John Deere brags about sabotaging competitors & customers on hot mic - they’re PROUD of it!
Sounds like another industry in dire need of competition. Makes sense that they’re fighting tooth and nail to keep a deathgrip on what they’ve still got (for now).
There’s plenty of competition; the problem isn’t the proprietary firmware, it’s the expensive parts. You can still fix 99% of a machine yourself, you might have to get a tech out to put a CANbus ID into the computer so a new part that you put on works.
But it still comes down to the fact that the competition don’t make as good/productive of a machine, and parts availability, even if they are expensive, is key. I’ve paid $1000 for a part I could make myself on a mill, but it would take me a day and I’d lose $100,000 of lost production on that machine because rain is coming.
That’s fair, there’s definitely more to it than just having the capability when you’re also dealing with weather and other factors that impact your deadlines. I’m not a fan of equipment manufacturers who exploit their stranglehold on their customers even though I see why it happens.
I don’t think anyone’s suggesting that right-to-repair replaces repair options from the OEM, but it’s a critical option to have in a functional product support ecosystem and Deer’s trying to cut it out entirely.
Very interesting to hear a user’s perspective.
This is probably the first time I’ve made a comment like this on a thread about Deere that hasn’t been downvoted into the basement. People don’t want to hear about what the ground truth of this situation is, they want to hate a company that they haven’t ever actually dealt with.
Don’t get me wrong, I would like to see Deere stop some of their practices, particularly using opensource software like Linux to power their devices and then selling them at steep prices to farmers that sometimes barely have enough money to fix a tire on one of these machines. But the “unrepairability” of Deere equipement is massively misunderstood by most of these armchair warriors, including Rossman.
On the plus side, the uproar has given us the ability to go buy a diagnostic computer from Deere now for the low, low prices of $26,000. It takes a lot of $100 tech visits to make that pay.
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TIL Kubota is the Brother Printers option for tractors. Good to know!
Fuck John Deere and their anti-self repair bs.
The individuals using these machines don’t have time to wait for some tech to find the time to get to BFE, Kansas.
Louis Rossmann in his natural habitat.
They only seem popular on high subsidy farms.
Yeah I don’t know how anyone could compel themselves to buy one. Do they really have that much of a monopoly on the industry? Is their tech that much further advanced? I genuinely don’t know.
What is the best, more ethical alternative? Growing up my dad had New Holland and we liked them. Eventually I’ll be going more rural and choosing a route to take and it sure as shit won’t be John Deere.
One? Probably not. A fleet of 5-20 to tend a thousand or more acres, I can see that. They’ve basically got the things able to run on autopilot for many processes
Does this dude severely lack sleep or something ? I don’t understand why his eyes are like this.
probably a combination of fatigue, aging and genetics, there’s nothing wrong with it
I said nothing about it being wrong. I genuinely wanted to know because he’s the only person I’ve ever seen with these constant fatigue eyes.
Check out Steve Mould on YouTube, his science explanation videos are actually fantastic, and his eyes look like he’s not slept in a week, permanently. Just how he looks, it’s so strange 😂
He does look like it but our friend above is on a whole another league. Lol
It’s not easy being the only man in the world fighting for right-to-repair laws. Every company he exposes, more life is drained from behind his eyes.
Soulless company used life steal.
Joke aside , his work is really impressive but his fight is already lost if most people just consume ( unrelated , fuck printer companies ) and accept their fate. We need aware citizens and there’s not many of them. We’re kinda doomed.
People accept DRMs and planned obsolescence as if they can’t fight them. They don’t know their strength and thzt if they decide to boycott these shitty companies they’d die.
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Google FourTet he is a DJ/Producer and he is like Louis’ twin.
This is the natural result of what we vote for every two years.
Is it? I don’t remember seeing a guy running for Congress that promised he’d prevent huge corporations from running rough shod over everything.
People like saying stuff like “just vote better”, but the fact is the vast majority of people that run for any office are pro-big business because that’s their background and the lobbyists give them lots of money to get elected. Where’s the anti-big business guy going to get his money to run? And without money, you sure aren’t winning.
Through lobbying, corporations have us all by the balls. It doesn’t matter what side of the isle you’re on; both sides have basically been endorsed by big money.
I don’t remember seeing a guy running for Congress that promised he’d prevent huge corporations from running rough shod over everything.
What we need is ranked voting so someone like that might have a chance on the ballot.
We need to vote on bills directly, having representatives is stupid.
Campaign finance reform is necessary to tackle big business interests out for regulatory capture. Shift some of that subsidy into funding campaigns so the little guy stands a chance against them and their billionaire club.
The result of vote is only as good at the voting system used and the people voting. A more representative voting system leads to more public representation in government, which would likely improve the lives of the voters who will vote next time.
You’re much more optimistic than I am.
I’m not sure about that. A party that ‘wins’ under first-past-the-post/winner-take-all is unlikly to change the voting system such that they would be less likely to get into power next time. I have no idea of the path to changing the voting system. I hope intoducing people to other voting systems helps.
& :)
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