I know there are many different views and opinions on matters relating to the availability and/or acquisition of Manufacturer documentation (including Manuals) via Internet Download. From my perspective, although I have views, I don't want to get involved in a debate on the merits/ demerits of that debate right now. I have a more fundamental concern:
When my 855 (manufactured 1992 AFAIK) was delivered to my home today, I had a 20 minute tutorial from the lovely man i bought it from as to what I needed to do to start and operate it.
Well, I'm nearly 60 y.o. (although inside, I'm still in the same shape as I was when I rocked to T. Rex.). But because of the effects of the decades on the retentive capabilities of my brain, after the friendly guy had left I was looking at this lovely piece of (not-quite emerald) green machinery, and frankly, I hadn't a clue as to what to do.
I needed a manual with help/advisories/guidance/instructions on:
a) how to work it;
b) what not to do;
c) now not to kill or injure myself and/or other(s);
d) what to do to look after my "new" 855 at the simplest level, in order to avoid the creation of a pile of unusable metal within weeks.
So, when I paid the friendly guy (considerably less than he had paid originally) for him to transfer ownership of the 855 to me, I wonder did I also inherently acquire devolved rights from the manufacturer to provide me with an appropriate level of support for a product manufactured some 21 years earlier.
Yes, I believe I did acquire those devolved rights- not any form of direct support for the 855 itself, but surely a right to be informed by the manufacturer of relevant facts to ensure that I could continue with the multi-generational, multi-proprietorial ownership of a John Deere product entirely in accordance with John Deere presentation(s) relating to the strength of its products' longevity.
The only way by which I could possibly be meaningfully and professionally informed of those facts is through the Operators's Manual, which comprises a set of operational advisories, operational instructions, warnings and absolute "Do-Nots". Surely, I am entitled to expect that the safety of myself, my family, other people and property and of the investment itself will contine to be of at least some concern to Messrs John Deere. Would John Deere Inc therefore not try to ensure that the safeties I mentioned above would be maximised under new, inexperienced ownership? Surely any responsible manufacturer woul be 100% behind me.
Well, I went to the manufacturer to obtain the Operator's Manual, and found that a manual that had previously been FREELY available via Web-based access was no longer available. Then I checked if I could obtain a paper copy, only to find that a) it would be chargeable (at the same rates set when my 855 was a new product, adjusted for inflation, but not in any way adjusted for age/depreciation of the product), AND would attract both import duties and value added tax, in Europe. Furthermore, at least weeks would elapse before any such manual would arrive with me.
I find this objectionable. I have paid well for my
- (New) Old tractor itself;
- the depreciated value of the intellectual property that resides in the 855 tractor;
- AND as far as I am concerned, in the operational warnings and advisories that inherently accompany that purchase.
So, right now, I can get ZERO helpfrom John Deere.
Mmmmm!
