Tractor Hacking

vvanders · Jul 13, 2018

Yeah, open source software is an interesting phenomenon. Basically what happens when the cost of manufacturing something is zero. One person can have a huge impact if they build the right thing.

I've released a fair number of stuff under Apache/MIT, none really took off but it makes for a fun hobby if that's your sort of thing.

dnw64 · Jul 15, 2018

/pine said:
The same can be said for any software...unless it made available with a GNU license...
The only person(s) that owns a script/software is the person that actually wrote it (and or the source code)...or the contract holder that employed a second party coder...

True. My point was that most people buying a tractor probably don't realize they are buying software too, and that the Sales Agreement includes the software licensing language that they probably don't read.

BTW we own a copy of the source code of our ERP software (that was standard procedure for any buyer in 1999 when we bought it - not sure about now), and are welcome to modify it any way we see fit. We also have a lifetime license to use it. About the only thing we can't do is resell it.

CincyFlyer · Jul 15, 2018

Hopefully it will become OK to legally hack (at ones own risk, of course.) I was told by a Mahindra dealer that the extra five hp in a 2545 over my 2540 is merely software; five horses ain't much, unless you only have forty to start with. I want 'em!

1010 · Jul 15, 2018

We have two new Holland T6 155s at work with <500hrs. One went down the other day, it will crank but idle only, the next day we get it back to the shop. Check everything we know to check.
Call the dealer 30 miles away, young guy shows up the next day. He works on it half a day and thinks it's a sensor and will have it over night shipped.
Two days later we call to check on things. Part was never ordered, wait? wut? WTF?
I'm over a barrel spread eagle, I see very quickly.
They order the part he shows up the next day and installs, BOOM, same thing machine won't work. We are waiting on the second sensor.
It's been ten working days now and the machine is still down.
on another side note same dealer has had to send a guy to recalibrate the transmission twice and they still aren't consistent on the clutch and some gears will almost pick up the front wheels IT FEELS like, very hard.

Back to my point, even having the real software doesn't help a lot of times. Or the guy using it doesn't have a clue, BTW we've had two guys looking at the tractors.
Or the software won't pin point the problem and it's just a crap shoot like a needle in a haystack. I don't see how Joe the plumber can take this kind of abuse and keep a float.

Seeing this, I'm all for deleting that garbage off my tractor JD tractor. I can't afford getting such a run around.

CincyFlyer · Jul 15, 2018

1010 said:
We have two new Holland T6 155s at work with <500hrs. One went down the other day, it will crank but idle only, the next day we get it back to the shop. Check everything we know to check.
Call the dealer 30 miles away, young guy shows up the next day. He works on it half a day and thinks it's a sensor and will have it over night shipped.
Two days later we call to check on things. Part was never ordered, wait? wut? WTF?
I'm over a barrel spread eagle, I see very quickly.
They order the part he shows up the next day and installs, BOOM, same thing machine won't work. We are waiting on the second sensor.
It's been ten working days now and the machine is still down.
on another side note same dealer has had to send a guy to recalibrate the transmission twice and they still aren't consistent on the clutch and some gears will almost pick up the front wheels IT FEELS like, very hard.

Back to my point, even having the real software doesn't help a lot of times. Or the guy using it doesn't have a clue, BTW we've had two guys looking at the tractors.
Or the software won't pin point the problem and it's just a crap shoot like a needle in a haystack. I don't see how Joe the plumber can take this kind of abuse and keep a float.

Seeing this, I'm all for deleting that garbage off my tractor JD tractor. I can't afford getting such a run around.

Back in the day, when I was a line mechanic and electronics were just beginning to rear their ugly head, I was the "diagnosis guy" in our dealership chain (having had an amateur radio geek for a father, I learned electronics early.) I would imagine that there are some issues that are genuinely hard to solve, but most are likely relatively straightforward, with the right technician at the wheel. Or meter, gauge, or scope.