--- title: John Deere vs. farmers, explained - The Hustle description: Farmers are gaining ground against John Deere’s strict repair rules in a key right-to-repair battle. image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/414897183-HS-News-Brief_2023-02-15T233322.377Z.webp --- # John Deere vs. farmers, explained ![Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://53.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/HubSpot%20Media/Blog%202021/Images/Nav/Optimized/TheHustle_Icon_Dark.svg) [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) [Juliet Bennett Rylah Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/JBRylah) Published: February 16, 2023 Updated: October 11, 2023 [Right to Repair ](https://www.ifixit.com/News/61140/what-is-right-to-repair)advocates believe consumers should be able to repair things they purchased, either themselves or at the repair shop they choose. ![John Deere vs. farmers, explained](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/414897183-HS-News-Brief_2023-02-15T233322.377Z.webp?width=595&height=400&name=414897183-HS-News-Brief_2023-02-15T233322.377Z.webp) It’s infamously been an issue with Apple, but a yearslong battle with agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere. #### **John Deere…** … is an agricultural heavy hitter, holding [53%](https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/09/22/where-will-deere-be-in-10-years/) of the tractor market in the US. But for years, farmers have anguished over getting their machines repaired. - Deere forces farmers to go to dealerships by restricting access to tools and documentation, and employing [software locks](https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/9/23546323/john-deere-right-to-repair-tractors-agreement) only dealers can disable. - They charge up to [$150/hour](https://thehustle.co/01152020-right-to-repair/), and one farmer [told](https://www.npr.org/2023/01/10/1147934682/john-deere-right-to-repair-farmers-tractors) *NPR* that repairs can take weeks. #### **Then came a lawsuit** In early 2022, a North Dakota farm filed a [class-action lawsuit](https://www.classaction.org/media/forest-river-farms-v-deere-and-co.pdf) accusing John Deere of violating antitrust laws, and reaping profits while harming farmers. - Company filings show Deere’s repair business is **3x-6x** more profitable than equipment sales, [per](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-03-05/farmers-fight-john-deere-over-who-gets-to-fix-an-800-000-tractor?sref=3Ac2yX40) *Bloomberg*. - ​​In 2020, Deere told investors that parts and maintenance services made up [**~20%**](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-deere-strategy/deere-bets-on-cost-cuts-services-push-to-boost-profits-idUSKBN1Z72TA) of sales. Now, the Department of Justice has weighed in on the lawsuit, offering a statement of interest siding with the farmers, [per](https://www.agweb.com/news/policy/politics/doj-weighs-right-repair-court-case) *AgWeb*. #### **The DOJ said:** - It doesn’t buy Deere’s assertion that a competitive tractor market equals a competitive repair market, citing a [1992 Supreme Court](https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/504/451/) ruling against Kodak’s attempt to restrict copy machine repairs. - Many farms have gone bankrupt since 2014, and Deere’s practices increase financial pressures on farmers. The court will make the final decision, but statements of interest can have an impact, [per](https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7zayb/doj-john-deere-right-to-repair-lawsuit) *Vice*. #### **Meanwhile…** … John Deere signed an agreement with lobbying group the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) promising to allow third-party repairs last month. Deere noted it might withdraw from the agreement if state or federal legislation passed, which some critics viewed as an attempt to prevent it, [per](https://www.npr.org/2023/01/10/1147934682/john-deere-right-to-repair-farmers-tractors) *NPR*. **But it’s already happening:** Colorado is [considering](https://www.farm-equipment.com/articles/20002-deere-hit-with-class-action-lawsuit-over-right-to-repair) a law that would fine companies $20k per violation, and similar bills have been [introduced](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-lawmakers-introduce-right-repair-bills-spur-competition-2022-02-03/) in Congress. Topics: [Right To Repair](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/right-to-repair) [Agriculture](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/agriculture) ## Follow us on social media prev next - ![Kinda gross, but kinda cool? 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