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posted by
janrinok
on Saturday February 03 2018, @05:40AM
from the you-don't-own-anything-anymore dept.
from the you-don't-own-anything-anymore dept.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8JCh0owT4w
When it comes to repair, farmers have always been self reliant. But the modernization of tractors and other farm equipment over the past few decades has left most farmers in the dust thanks to diagnostic software that large manufacturers hold a monopoly over.
Farmers using Eastern European cracking software for their tractors, and MS, Apple, etc. want to stop them.
Related: Right to Repair
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Tractor Hacking: The Farmers Breaking Big Tech's Repair Monopoly
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The last time I saw him he was walking down Lover's Lane holding his own hand.
-- Fred Allen
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 03 2018, @10:11AM (10 children)
You'd have to rewrite the firmware from scratch like Compaq|Phoenix did with the IBM PC's BIOS. [google.com]
(You can't just rewrite -parts- of the code; you aren't allowed to reuse ANY of the original code.)
A great many have noted that the law is a hindrance. [google.com]
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by looorg on Saturday February 03 2018, @10:24AM (9 children)
That is an option. I was thinking more about suggesting that they try actually build engines again that are not dependent on computers at all. Yes in several ways they have made things better farming wise, you can hook up tons of senors to the tractor and it can pretty much drive itself in perfect lanes and plant the seeds and lay out nutrients / manure etc. It clearly worked before all the wonders that is sensors -- somewhat less efficient but it worked. That said efficiency is king in modern large scale farming. But considering what a giant pain in the arse all these computerization has become, there is a giant backside that they don't tell you about as you purchase your new tractor from John Deere (or whatever) and that is that you are basically their bitch now for as long as that machine keeps running. If you want a senor pack you add that on not build it in so that shit can't get worked around and one little sensor breaking fucks the entire machine over.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by maxwell demon on Saturday February 03 2018, @10:41AM (1 child)
An alternative would be a tractor that has all those computers and sensors, bu can be used without it. That is, have a core engine that works without it, and a driving mechanism that can operate the core engine, but can be bypassed if necessary. If the core engine fails, the farmer can repair it. If the driving mechanism fails, the farmer can fall back to using the tractor the traditional way until the driving mechanism gets repaired.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 2) by looorg on Saturday February 03 2018, @10:45AM
Yes. That would be the best solution probably.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Saturday February 03 2018, @11:06AM (1 child)
Yes, but HOW MUCH less efficient? Given a thousand acres of crops, did the farmer burn two extra gallons of fuel, then harvest six bushel of grain less? Did he burn 200 gallons extra fuel, and harvest 600 bushel less? Someone needs to quantify this increase in efficiency. Typical smaller farms in the northeastern US probably don't see great increases. A 150 acre crop farm can't see an efficiency increase that will pay for a new John Deere tractor in ten seasons, so whatever efficiency Deere promises is meaningless.
I have always felt, and still strongly believe, that when I put cash in a salesman's hands, whatever I have bought belongs to me. Doesn't matter how many diodes, capacitors, and transistors are in it, or how much software it takes to make it run - I own the damned thing. I can do whatever the hell I want with it, from burning it down to the ground, to having it gold plated as a monument to human stupidity. It's mine, and the person who sold it to me can't tell me what to do, or what not to do with it.
Had people understood this twenty years ago, and refused to agree to EULA's like Microsoft, demanding their money back, we wouldn't be where we are today.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Saturday February 03 2018, @12:25PM
You certainly did not tell him what he could do with the money! It was his to use as he sees fit.
Just how asinine would it be to even think you could place that kind of limit on the trade?
Legislation gone amuck...
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 3, Informative) by anubi on Saturday February 03 2018, @12:00PM (4 children)
That was one of my prime reasons for wanting an old diesel van instead of the new stuff. Reliability. Maintainability. Total costs of Ownership.
While looking around for something to replace my aging small rice-burner, I spoke with many buyers of new stuff, only to be told tales of remorse and the irritations they are experiencing. I had lots of chats with my mechanic, who has worked for 30+ years on my old Toyota ( and who is telling me to get something else... he does not want to see my old car in his shop anymore... he can't get parts for it! ) and he mentioned the old-school diesel.
