In a landmark right-to-repair lawsuit settlement, tractor giant John Deere settled with plaintiffs regarding the company’s practice of not allowing access of critical diagnostic software to the owners of Deere tractors and other machines. The complaint alleges that by tying exclusive repair rights to authorized Deere dealers, the company monopolized the market and violated anti-trust laws by unfairly increasing prices. Now it's the construction industry's turn. Here’s what you need to know.
What is Right-to-Repair?
The right-to-repair is both a consumer activist movement and a series of court cases surrounding the idea that once a consumer buys a device, they have the right to repair it themselves rather than have to take it into an authorized dealer or technician. The movement has gained significant support in tech spaces and the heavy machinery industry.
To see how this movement has gained so much attention and support in the past 30 years, we need only look at Apple products. Back when the company launched its iBook laptops, consumers had the option to replace batteries and other components fairly easily. The batteries themselves popped out with the click of a button, and the internal components could be accessed by removing the back of the laptop with tools that most repair techs or consumers had. But since then, those easily accessible screws have been replaced with fasteners that only fit Apple specific tools, and Apple only gives these tools to authorized technicians.
On one hand, this policy means that any repair done to an Apple device is done by a technician who knows how to fix it. In theory Apple then has a way to minimize warranty claims and additional costs because they have oversight on how their devices are repaired; the technicians are trained in how to fix issues the correct way per company standards. Company spends less on major warranty claims, and you don’t have to purchase a new iPhone. Sounds good, right?
But anyone who has had to take a malfunctioning iPhone into the Genius Bar knows that most times that isn’t the case. But with no option to repair the device yourself, you don’t have much of a choice but to let Apple technicians try and fix your phone.
Same principles apply to John Deere tractors. Farmers in a class action lawsuit are saying that because of the limited supply of Deere certified technicians and the gatekeeping by Deere on the vital diagnostic software, farmers are missing out on critical planting and harvesting windows and losing crop income because of it. The complaint lodges violation of anti-trust laws, and seeks damages for affected plaintiffs.
What’s Happening with John Deere’s Right to Repair Policy
In 2022, multiple plaintiffs filed a multi-district complaint against John Deere, alleging that their practice of tying machine sales to exclusive repair rights constituted a monopoly, because independent repair technicians and farmers could not repair the machines they purchased. The lawsuit filing claims that Deere kept “crucial software and repair tools inaccessible to farmers and independent repair shops.”
Deere is by far the largest manufacturer of tractors, combines, and other farm equipment in the United States, outpacing the next two competitors—Case New Holland and Kubota—combined. All machinery will eventually break down, and by restricting the technicians that could work on Deere machines, the company effectively monopolized the repair market. Farmers were left with only one option to fix their machines, and in rural areas where there isn’t a local Deere dealer or Deere technician, that can lead to long wait times on their repairs and high costs.
What Happened with the Deere Agricultural Lawsuit?
Deere recently settled for $99 million, which will be placed into a payout account for affected plaintiffs. However, consumer advocates claim that this isn’t sufficient judgement for the affected parties, given that the settlement payout to farmers comes after attorney and court costs, and payment to the primary plaintiff’s in the lawsuit. Farmers that have been affected by the former policy have until October 12th to file claims with the court, though the portal to do so is not set up at this time. Affected parties can receive updates and check their eligibility from ClassAction.org.
The judgement also requires Deere to make repair tools and resources available for independent technicians and farmers, which it did in July of 2025 according to a company press release. Criticism has been lodged at the toolset, saying that it is a stripped-down version of what’s available to authorized Deere dealers, and isn’t sufficient for consumers to repair their machines.
While this specific lawsuit may have been settled, there is still an anti-trust lawsuit against Deere brought by the Federal Trade Commission. That lawsuit is still ongoing and if the judgment is found against Deere, could require additional policy changes to make repairs more accessible for farmers and other John Deere machine owners.
What’s Happening with Deere in the Construction Industry?
On May 14th, a landscaping company out of Chicago filed a similar class-action lawsuit against John Deere for the right to repair their lawn, turf, and construction equipment. The landscaping company Christy Webber & Co. cover major contracts in Chicago, including Millennial Park and Navy Pier, and are alleging that the delays caused by not having access to critical software have increased costs for the company. Christ Webber & Co. employ a team of technicians to service their nearly 50 pieces of Deere equipment, but without access to the fully functional diagnostic tools gatekept by Deere, they are unable to get machines back up and running. The core argument at the center of this recent lawsuit is the same as with Deere’s farm equipment: by requiring a Deere certified technician, the company has created a monopoly and violated anti-trust laws.
“When Deere withholds the fully functional repair tools needed to diagnose, calibrate, reprogram, clear codes, pair parts, and return them to service, Deere C&F equipment owners face the same lock-in, delays, overcharges, and loss of repair choice that has drawn judicial, regulatory and public ire in the agriculture segment,” the company’s complaint details.
Deere ranks third by profit in the construction machine industry, after Caterpillar and Komastu, and with a market share that large, it means that it brings in a significant profit from its alleged monopoly on repair and service for its machines. With this monopoly, Deere can increase prices for repairs and parts without fair competition. Deere has countered this claim, citing its new Operations Center Pro Service tools—a resource mandated by the court judgement—which offers self-repair resources including Operator’s manuals, access to active and stored diagnostic trouble codes, secure software updates, and other machine information.
However, this service is not included in the purchase of a John Deere machine, with costs starting at $195 per machine for the consumer model. In a press release from Deere July 2025, the company detailed that customers would have to access these tools through the John Deere Operations Center, where they can add their machines to their account by the machine’s serial number. From there owners can access the repair tools they need for their specific machines.
Prefer to Speak with a Parts Specialist About Your Deere Machine?
Call 1-716-836-5069
Our team is standing by to help with complex orders and fitment questions.
What Does This Mean for The Construction Industry?
On one hand these lawsuits are a win for consumer protection. While the settled lawsuit is in the agricultural sector, its results have already spread into other industries. Having these once-exclusive tools available to the average fleet manager or owner means less down time and reduced repair costs.
The flip side is the potential for bad repairs. Just because a repair technician has access to the diagnostic tools doesn’t mean that they can interpret the issue correctly and take proper action. The benefit of only certified technicians having access to these tools is the insurance that repairs are completed to company standards. Opening up access could lead to incorrect repairs for Deere owners.
For the average construction machine owner, not much will change in the immediate future given that the Christy Webber & Co lawsuit will likely take years to resolve. But other construction companies may see the writing on the wall and proactively implement policies that give greater access to owners. Only time will tell if such measures come to fruition.
