[AT] For tech-weary Midwest farmers, 40-year-old tractor

[James Peck]

I recently got a several hour long  free training session on Automotive Ethernet from an oscilloscope manufacturer. And yes, they did say they were dealing with a major tractor manufacturer.

Houston Thomas Mehrkam AT List member and engineering graduate of Letourneau University (mailto:tmehrkam at sbcglobal.net); If they have to put all that BS in the tractor they should provide the diagnostics with the tractor and reasonable price replacement parts to the farmer.  Better yet KlSS keep it simple STUPID!

Dean VP Snohomish WA 98290 Deerecentric AT List Member (deanvp at att.net);Tech support in the 70’s. See attached
 
Mike Meulens AT List member (meulenms at gmx.com) ; John Deere, is biting themselves in the a** with this move farmers need to be able to fix their own stuff. On vacation now in the Florida keys, and managed to run into a farmer that farms around 1500 acres in Illinois. His favorite tractor is a 1979 John Deere 4440.  Their new stuff just turns him off. With 4900 hours on it I'd say he's about 1/2 way through to a rebuild. Does everything he needs it to do and no computer crap.

Bradford AT List Member (bloomis at charter.net); http://www.startribune.com/for-tech-weary-midwest-farmers-40-year-old-tractors-now-a-hot-commodity/566737082/?refresh=true&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosfutureofwork&stream=future
I was speaking with an acquaintance this morning who teaches Material Engineering at Cal Poly SLO. I asked about his recent trip to Iowa, did six weeks a NIU? Apparently he teaches casting, probably from the metallurgical standpoint. He mentioned he had visited several foundries in the area, JD and affiliated, I assume. With the recent discussion on casting parts here I got interested. Didn’t have time to elaborate, but I did find out that there are 57 foundries in California. Hard to imagine with all the pollution controls.