John Deere owners will get the right to repair equipment under FTC settlement

Re:John Deere owners will get the right to repair equipment ... by brikym on Wednesday July 08, 2026 @08:17PM (#48839271)

"...Deere will now be required to make diagnostic and repair tools available to equipment owners and independent repair shops..."

This is only the tip of the iceberg. They make the parts deliberately proprietary to prevent competition. The classic example is curved cabin windows instead of flat commodity glass.

Laissez-faire capitalism is efficient at extraction not productivity.

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Re:John Deere owners will get the right to repair equipment ... by snypher on Wednesday July 08, 2026 @08:24PM (#48839325)

Having operated a ~1995 7800 with flat glass and a ~2015 7270 with curved, I know which one I'm picking.

Are automobiles using curved windshields so they have a stranglehold on the replacement windshield market?

Your example doesn't pass my sniff test.

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Re:John Deere owners will get the right to repair equipment ... by e44858 on Wednesday July 08, 2026 @08:34PM (#48839415)

How is a curved window better on a tractor?

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Re:John Deere owners will get the right to repair equipment ... by notamario on Wednesday July 08, 2026 @09:18PM (#48839714)

In this case, glare and reflections.

It’s also stronger.

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Re:John Deere owners will get the right to repair equipment ... by brikym on Wednesday July 08, 2026 @09:06PM (#48839629)

It's more aero :)

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