Last month, the Federal Trade Commission won a major victory for the Right To Repair movement. The tractor company John Deere agreed to a settlement in which for the next 10 years they must give farmers and independent shops access to the same repair tools, software, and technical resources they provide to authorized dealers.
Before this settlement, farmers were unable to repair any of their own equipment. They were blocked by the lockdowned software that John Deere only made available to authorized repair services and dealers, and limited by opaque diagnostic codes and the inability to access “official” replacement parts. This prevented farmers from being able to field service equipment and forced them to rely on parts and technical services from one vendor.
As prices continue to rise for consumer electronics and appliances it’s even more important for homeowners to be able to repair devices that they own. In 2024, New York State passed a right-to-repair law, but there are still issues with parts availability, technical information, and knowledge to be able to fix our own devices.
If you want to learn how to repair your own items, please join us for one of the Tool Library’s monthly Dare to Repair Cafe events at https://thetoollibrary.org/daretorepair/ , or register for one of our seasonal DIY Workshops at https://thetoollibrary.org/diy/
