Hacking down on the farm
By Joseph Angelino
Sun Columnist
With clock-like regularity my Massey Ferguson tractor has kept me active this year with wrenches, blood, sweat and almost tears. From one end to the other, inside and out I have kept busy tinkering and learning how to keep this 42-year-old utility tractor running.
Adding to the learning experience is my Massey’s stable mate in the barn, an International front end loader owned by a friend. The age of the loader is unknown, but I’m guessing I was in high school when it was shiny and new. Between the two of us, working together, we have overcome each mechanical issue that was thrown at us. Thankfully no one’s livelihood depends on the use of this equipment. There are neither crops going to waste nor any animals depending on the use of these tractors.
Every time a new mechanical, hydraulic, fuel or electrical challenge was thrown at me I’d get out the shop manual to diagnose the problem, and then go to YouTube to see how others have actually fixed the issue. Another thing that happens every time my tractor broke down is the thought of young George Staley working on his family dairy in Lincklaen, NY in the 1930’s. The late Mr. Staley related he, and all farmers, were good at troubleshooting and improvising fixes to keep machinery running in order to keep the farm operating. “Cows don’t take a day off” he commented. There weren’t many mechanics to call during the depression years even if the farm was lucky enough to have a telephone. I’m sure it was his experience on the farm in Lincklaen made him into such a successful businessman in the aircraft maintenance industry.
Often deliberations of purchasing a new, trouble free tractor with a warranty crossed my mind. Conducting research and reading reviews on new tractors was startling and enlightening. It was startling to learn a replacement equivalent to my old tractor would now cost in the range of $40,000.00. The enlightening portion of my research was the conversations about proprietary software built into each new tractor. I was not surprised tractors today have this technology built-in because our cars have been computerized for decades. What did surprise me was most tractor manufacturers won’t allow purchasers, meaning farmers, to work on their own equipment or they risk voiding their warranty.
Every farm I’ve been on has at least a work bench with tools, and most farms today have their own workshops equipped and stocked with tools, lubricants and spare parts to maintain their equipment. This mechanical self-reliance is not only a long tradition in farming, it is a necessity. It’s necessary to have the ability to quickly fix equipment on the spot because time is of the essence and waiting for someone to show up isn’t always feasible. It’s also necessary to do one’s own repairs to keep costs down, which in turn keeps consumer prices down.
Today’s farmers may also have another skill to maintain their equipment. Many are well versed in computer hacking or know someone who can. These skills to overcome manufacturer’s blocks to repairing or modifying a piece of equipment at the owner’s level are needed. I am not implying anyone locally is doing these hacks, nor do I know anyone who is, but I learned this through research while considering a new tractor purchase. Also, these hacks are currently NOT illegal. Hacking your own vehicle may void a factory warranty, but the FBI won’t arrest you for a Copyright violation. This is because of a 2015 exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Law that says:
“Computer programs that are contained in and control the functioning of a motorized land vehicle such as a personal automobile, commercial motor vehicle or mechanized agricultural vehicle, when circumvention is a necessary step undertaken by the authorized owner of the vehicle to allow the diagnosis, repair or lawful modification of a vehicle function…”
While you won’t be breaking the law, a farmer-hacker may very well upset equipment manufacturers. You see, the manufacturers of farm equipment don’t want to reveal the passwords of their encrypted software or sell the proprietary repair tools. They want to ensure they are the only ones doing repairs on their machines, which begs the question; who really owns your tractor?
The purchase of a new tractor or farm equipment for an agricultural business in Central New York will have a cost of six digits at the drop of a hat. This not the type of purchase anyone would want to make if there is a problem saying who actually owns the machine. Granted a new equipment purchase shouldn’t have too many problems for the first few years, especially when maintained. But farm equipment use is hard, constant and demanding which causes things to break or wear out. The notion of waiting for a dealership employee to arrive or the downtime transporting equipment to a far off dealer is seldom realistic.
Self-repair of farm equipment is a serious topic. So serious, several states, including New York, have some form of “Right to Repair” legislation being considered or already enacted. In New York the bill is still in the hands of the legislature. (See Senate Bill 3998 or Assembly Bill 6068) The Farm Bureau supports the passage of the NY Fair Repair Act to ensure farmers can continue to work on their own gear without manufacturer’s tying agreements in the fine print. In twenty years this may very well be a non-issue once a generation of people have grown up with the concept of software is just as important as hardware and a laptop is part of a tool box inventory.
If you would like to comment, complain or compliment you are welcome to do so in 140 characters or less on Twitter @josephangelino.
