John Deere have once again addressed the the issue of self repair with the launch of its Operations Center Pro Service, which the company claims will enhance how owners use, maintain, diagnose, repair, and protect their equipment. 

Marketed as a further diagnostic tool to add to the suite of existing John Deere digital support tools, the latest software is a subscription service starting at $195/machine/year.

The company claims the service will deliver digital repair content filtered by year and model number and provide users with additional relevant machine information to help efficiently and accurately troubleshoot, diagnose, and repair their equipment.

Operations Center Pro Service will provide diagnostic trouble codes, software reprogramming for John Deere controllers, diagnostic readings and tests, and calibrations, according to the company

Equipment owners can access the Operations Center PRO Service through the John Deere Operations Center.

Once connected to this platform, owners may add their equipment to their account using the machine's serial number.

More advanced features such as software reprogramming may require an electronic data link.

Yet the new tool is not totally comprehensive, for the company also notes that certain limitations to interactive tests, calibrations, and reprogramming will exist at initial release.

This new package, the company observes, reaffirms John Deere's longstanding commitment to empowering customers to choose how they repair their equipment.

However, not everyone within the right to repair movement is impressed with this latest olive branch from John Deere.

Willie Cade, a leading critic of the company, and grandson of a past John Deere design engineer, has several major objections.

He notes that, despite all the apparent good intentions that appear to be carried by the launch of this service, it remains just that, an extra service that does not bestow full ownership of the machine upon the purchaser.

Cade also points out that as not all the tests, calibrations and fixes are available through this software, it still does not bring to the operator or independent service engineer the same capabilities as that enjoyed by an authorised John Deere agent.

Another criticism from Cade is that all the repairs undertaken with the tool have to pass through the John Deere digital ecosystem, allowing the company full vision of how its machines are being used even though, in theory, it no longer owns them.

With this gatekeeping power in place, he claims that the company can further reduce or restrict functionality in the future, not for technical reasons, but to serve corporate profit objectives.