BigErn, I would not say you are "getting hosed," but I think you could get a better deal. Like the car companies, I think when the interest rates go down, the dealers try to move up in price to compensate. If you are paying cash, or a very short financing contract like 12 months, I think you should make the dealer an offer and see what they will do. When I went into my dealer, I told him my price and he actually beat it by $100. Do all the research you can and go shopping around for other models. Don't hide the fact that you are comparing prices.
Anyhow, here are the exact prices on my TC45D which I got in Feb. 2001. Tractor (hydro + 1 remote valve) $18,200, 16LA loader (HD 72" bucket) $3,750. Total - $21,900. I made a $5,000 down payment and financed the rest at 6.9% for 36 months. In Texas, farm use tractors do not pay sales tax. I bought the tractor during the Fort Worth Stock Show, so I got a special $500 discount.
That's the facts, and again, I don't think you are getting "hosed" but I think you could do a little better on your prices. If you are getting a low interest rate, you can expect the base cost of the machine to be higher, IMHO. Hope this helps.
JimI