Sun Columnist
With clock-like regularity my Massey Ferguson tractor has kept me active this year with wrenches, blood, sweat and almost tears. From one end to the other, inside and out I have kept busy tinkering and learning how to keep this 42-year-old utility tractor running.
Adding to the learning experience is my Massey’s stable mate in the barn, an International front end loader owned by a friend. The age of the loader is unknown, but I’m guessing I was in high school when it was shiny and new. Between the two of us, working together, we have overcome each mechanical issue that was thrown at us. Thankfully no one’s livelihood depends on the use of this equipment. There are neither crops going to waste nor any animals depending on the use of these tractors.
Every time a new mechanical, hydraulic, fuel or electrical challenge was thrown at me I’d get out the shop manual to diagnose the problem, and then go to YouTube to see how others have actually fixed the issue. Another thing that happens every time my tractor broke down is the thought of young George Staley working on his family dairy in Lincklaen, NY in the 1930’s. The late Mr. Staley related he, and all farmers, were good at troubleshooting and improvising fixes to keep machinery running in order to keep the farm operating. “Cows don’t take a day off” he commented. There weren’t many mechanics to call during the depression years even if the farm was lucky enough to have a telephone. I’m sure it was his experience on the farm in Lincklaen made him into such a successful businessman in the aircraft maintenance industry.
Often deliberations of purchasing a new, trouble free tractor with a warranty crossed my mind. Conducting research and reading reviews on new tractors was startling and enlightening. It was startling to learn a replacement equivalent to my old tractor would now cost in the range of $40,000.00. The enlightening portion of my research was the conversations about proprietary software built into each new tractor. I was not surprised tractors today have this technology built-in because our cars have been computerized for decades. What did surprise me was most tractor manufacturers won’t allow purchasers, meaning farmers, to work on their own equipment or they risk voiding their warranty.
Every farm I’ve been on has at least a work bench with tools, and most farms today have their own workshops equipped and stocked with tools, lubricants and spare parts to maintain their equipment. This mechanical self-reliance is not only a long tradition in farming, it is a necessity. It’s necessary to have the ability to quickly fix equipment on the spot because time is of the essence and waiting for someone to show up isn’t always feasible. It’s also necessary to do one’s own repairs to keep costs down, which in turn keeps consumer prices down.
Today’s farmers may also have another skill to maintain their equipment. Many are well versed in computer hacking or know someone who can. These skills to overcome manufacturer’s blocks to repairing or modifying a piece of equipment at the owner’s level are needed. I am not implying anyone locally is doing these hacks, nor do I know anyone who is, but I learned this through research while considering a new tractor purchase. Also, these hacks are currently NOT illegal. Hacking your own vehicle may void a factory warranty, but the FBI won’t arrest you for a Copyright violation. This is because of a 2015 exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Law that says:
“Computer programs that are contained in and control the functioning of a motorized land vehicle such as a personal automobile, commercial motor vehicle or mechanized agricultural vehicle, when circumvention is a necessary step undertaken by the authorized owner of the vehicle to allow the diagnosis, repair or lawful modification of a vehicle function…”
While you won’t be breaking the law, a farmer-hacker may very well upset equipment manufacturers. You see, the manufacturers of farm equipment don’t want to reveal the passwords of their encrypted software or sell the proprietary repair tools. They want to ensure they are the only ones doing repairs on their machines, which begs the question; who really owns your tractor?
The purchase of a new tractor or farm equipment for an agricultural business in Central New York will have a cost of six digits at the drop of a hat. This not the type of purchase anyone would want to make if there is a problem saying who actually owns the machine. Granted a new equipment purchase shouldn’t have too many problems for the first few years, especially when maintained. But farm equipment use is hard, constant and demanding which causes things to break or wear out. The notion of waiting for a dealership employee to arrive or the downtime transporting equipment to a far off dealer is seldom realistic.
Self-repair of farm equipment is a serious topic. So serious, several states, including New York, have some form of “Right to Repair” legislation being considered or already enacted. In New York the bill is still in the hands of the legislature. (See Senate Bill 3998 or Assembly Bill 6068) The Farm Bureau supports the passage of the NY Fair Repair Act to ensure farmers can continue to work on their own gear without manufacturer’s tying agreements in the fine print. In twenty years this may very well be a non-issue once a generation of people have grown up with the concept of software is just as important as hardware and a laptop is part of a tool box inventory.
If you would like to comment, complain or compliment you are welcome to do so in 140 characters or less on Twitter @josephangelino.
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