In his statement, Smith said, “Today’s farm machinery relies heavily on technology and often requires access to diagnostic software and other digital tools, underscoring the need for access to all the necessary tools and information on how to fix a problem.”

Smith went on to say, “The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has been working with manufacturers for several years to find a private-sector solution to the right to repair issue, while protecting companies’ intellectual property rights. AFBF successfully negotiated memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with several major leading agricultural equipment manufacturers, including John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, AGCO, CLAAS of America and Kubota, to provide farmers access to error codes, specialty tools and information on how to fix the problem.”

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He concluded, “Farm Bureau member-approved policy on right to repair supports guaranteed access to all information, parts and tools that are available to dealerships, including the ability to reset operating system that ensures farmers and independent repair services can make necessary repairs in a timely manner.”

Farmers get more than a promise.

The new settlement goes beyond the voluntary agreements the AFBF previously negotiated with Deere and other manufacturers. While those MOUs expanded farmers’ access to repair information, they were not legally enforceable. If approved by the judge, the new settlement would make Deere’s commitments binding for 10 years, giving farmers and independent repair shops enforceable rights to access repair tools, software and documentation.

John Deere statement.

In a statement announcing the agreement, Deere insisted the settlement largely formalizes practices it has already been expanding. “This is good news for our customers and for the future of how Deere equipment is supported,” said Denver Caldwell, Deere’s vice president of aftermarket and customer support. He added that farmers and equipment operators “demand flexible and world-class capabilities enabling the maintenance and repair of their machines; we are and will continue to deliver on that expectation.” Deere said the agreement reinforces its commitment to giving customers and independent repair technicians greater access to diagnostic and repair tools while continuing to invest in new repair technologies and support options.

The warranty isn’t a “get-out-of-jail-free” card for mistakes.

Before anyone starts thinking every farmer is now one YouTube video away from becoming a certified diesel technician, there’s another reality. Today’s tractors are essentially rolling computers packed with sensors, emissions controls and embedded software. Having access to the tools, manuals and software doesn’t automatically make complex repairs easy – or mistake-proof. In other words, “right to repair” doesn’t mean “right to repair badly.”

Michigan News Source reached out to John Deere about the effect of the settlement on warranties and they said, “For years we have had customers that choose to do their own repairs during the warranty period. This settlement does not impact the company’s warranty statement or its administration of warranty on our products with any of our customers. Our farmer customers are remarkably knowledgeable, resourceful, and for generations have demonstrated their capability in keeping their equipment running the way they want it to run.”

What will the fallout be?

Not everyone is convinced the expanded repair rights will end well. While many welcomed the settlement, others on social media questioned whether having access to sophisticated diagnostic software is the same thing as knowing how to use it. Jason Leigh, another Facebook commenter, expressed skepticism about farmers’ ability to fix their own equipment, writing, “I can’t wait to see the damage some of these farmers do to these machines, thinking they’re technicians.”

Others argued that modern equipment has become so technologically complex that even with greater access to repair tools, many owners will still need specialized expertise. As Al Senst, another social media user, put it, “You would need to have a computer programmer degree along with an electrical engineering degree to ‘repair’ these complicated things!”

Veteran technician: advanced diagnostics still stump many trained professionals.

A trained technician who spoke with Michigan News Source on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly said many farmers underestimate just how complicated today’s equipment has become.

“We’ve offered Service Advisor (the diagnostic program) to the customers for over a decade and most the time they give up on it because they are unable to figure out the complexity of the equipment and electronic systems. Many times there are only a select few dealership personnel capable of the Advanced diagnostics even with being trained by Deere. I’ve been doing this for decades with a digital and automotive electronics degree and at times I have to learn from my experiences and I feel as though a customer without such experience will not be able to utilize it in the capacity they think they will. It’s not as simple as hooking up a computer and viola the equipment is repaired.”

Freedom – and responsibility.

For many farmers, the new agreement could mean less downtime during planting and harvest and fewer costly service calls – an important advantage when every hour of good weather counts. At the same time, there is a reason dealerships employ highly trained technicians. While the settlement may allow more repairs to be made on the farm or at a local repair shop, the most complex jobs will likely still require specialized expertise and not just a laptop and a YouTube video.

That’s no small issue in Michigan, where according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Michigan is home to an estimated 43,800 farms, operating roughly 9.4 million acres of farmland as of 2025. For the farmers on that land, expanded access to fix their own equipment will be a welcome opportunity. Whether they use that newfound freedom wisely – or discover the hard way why dealerships employ factory-trained technicians – is a decision that now rests largely in their own hands.