I grew up on a farm in the 60s and 70s. We were always repairing farm equipment.

There was a farmer in my community who added a simple widget to a John Deere baler. John Deere took a look. They a deal. JD got the patent. The farmer got a new baler every two years.

I don't have much experience with modern farm equipment. But it is sure more complicated than the 60s and 70s. Many moderns repairs involve taking and interpreting readings from a computer screen. Then after the repair, the computer screen needs to be read again .The old repair skills just don't apply any more.

Plus the modern stuff needs repairs a lot less often. Are farmers gaining these skills. Then retaining them for when the machine breaks down three years later?

I would side with the farm equipment manufactuers on this issue. Having a poorly trained farmer try to repair his own stuff would often mean bigger repairs down the road because things were not fixed quite right. And the manufacturer would get blamed for that bigger repair as well.

The libertarian in me says the farmer knew the deal before he bought the equipment. If the farmer wants to repair his own stuff, that gives a possibility for one or two manufacturers to build equipment that amateur mechanics can repair. And in time, I'm pretty sure as this modern equipment gets older, there will be pirate mechanics who will acquire the skills to repair, build parts and teach the farmers who want the challenge. Apple could not keep its monopoly for long.

But farming is not the same as it was 40 years ago.