I started shopping a little more than a year before actually buying, not counting all the years I spent looking at tractors and wishing I had enough room to own one.
I got serious after I bought my grandmother's property after her death.
I started out expecting I would end up with a Kubota, thoroughly investigated the gray market Yanmars, Isekis, Mitsubishis etc. Checked out Deere, New Holland, Farmtrac/landtrac, Mahindra, and host of others before deciding on the CK20HST from Kioti.
Would have waited longer? Yes, if I had known Kioti was going to offer up the CK25/30 models. I suspect that I would have been swayed into getting the CK30 had I seen it at buying time, but otherwise, no because I had really researched enough and knew enough to make the buy. John