When Iowa farmers purchase farming equipment, they need to feel confident and feel peace of mind knowing that if something goes wrong, they can fix it!
Unfortunately, many companies require that the farmer must bring the equipment in to have their professionals work on it. This creates a lot of hassle, expense, and frustration for farmers who don’t need to be putting wear and tear on their vehicle driving all over the county and spending way too much money for something they could simply fix themselves if companies didn’t do things like lock them out (many companies use computers to lock farmers out from being able to repair their own equipment.
Newly purchased tractors, phones, automobiles, and even appliances such as washing machines and fridges, are becoming increasingly difficult to repair, forcing Iowans (not just farmers) to become at the mercy of corporations.
Iowa’s Right to Repair Act guarantees:
1.) All equipment and devices must be manufactured in a way so as to allow for repair via a standardized, accessible sequence of steps.
2.) Parts and tools needed for repairs must be accessible to anyone — not just dealers or certified technicians.
3.) All equipment which performs a mechanical task must include an option for mechanical operation which may not allow manufacturer (or partner, etc.) to lock users out by soeftware or if a mechanical or the digital component fails.
4.) Manual and design schematics must be freely available, standardized in a visually-friendly manner, and be included with any product in which case it ought reasonably be included.
5.) Planned obsolescence will be tightly regulated. “Limited Lifespan” products must be clearly labeled. Manufacturers should in good faith provide an option for the longest lifespan product possible. *looking at you, refrigerators*