John Deere, and many other brands, require buyers to sign a contract stating that they will only hire an authorized mechanic to service the equipment. It's in the fine print. They put a computer chip or some other mechanism on their machines to keep you from fixing it yourself. These companies probably get a cut from the repair fee, and/or they charge mechanics for company required training, or just to simply have their name listed as an authorized mechanic. It's as though you're not really buying the machine, but are merely buying the right to use it.
Exactly. Which is a load of BS. Does JD think they are the only steak in the store? I hear Massey Furgeson is putting out good machinery these days.
Maybe it's because you live in a liberal state (NY, right?) and the laws might differ between states on this issue. I could see California having more protections for their consumers too. The thing with John Deere was a big deal a couple of years ago, but I haven't heard anything about it since then.
OK, I guess that doesn't happen here in NY, but it shouldn't happen anywhere, no matter what the politics are.
