Hacker News Reader

Comment by fifilura | Hacker News Reader

I cant read TFA but i think if John Deere wants to maintain control over the way machines are repaired they should simply stop selling them as retail and move to a "machine as a service" model.

Where they create a network of rental hubs.

I think a lot of farming machinery has moved this way already where you dont pay to own a machine that you may only need a limited number of days/year.

View on HN

Then they’re going to advertise rental prices for off-season, when nobody actually needs the machines. During the harvest week The Market will demand that rent quadruples. And of course you better pay a reservation in year’s advance, to avoid being told, “I’m sorry sir, we’re out of capacity today, all machines nearby are busy. We can maybe get you one from across the continent for 10 times the price, be ready here in a week.”

I think this is how it works already with harvesters, where the demand is only really during a month of the year.

I don't know the details how it works, but I am assuming there is a way they can work it out where everyone is reasonably happy. Because it is in the interest of the rental service to be predictable.

And there is a huge benefit for the farmer to not have to own and store something that is probably the most expensive machine they have. And also not have to worry about it breaking down at the most critical moment.

But that comes at a steep hourly price i assume.

Market economy is not always a bad thing.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com