Prices for new tractors (I think 2013 and later) have increased because of a new federal law on emissions (thank you for protecting us from ourselves governess....).
When I bought my 3016, the dealer said 2012 inventories were beefed up ahead of the new regulations/costs.
I would say a person should expect to pay $3-$4K for a new FEL and between $15-20K for a compact tractor.
If asked, I would offer these "pieces" of advice for any buyer:
1. Bring a binder with blank tables with you when you visit a dealer so you can compare all the pricing options as there are four or five (or more) ways to pay for what you buy; it appears like a rubix cube.
2. Figure out which tractor you need and find a way to get the next-size bigger.
3. Confirm the date of manufacture (DOM) before you buy.
4. Make sure your prospective tractor hasn't been the one everyone test-drives.
5. Take the leap of faith; I cannot see how a dealer would risk gouging anyone since there are too many ways to be caught these days and manufacturer supervision/guidelines (aka corporate sincerity) may land them in hot water. Corporate was watching what my dealer charged me, no way to hide it from them unless I bought used and paid cash.
