Is modern tractor repair like modern car repair and super complicated requiring a dealer?

[dodge man]

When I have to fix something on my tractor, car or truck I always worry. I always think it going to be harder than it looks, it usually is. I worry I won’t have the tools, I usually do or buy what I need. I watch YouTube videos if available. I spend half the time I’m doing the work swearing. When I’m all done I’m glad I did it myself.

 

[Oaktree]

Emissions legislation requires that manufacturers support a standard protocol and a common set of fault codes.This why you can go to an AutoZone and get them to read the codes from the OBD2 port or buy a code reader and do it yourself. It's been incredibly useful to me as a home mechanic.

Well, yes and no. While most of the codes are standardized, every manufacturer has their own proprietary codes too, the meanings of which may or may not be easily available.

It doesn't take a degree in economics to figure out why making something non-repairable is good for manufacturers and several other industries - like the financial ones. The real question is, "Why did it take them so long to figure that out?"

Unfortunately for the world, this decline in repairability comes at a time when repair skills are becoming much less common for everything. Easy to see how that leads to there being more new manufacturing of things not designed to be repaired.

Was anything ever "designed to be repaired", or was it just that equipment was less complex and easier to figure out how it worked? Still most manufacturers seemed to put at least one component that needed regular service (such as a filter) in a difficult to get at place.
As for decline in repairability, that seems to be a chicken-and-egg sort of thing. Hard to deny that modern vehicles run so much better than those in the past, but this improved efficiency/driveability came at a cost of complexity. Beyond the skill set (and tools) of the average shadetree mechanic, so fewer and fewer even tried. Keep in mind that modern vehicles can easily go 100k or more with no service whatsoever aside from oil & filter changes. Try that in the old days!

Electronic gadgets are the same way, even if you could figure out what's wrong with it, many/most of the key parts were all proprietary, and once the supply was gone they're gone, not to mention the surface mount components you can barely see, let alone replace. A smartphone has a lot of computing power packed into a very small package, but forget about repairing anything other than a cracked screen.

 

[DaBear3428]

The difference is that your code reader doesn't do the repair, it just does the diagnosis of what to repair.
And the problem with that is diagnostic part of a repair was always the fun and most interesting part of the job. The rest is just cleaning parts and turning wrenches.

Having a computer do the diagnosis is sort of like watching someone else eat your thanksgiving dinner.

Sure, the turkey dinner does gets eaten.....so the conclusion is the same. But just how satisfying was it to watch someone else have all the fun?

rScotty

I get my enjoyment out of fixing what is wrong and the figuring out what is wrong is just part of it, if a 29.99 tool helps that i will buy and use what ever tool helps. you can use just straight open/boxed wrenches if you want but i'm breaking out the ratchet or the air ratchet (if it piss's me off enough the oxey/acet ratchet for that mater) , i enjoy the getting it fixed part.

I get the fun for you part and if that is what floats your boat more power to you. i like the newer tech with computers controlling everything because i learned to understand and invested in the tools needed both mental and physical to get what i wanted done DONE!.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

People are missing a key issue. Serialized parts. Apple is a big offender in this. You can troubleshoot and replace parts all you want, but if the manufacturer locks you out, so what. And then they wont sell components to fix their stuff. and they threaten suppliers if they get caught selling parts.

Louis Rossman on youtube has covered the right to repair and all the pieces of it in depth.

 

[Agvg]

Well, very few that has the gold to sell as much as possible have any interest in repairs, checked the price for a new casing for a Lenovo laptop, 1500 dollars, of course is such prising making sure nobody have a chance to fix things, checked a new part on a fridge door, 700$. A few companies do care, both Electrolux and Bosch tools have a consumer solution for ordering parts and a reasonable price. The circular economy are not here and by the looks of things it might take a while.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Is modern tractor repair like modern car repair and super complicated requiring a dealer?​

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NOT if you are an electrical engineer!

SR

 

[DaBear3428]

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NOT if you are an electrical engineer!

SR

or a software programmer lol

 

[dodge man]

I grew up in the era of carburetors, points ignition and early automobile emissions systems. Cars were terrible in the mid 70’s into mid 80’s. Who doesn’t remember stepping on the gas and the car just bogged down and hesitated. For all the pitfalls of modern vehicles and tractors there are some big upsides.

 

[ptsg]

Check out Western Truck and Tractor repair on Youtube if you want to dive a deeper on the differences in repairing newer and older equipment. His focus is mainly Ag and Truck stuff, but he does work on construction equipment as well, anything from very old to very new.

Needless to say that for the newer stuff, his laptop and scanner is no longer than a foot away at every instance he is dealing with that piece of equipment.

https://www.youtube.com/@westerntruckandtractorrepa1353

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

or a software programmer lol

Wrong to some degree

I am an electrical engineer and work on software for a living

Not having acess to the code and schematics make it a nightmare a lot of times. Some companies go as far as removing an trace of part numbers on chips or smothering them in different compounds to where you cant see it. So if you wanted to trace it out you cant


If there are tools available, many times the cost of them is prohibitive.