John Deere vows to open up its tractor tech, but right-to-repair backers have doubts

A John Deere autonomous tractor is on display at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A John Deere autonomous tractor is on display at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Like many parts of modern life, tractors have gone high-tech, often running on advanced computer systems. But some manufacturers are tight-lipped about how these electronics work, making it difficult or nearly impossible for farmers and independent repair shops to diagnose and fix problems with the equipment. An agreement by John Deere may finally give farmers a greater hand in repairing the company's products.