Kubota
Farm equipment · Last assessed 6/9/2026
Score breakdown
Why this grade
Signed an AFBF Right-to-Repair MOU (May 2023) committing to provide manuals, tools, parts and diagnostic support to owners and independent shops across all 50 states + Puerto Rico via its ~1,100-dealer network. Compact/utility tractors are mechanically among the more DIY-friendly farm machines. However, Kubota's diagnostic software (Diagmaster / DST-i) is the most license-gated of this group: owners report needing dealer permission to purchase, mandatory training, passing a test for a license, and a recurring annual renewal fee — the heaviest software/diagnostic lock among the four, hence the low software_lock score. Like all the AFBF MOUs it excludes overriding emissions/safety controls and is criticized by PIRG as not delivering full dealer-level capability, so grade kept conservative.