edward t.... I'm not quite the jerk I appear to be....

The market demands, Government requires, or Lawyers force R and D. The customer comes to expect faster lift speeds, "SAS", "Intrinsic Stability", smoother operations, more visibility, higher lift, narrower aisles, cameras, auto leveling forks... etc.... The manufacturer pays upfront for all that technology that is demanded. They are the first named in lawsuits. The manufacturer frequently use suppliers, yes, but it based on the manufacturer's specs in many cases, not just going parts shopping through the SMH website. Should they not protect their investment?

Those tools are the property of the technician, he can employ them however he sees fit. I got no problem with competition, as a matter of fact I live that competition every day. My frustration is the apparent "entitlement" attitude that a manufacturer should be compelled by law to turn over all of their "secrets" to any and everybody.

Let the freemarket work. If you as a mechanic bring so much value to the table, convince your customer to buy equipment that you can work on, and the other manufacturers will bow to the pressure. Trust me, I have seen the ugly side of not meeting ITA sales expectations.