REPAIR RUCKUS: Legislators plan hearings to mediate a flap over farmers' ability to fix tractors.

• Author: Campbell, Colin
• Position: NCTREND: Farming

As agricultural equipment gets increasingly complicated with electronics, some farmers complain that they aren't able to make minor fixes and instead have to haul machinery to a dealership.

"I see struggles every day where farmers ... have problems with tractors breaking down in the middle of the field, and they don't have the diagnostic software to read the codes," says David Daniels, who owns a repair shop in Nash County.

But a legislative proposal aimed at addressing the issue quickly proved contentious, prompting a delay for farmers wanting an end-run around the dealers. The original version of the annual farm bill would have forced agricultural equipment manufacturers to make repair and diagnostic information, as well as parts, available directly to customers.

The N.C. Farm Bureau voiced support for the idea, but tractor and farm equipment dealers descended on a Senate Agriculture, Energy and Environment Committee hearing to oppose the measure. They argued that it would open the door to potentially dangerous do-it-yourself modifications.

"Over 98% of all repairs can be completed by the owner," says Matthew Liles of Southeast Farm Equipment in Laurinburg. "Even if you have the software, you have to know what to do with it."

A representative of James River Equipment, an Ashland, Virginia.-based John Deere dealer with more than 20 locations across North Carolina, pointed out that the equipment it sells is carefully calibrated to comply with the federal Clean Air Act's emissions rules and unauthorized modifications could raise environmental concerns. He added that the right-to-repair proposal would lead to unknown liability questions as equipment is resold.

John Deere and other manufacturers say tech innovations are needed to...