So I did a lot of research and liked what I saw... its called an IDI engine. Indirect Diesel Injection. Very simple and reliable mechanical diesel. Early Fords, Cummins, Mercedes, and GM had these designs. All had strong points and various design flaws that revealed themselves over time. I chose what I thought was the lesser of the evils... the cavitation problem my 7.3L IDI has if I don't keep the correct corrosion inhibitors in the coolant. Just means I have to be picky about getting the right coolant in it, and it costs about double what the WalMart cheapie coolant costs. Chevron Delo Industrial ELC. Its red, not green or yellow. And its rated for 750,000 miles / 10 years or so...
I have to buy special lubricant to put into the diesel fuel, as the old ones like mine have high pressure Stanadyne fuel injection pumps which meter the fuel to each cylinder.... and the new diesel fuels are not very lubricating. Its not like these are throwaway things... people are getting a million miles on these things if they just give it a modicum of care.
Mine had 250K miles on it as purchased, and is running very steady. My mechanic detects no problems at all with the engine, although the radiator was a different story. Well, its got a new radiator now. New electric fuel pump too. External to the tank. So it can be easily replaced if it ever decides to quit.
There are enough people out there with this old engine to keep aftermarket suppliers active. If worse comes to worse and I do "lose" an engine, I can re-sleeve it and keep going. Or send the core in for remanufacture.
I am fortunate to live in an old farming area that has several diesel shops nearby. My mechanic referred me to one of them who I consulted with before purchasing this thing off of Craigslist. I had him vet the van for anything really bad, then after I bought it, I have about 8K$ worth of fixing to do. Quite understandable for a 20 year old thingie that needed new cooling system, HVAC, rear end, suspension, tires, paint, upholstery, and numerous little squeaks and leaks addressed.
I am getting older... and I want something that will last me the rest of my life, and give me something useful to pass on to my nephews.
If they don't want it, there are a lot of farmers on the diesel forums I am on that would love to have it. They know what this thing is.
These aren't made anymore.
I am not trying to impress anybody at the light. I just want to get from here to there. Safely and inexpensively.
A well-made old thing beats new POS in my book any day.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Saturday February 03 2018, @12:17PM (3 children)
See, I would have gone with either a VW Bug or a new Toyota. The former is hands down the easiest car on the planet to work on (one stout guy or two average guys can pull the engine by hand), while the latter won't need any significant work for several hundred thousand miles if you take care of it.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by anubi on Saturday February 03 2018, @12:35PM (2 children)
Both are nice cars!
I really wanted something bigger.
And compatible with California law.
I have a Toyota... been with me for 40 years. If it wasn't for California smog laws as far as modifying the engine, I would pull the 2TC head ( carburetor ) and go to fuel injection ( Megasquirt ). These new ethanol fuel mixtures are playing hell with some diaphragms in the old carburetor. I run rich as hell when those diaphragms harden and split, and you can smell me coming a mile away.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 03 2018, @03:50PM (1 child)
If your Toyota is 40 years old, you can put any mod you want under the hood.
"Currently, smog inspections are required for all vehicles except diesel powered vehicles 1997 year model and older or with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVWR) of more than 14,000 lbs, electric, natural gas powered vehicles over 14,000 lbs, motorcycles, trailers, or gasoline powered vehicles 1975 and older."
(Score: 1) by anubi on Sunday February 04 2018, @01:50PM
Yeh, unfortunately for me, the toyota is a 1977, and 1974 is the cutoff date... I am three years too young.
However, the diesel I just bought is 1994, which does fit in under California law.
I would swap my 1977 for a 1974 in a heartbeat so I could keep it under the law. I don't know if I am going to stay in California, now that I am retired, and the van is quite capable of towing it to where it may be legal to drive. It is fundamentally a sturdy little car, but I would like to swap the engine out to an open-source fuel injector... like a megasquirt.
I still have a few odds and ends for a business I want to launch, and when I get the designs all debugged and running, I will have to decide how I am going to build these things.... and the middle of nowhere is looking better and better, as I know exactly what's gotta be done and I really do not need a "highly trained workforce".... I'll train 'em myself.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]