Why Alberta farmers are suddenly demanding tractors they can fix themselves | Hacker News Reader

Why Alberta farmers are suddenly demanding tractors they can fix themselves

begiant.ca

1 pointrdmuser2 comments

Another article slanging manufacturers of precision equipment for using all that dang technology. Including attributions of evil intent. Hey, they only put that stuff in there to confuse farmers!

Not, for instance, so you can follow a path through the field within a three-inch tolerance of the planting months earlier over the same ground, so as to apply amendments without running over the crop. With two carts pulled behind, with sloshing liquid in the cart tanks, in mud, on a slope.

Yeah, it's all just evil capitalism trying to hurt the little guy.

Rosborough also believes that computerization shouldn’t necessarily cause repair barriers. In his view, these are deliberate choices made by manufacturers “to monopolize the aftermarket for repair and servicing” and are a sign that the needs of equipment owners, farmers and independent businesses are being neglected downstream.

“In the short term,” Rosborough says, “Ursa Ag represents a trend that we will likely see more of, where users and third parties are removing tech bloat that makes repairs difficult or expensive. In the long run, what we’re going to need is better product design that takes repairability into account from the outset.”

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It sounds more like they're trying to open source the modern tractor from the ground up, but they haven't gotten to the GPS computer control system... yet. It sounds like they intend to though.

Farmers aren't morons. Many might be happy with MS or Apple but, apparently, some want Linux. I hope Usra Ag succeeds. Choice and competition are good.

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"Ursa Ag tractors start at $129,900, while a fully-kitted-out and computerized John Deere can go for more than $1 million.

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Okay... That's more savings than Linux will generate for most users. There's a capability gap, to be sure, but what kind of aftermarket system could you brew up for these tractors while still saving several hundred thousand?

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