In US first, Colorado says companies can't block farmers from repairing their own tractors

 DENVER – Colorado farmers now have the "right to repair" their own tractors and other equipment under a first-in-the-nation law signed by Gov. Jared Polis this week.

As tractors have gotten increasingly complex, especially when it comes to the software that runs them, owners are increasingly frustrated they cannot fix their own property, and are required to get service and repairs only from authorized dealers.

Farmers argue that waiting for repairs imperils profits in an industry where fortunes can turn on a flash flood or late-afternoon hailstorm. Manufacturers who opposed the legislation argued that it would force them to give up trade secrets, stifling innovation and competition.

Background on 'right to repair'

Cars and trucks can typically be repaired anywhere but farm equipment has remained locked down, and in some cases will stop working entirely if someone tries to make unauthorized repairs.

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"Farmers and ranchers can lose precious weeks and months when equipment repairs are stalled due to long turnaround times by manufacturers and dealers," Polis said in signing the law. "This bill will change that."

Nationally, President Joe Biden has been pushing similar proposals, and farm equipment manufacturer John Deere is being sued by farmers who argue the company has unfairly withheld basic diagnostic tools and codes, forcing tractor owners to wait for authorized dealers or repair shops.

A few months after the lawsuit was filed, John Deere agreed to permit more outside repairs on its equipment. The company opposed Colorado's broader law