A number of US states are currently considering ‘‘right to repair’’ legislation. If passed, farmers could get their tractors and other electronic equipment fixed by third parties without voiding the manufacturer’s warranty.

Farm organisations including the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Corn growers have backed the legislation, which is proposed in at least 12 states so far.

Farmers argue that any delay to the repair of their machines, particularly at a busy time like harvest, can be extremely costly and waiting for a dealership to solve an issue can take too long.

Attention

The movement is gaining attention on this side of the Atlantic among machinery enthusiasts.

“Manufacturers of equipment have the computers and software to fix your machine,” said Fergal Sullivan, head of the agricultural mechanics course in Tralee IT.

“For example, you can mechanically fit a new turbo in your tractor but the computer may not accept the part. So if it’s on the computer system the main dealer will have to use their software tools as well.”

Some farmers in the US have reportedly bought ‘‘cracked’’ software in eastern Europe, which has allowed them to run diagnostics on their own machines without going through an approved dealer.

Training

A spokesperson for John Deere in Europe told the Irish Farmers Journal that the company does not prevent anyone working on their own machine or using an independent operator, but it recommends that “these should be adequately trained”.

“Warranty is voided when any unapproved modification is made to a machine or attachment. John Deere recommends against unauthorised modification of embedded software codes,” the spokesperson said.