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lots of vendors sell tractors across a line which all have the same engine, but whose horsepower is limited by the ECU according to the actual model that is pur
by naikrovek 4y ago
lots of vendors sell tractors across a line which all have the same engine, but whose horsepower is limited by the ECU according to the actual model that is purchased. pay for the low end model in a line, get lower horsepower. pay for the top of the line, get more horsepower, even though they are physically the same engine.
it allows for manufacturers to greatly simplify manufacturing requirements and lower costs, and it allows farmers to buy the tractor they need today and to grow into upgrades as they need them, without the downtime or expense of an engine swap if they need horsepower later.
manufacturers are afraid that the tools they would be required to provide could allow someone to "upgrade" their engine for free, but that's not what right to repair is about, and I would be surprised if a law required that upgrades like this be made possible by end users free of charge.
so it's a legit concern if you are a manufacturer of tractors and you compare what's being done in other areas of consumer electronics. oscilloscopes today are often sold in this same way: all models have the same potential for performance but are limited in software, so hackers bypass or trick the software to unlock the higher speeds when you only paid for the entry-level scope. In reality it is not much of a concern, since the percentage of customers who do this is extremely small.
the main problem for tractor manufacturers is that new regulations require them to spend money in order to be in compliance with those regulations. money that was not budgeted and which affects earnings reports and changes work priorities within a company. The desire to avoid regulations which require expenditure of any kind is what is drives the motivation of every company that resists right to repair efforts.
- lovemenot 4y agoIn general market incumbents, especially the larger ones, shouldn't resent new regulation. As long as it affects all their competitors equally, they won't lose market share and can pass on increased costs to customers. In this case, customers receive additional value (right to repair) so they should accept additional costs, if any. I think the manufacturers' real concern has not been cost of compliance, but rather loss of service revenues which business model is arguably customer-hostile.
- naikrovek 4y ago> I think the manufacturers' real concern has not been cost of compliance, but rather loss of service revenues which business model is arguably customer-hostile. well, usually the services needed by the owner are provided by a dealer, and not the vehicle manufacturer, so I'm not sure that holds water. I don't think the manufacturers lose anything except a small amount of goodwill from a dealer who can no longer charge $100 every few years when a particular dealer tool would be needed to convince a tractor to resume operation. that's not a lot of loss for a dealer. manufacturers do supply parts, but that wouldn't change if an end user installs the parts instead of a dealer. most farmers fix their own tractors using first-party parts already.