John Deere has kept tight control over how its customers can fix or tinker with its equipment by disallowing access via software restrictions or requiring machines to be brought to approved shops for repair. That has left thousands of farmers to deal with delayed harvests and millions of dollars in lost profits while waiting for an approved fix.
"What started as a basement hobby is now trusted in 45 different countries worldwide. We became a global company... bringing all the companies that we now have in our lineup together under one brand name."