers to do this under the guise of "it's a free market, they can buy something else if they don't like it". That same logic is often used by our side to justify the ridiculous cost of drugs in the U.S. where politicians are in the pocket of the pharmaceutical companies who charge many times the price in the U.S. that they charge in every other country on the planet (Insulin for example).
It's going to be our downfall if we don't get our heads out of our asses and stop taking the sides of corporations who collude to gouge consumers. You can chant "capitalism" all you want but when companies use their protected status to mercilessly gouge consumers people are going to start voting for the politicians who campaign on stopping it.
Manufacturers and service suppliers have adopted this service plan business model so to be more profitable, and stabilize the revenue stream.
This business model is also used in health care. You are on a schedule...
I can speak about this with first hand experience. The farming community is currently seeing unprecedented rise in the value of older 90’s to early 2000’s farm equipment. The prices have doubled and tripled what they were 10 years ago. Because they have very little electronics no emissions crap and they are easy to work on with tools you already have in the shop.
“ and bypass the emissions controller ”
My 1997 John Deere 6300 doesn’t have that junk on it!
Just like in health “care”, caused by the federal government.
Politicians are the “greenies” themselves. Why would they fear anything that allows them to seize more power?
I do not have a tractor, I know a few of you do!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.