GREAT FALLS — Farmers and independent repair shops in Montana stand to gain expanded access to diagnostic tools and software for John Deere equipment under a Federal Trade Commission settlement announced this week.
What changes for Montana producers
The agreement resolves an antitrust lawsuit the FTC filed in January 2025 alongside attorneys general from Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The settlement requires Deere & Co. to give farmers and independent repair providers access to many of the same resources used by authorized John Deere dealers.
Under the settlement, non-dealer repairers will receive the ability to:
- Use diagnostic tools to identify machine issues.
- Clear fault codes and error messages.
- Connect replacement parts to a machine’s computer system.
- Reprogram certain electronic components.
Local advocates welcome the move
The outcome follows years of advocacy by Montana groups pushing for so-called right-to-repair protections. The Montana Farmers Union backed legislative proposals in 2021, 2023 and 2025 that did not become law, but leaders said the federal settlement provides many of the practical fixes they sought.
“Equipment only breaks down when you use it. And everyone’s using their equipment at the same time,”
Walter Schweitzer, president of the Montana Farmers Union and a farmer from Geyser, described how repair delays can cripple planting and harvest operations.
Rachel Prevost, executive director of the Montana Farmers Union, called the settlement “a huge step in the right direction” and said it helps establish a farmer’s right to repair.
“When we talk about downtime in the field, that’s a huge amount of stress on producers,”
Prevost told MTN that quicker repairs can mean the difference between getting a crop into the bin and losing yield.
Why this matters in Montana
Montana’s agricultural calendar compresses peak workload into narrow windows for planting and harvest. Access to tools and software to diagnose and fix electronic issues can reduce downtime and repair waits that otherwise force farms to delay or lose work.
| Issue | What the settlement provides |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic access | Tools to identify faults similar to dealer capabilities |
| Software functions | Ability to clear codes and reprogram certain components |
| Parts integration | Connect replacement parts to machine computers |
The settlement addresses allegations that Deere restricted access to tools needed for electronic repairs, according to the FTC and the multistate coalition that joined the lawsuit. The exact timelines and technical details for how Deere will distribute credentials, software or update procedures were not laid out in the announcement available to the press.
For Montana farmers who have repeatedly raised concerns at the state Capitol and through organizations like the Montana Farmers Union, the settlement is expected to ease some of the operational strain caused by equipment downtime. Local leaders pointed to industry studies and anecdotal evidence that quicker access to repair capabilities can improve farm profitability.
Officials and farmers will be watching how Deere implements the terms and whether independent shops gain timely, practical access to the tools they need. For now, the FTC settlement represents a federal-level solution after state legislative efforts failed to produce binding right-to-repair laws.
News Block will follow up as more implementation details and timelines become available from the FTC and Deere & Co.
