Hi Frank29, the best advice that I would like to offer is since you seem to know which brand and which tractor you are leaning to, go to that forum, ask the posters in that forum how much they paid for their tractor model XXX with the attachments that you are thinking about. Also list where you are located, that helps out on the reginal portion of the equation. Then with that info go to the dealer and ask for the best possible price for the tractor and equipment and see if the dealer is in the ball park. If the dealer isn't even close to some of the prices that others have paid, then mention to the dealer that you've been researching the tractors on tbn and this is what you've found to be a competitive price. It sounds like you want a good relationship with your local dealer, and if the dealer wants the same with you, they will understand why you did your research. I found that when I purchased my new tractor, I recieved a much better deal on the overall package by purchasing the attachments with the tractor. I saved a great deal of money by doing that. In the end, if the dealership is a good one they will be fair and competitive. After all if they hose you on the purchase price and you find out later that is what happened, you won't be inclinded to look at them as nicely as if they gave you a fair deal in the first place. I didn't go all over the place to get prices on my new tractor, I just went to the local dealer and one further away (that was on the side of the road on the way to someplace else, didn't even know that the dealership was even there). AT the local dealer I told the salesman that I was ready to buy, please give me the best possible deal, and told him that yes I had a quote from one other dealer but didn't expect him to be less or the same because I wasn't willing to drive that far for the things that you always end up wanting after the purchase of a tractor, I wanted the luxury of being able to go just down the road for stuff. As it turned out the local dealer was in fact several hundred dollars less than the one further away....YaY for me! Making a good relationship with the local dealership is very important to me, but it's like anything else, a bitter taste in one's mouth after paying way too much for something that other's have paid much less for usually doesn't go away. I think that in making a good relationship with the local dealer a person just has to treat them the way that they them selves want to be treated and should expect the same in return. I've read and heard all kinds of stories about how someone goes to buy something, doesn't know what he (or she) wants, spends alot of the salesmans time on getting a lower price then changes their mind and gets prices on something different, and so on, IMHO this is what makes the person end up not getting into a good working relationship with the salesman and thus not end up getting that great deal in the end. Good luck in your persuit of achieving your goals. Let us know how you come out and what you end up purchasing.
Larry
