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

- John Deere is the world's largest agricultural machinery manufacturer. For years, its tractors and combines have run on proprietary software that farmers could not legally fix or modify — only authorized dealers could. - The "right to repair" movement argues that manufacturers of everything from phones to farm equipment make repair artificially difficult and expensive by restricting access to parts, tools, and software. Farmers say this forces costly dealer visits during critical planting/harvest windows. - The FTC settlement requires Deere to give farmers and independent repair shops access to the same diagnostic tools, software, manuals, and parts that authorized dealers have. While a major precedent, it only binds Deere — similar fights continue with other equipment makers, car companies, and tech manufacturers. - This stems from a broader antitrust and consumer-rights push under the Biden FTC. Deere had previously signed a non-binding "memorandum of understanding" with the American Farm Bureau, but critics called it too weak; this settlement is legally enforceable.