"Don't buy their stuff" is exactly the right answer. You need to do your research before you buy big ticket items. It may not be true in every sector, but Deere has plenty of competition.

Well.. farming equipment are high 6 figures 7 pieces of business equipment (the lifetime operating costs are definitely in the 7 figures.) These are owned and operated by people who I would expect to do this type of research and critical thinking. These aren't normie consumers buying everyday appliances or electronics.

However.. farmers are a weird bunch and they are blinded by brand loyalty or will only buy from an "American" company which ironically allowed JD to stomp all over them because of their dominant market position.

John Deere has had a terrible reputation for over a decade now. They've always used proprietary parts for the tractors. Do 5 minutes of research.

do your research before buying, they have this reputation ofr many years

it's like complaining about HP ink printer everyone was warning about for last 10-15 years at least

same should apply to Samsung TVs at least in the last 5-10 years

>How are people supposed to know these things before buying the equipment.

By looking at reviews or paying someone to evaluate the product.

>What if they’re the only provider in their region

Then there is an opportunity for competition. Or you can import a product from another region.

bruh dont sweat it. mainly everyone here is SF tech bros who have never worked a hard day in their life lol