Farmers Have Until Dec. 31 to File Claims in Deere Settlement, or Decide to Hold Out

From breaking news to community stories, get the latest in your inbox. Farmers who purchased and had to repair John Deere large agricultural equipment during a certain time frame may be eligible for a payment as part of an antitrust class-action settlement. To receive the payment, however, farmers must file a claim in the newly opened Deere Repair Settlement website, by Dec. 31. Right to repair advocates argue that accepting the current settlement will give farmers a small payout and prevent them from future or more substantial settlements or damages. The settlement is the result of a class-action antitrust lawsuit against Deere & Company that alleged the company "engaged in an anticompetitive scheme" to withhold certain repair tools from customers and independent repair shops and require customers to use Deere-authorized dealers for repairs and diagnostics. The class-action suit is part of an ongoing "right to repair" fight against Deere, and various technology companies. Deere denies the allegations. Class members are John Deere large agricultural equipment customers who purchased repair services through Deere's authorized dealers in the United States between Jan. 10, 2018 and May 18, 2026. Members of the class have four options in the matter. According to the Deere Repair Settlement site, managed by the Angeion Group, if farmers exclude themselves from the lawsuit by Dec. 4, they will receive no payment from the settlement but will "keep the right" to assert their own claims or damages against the company for the same reasons. Another option is to file a claim before the end of the calendar year and receive payment based on the "total number of labor hours expended" on John Deere repair services. According to the settlement website, this ensures payments reflect the "anticompetitive harm" suffered by each member of the class. Willie Cade, a board member with the Repair Association, said most farmers don't know the number of repair hours spent on their equipment over an eight-year period, just the total bill. Plus, farmers don't know the total size of the class and therefore how many farmers will split the agreed-upon $99 million settlement from Deere & Co. "Which is like, really, you want me to make a decision on something that I have no idea about?" Cade said. According to the settlement site, in addition to the cash settlement amount – which is likely to be lower once attorney and litigation costs are subtracted – the settlement also includes injunctive relief estimated to be between $293.9 million and $648 million. As part of the injunctive relief of the settlement, Deere has to "provide customers and (independent repair shops) access, on fair and reasonable terms, to digital tools required for the maintenance, diagnosis, and repair" of the eligible equipment. No actions are required to receive injunctive relief. Members of the class also have the option to file an objection to the settlement by Dec. 4, which asks the court to deny the settlement amount and continue the lawsuit. The lawsuit has a fairness hearing scheduled for Jan. 19, 2027, at 10 a.m. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Here the court will decide if the settlement is fair. Class members' final option is to do nothing, in which case they will not receive payment from the settlement, nor will they be able to file their own claims against Deere on the same topic. The class-action lawsuit, while similar in nature, is separate from a case between the Federal Trade Commission and John Deere, which has also reached a settlement. Several states, including Iowa, have introduced various "right to repair" laws asking agricultural equipment manufacturers to provide repair and diagnostic tools to customers and independent repair shops. John Deere holds that it is "dedicated to supporting customers' ability and access to maintain, diagnose, and repair their equipment safely, efficiently and conveniently." Deere has a number of service and repair services that allow customers to repair and maintain equipment. Busy day? We've got you covered. Get local news delivered to your inbox.