I ask, because some of these mega-tractors have a lot of functionality (more complexity seems to just cause more points of failure), but you can still buy a good old general purpose tractor that will last a lot longer.
*not a farmer, but really into homesteading and getting a small self sustaining farm going at some point.
Now, everything is computerized and requires a degree in electrical engineering to figure out. That's not me being a Luddite wishing for better days, it's a fact.
I can fix mechanical breakdowns in the field, no matter how complicated. Those machines are simple to maintain, cheap to run, and are unbelievably reliable. The process to diagnose and solve issues is as simple as finding the part that is cracked or fell off.
My neighbor has a John Deer 5E something or other utility tractor. Same horsepower as the 1100, and smaller, which is nice. BUT, we can't fix a fried circuit on the throttle control - hell, we're lucky to find it without needing to call out the implement dealer.
It's that; simplicity. Those mega-tractors and all of the new bells and whistles are great for corporations and large-outfits who can afford to have a machine down for three weeks while you wait for diagnosis and repair.
Let's be clear here. It requires no such thing. What's required is a technician and a CAN bus reader with the appropriate (proprietary) message decoders. A EE with too much time on his hands is a reasonable substitute for that. This crap is hard to fix because the manufacturers made it that way. They made it that way so they can soak you for more money when things break.
You can make better quality stuff. Keeping the messaging protocol a secret hurts customers more than it helps you.
I think the answer is quality. All my equipment is Kubota, they make good stuff, if you keep on the filters and fluids they will outlive your kids.
I never seriously considered chinese tractors. I looked at them, they are cheaper for sure, but you are pretty much on your own if they break, there isn't the dealer network like there is for Kubota or Deere.
I'd much rather have a used Kubota than a brand new whatever with yanmar engine in it. My mechanic, who has 40 years of fixing tractors in the San Joaquin valley under his built, claims he has never had to full rebuild on a Kubota. He loves that chinese stuff though, keeps him busy :)
Hahaha we finally got rid of our Case JX100U last year. There was always a strain sensor or whatever going out on that thing, but you could usually figure out which one it was by counting how many times a LED blinked. (I.e. three blinks followed by six blinks would be error code 36.)
Spent my childhood with tractors and machinery and gotta agree. https://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/8670866219
Used tractors to clear and pull down trees, slash and move things about. Small plot, nothing large scale but the machines (eg: Fordson - built in Dagenham, England b/w 1948 and 1952) were cheap, reliable and totally fixable. Fire put an end to these beasts. https://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/3449252693/in/photost...
Miss them a lot.
Examples: (really old 165 diesel)
* replace a wrecked PTO https://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/5362091356 and replacing it with a new one https://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/5362074220
* tools required to change PTO https://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/5362091360
* job done https://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/8479859739
* hack battery system to recharge by sun https://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/8479859639
Did stuff with tools around the shed to fix machines that allows you to do things absolutely could not do by hand.
Because I think if the answer is yes then the market will correct this soon enough and we can all start shorting DE. If for some reason you're happy to keep buying Deere, then perhaps this isn't quite the problem it's made out to be.
My theory would be that to the extent that DRM adds cost without benefits, non-DRM products gain a competitive advantage, can charge higher prices, and can out-compete. Note this doesn't work if they are monopolies or cartels...
The way it works is, that when you buy large number of tractors you sign a contract with John Deere, and in the contract is says that every time the tractor breaks down they HAVE to fix it within 48 hours(or provide a different one), otherwise they have to pay fines as a result from you lacking tools to do your job. It's a common technique in many different industries.
A disheartening article: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/23/the-civilizatio...