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IPFS News Link • Agriculture

The Tractor Backlash

• https://www.lewrockwell.com, By Eric Peters

But people still have the choice not to buy them.

Many are beginning to exercise this choice.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that a growing number of farmers have had it with government-mandated tractors that get uppity when their owner try to fix them rather than pay a Deere dealer to fix them. Or they just brick themselves.

Yes, really.

John Deere made the astounding claim about two years ago that the people who buy its new tractors are really just licensees. You possess the tractor and are allowed to use it, but Deere owns the software that runs the tractor  . . . without which it doesn't run.

Deere controls and can "update" the software at its whim, if you abide by its rules – which include you not attempting to service the thing in other than Deere-approved ways  . . . the only Deere-approved way being via an "authorized" Deere dealer.


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