Right to Repair

[Pony Doc]

Colorado legislature passed and the Govenor signed the right to repair act. It's ostensibly aimed at farm equipment operators but may effect us all. Like most legislation it will probably have positive and negative effects. Apparently several states are considering similar measures.

 

[Yooper]

I’m assuming this is about the computers that are on the tractors. Just curious about the specifics of the law. Does this mean the oem has to make the diagnostic equipment available? I hate to think of what the price is going to be. Or does this mean they have to make the software available? And I am sure there will be a hefty price tag as well. You know the manufacturers are going to go down swinging.

Did the John Deere lawsuit ever get settled?

 

[TheOldHokie]

I’m assuming this is about the computers that are on the tractors. Just curious about the specifics of the law. Does this mean the oem has to make the diagnostic equipment available? I hate to think of what the price is going to be. Or does this mean they have to make the software available? And I am sure there will be a hefty price tag as well. You know the manufacturers are going to go down swinging.

Did the John Deere lawsuit ever get settled?

From the new KUBOTAUSA website. Looks like something north of $5K for KOBD license + scan tool and Messicks still says dealers only.

Parts & Service

www.kubotausa.com

Dan

 

[Showmedata]

I’m assuming this is about the computers that are on the tractors. Just curious about the specifics of the law. Does this mean the oem has to make the diagnostic equipment available? I hate to think of what the price is going to be. Or does this mean they have to make the software available? And I am sure there will be a hefty price tag as well. You know the manufacturers are going to go down swinging.

Did the John Deere lawsuit ever get settled?

If the market is big enough, aftermarket companies can start to provide tools like are available for cars. I've had aftermarket computer tools that replicate the dealer tools for ~20 years, to service VA/Audi cars, and similar are available for other manufacturers.

The manufacturers' doom-and-gloom arguments against this are complete horseshit. If they are forced to disclose some IP they didn't want to, it's entirely their own fault for forcing owners into this regulatory solution. If they had been a little bit reasonable then it probably would never have come to this.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

From the new KUBOTAUSA website. Looks like something north of $5K for KOBD license + scan tool and Messicks still says dealers only.

Parts & Service

www.kubotausa.com

Dan

even so I think a great step in the right direction.

$5k is cheap for a commercial farmer running $1million dollar combines. heck even an M8 Kubota is a 1/4 mill. now. Down time is a killer.

If not farming that scale then maybe independent repair shops will find it useful.

for sure not for the guy playing around a few acres with a 25hp machine. too expensive.

But like wheel lifts / frame lifts / pits .... not many people can warrant in their garage but independent repair shops couldn't survive without.

its going to open up a lot more options and competition in the service and repair arena. I think businesses should make good / strong profits but also believe in fair competition.

I think its a good thing.

The government pushed the high tech / high cost stuff like def / dpf for environmental reasons they say and now they are catching up trying to allow us to service this stuff as well.

 

[TheOldHokie]

even so I think a great step in the right direction.

$5k is cheap for a commercial farmer running $1million dollar combines. heck even an M8 Kubota is a 1/4 mill. now. Down time is a killer.

If not farming that scale then maybe independent repair shops will find it useful.

for sure not for the guy playing around a few acres with a 25hp machine. too expensive.

But like wheel lifts / frame lifts / pits .... not many people can warrant in their garage but independent repair shops couldn't survive without.

its going to open up a lot more options and competition in the service and repair arena. I think businesses should make good / strong profits but also believe in fair competition.

I think its a good thing.

The government pushed the high tech / high cost stuff like def / dpf for environmental reasons they say and now they are catching up trying to allow us to service this stuff as well.

It may be a popular narrative but its naive to blame the government. Computer engine and powertrain management is an engineering fact of life with or without environmental regulations.

Dan

 

[Pony Doc]

This link will take you to a executive summary of the bill as well as a PDF of the actual bill, https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1011. I could not make this a link you can open from here. You may need to cut and paste.