New vs used and the little guy

If venting is allowed please bear with me.
I purchased a "too small and light" tractor and want to trade-up to more weight and horsepower, as I have recently found an impliment I dearly want but it's too heavy for my current ride. With no one to blame but myself I am resigned to suffer a big-time hit on my investment. I have checked with both green and orange dealers to trade my tractor for one with more power and weight. I have owned my tractor 5 months and have 34 hrs on the meter.
Searching the Net for both new and used tractors capable of handling this new affliction, I am overwhelmed with the current crop of "Rental Returns" with anywhere from 100-300 hrs sold "As-New" for $2-3,000 off current list price.
I found a brand new 55 hp green for same price as an exactly same set-up "return" with 220 hrs from another dealer 100 miles away. After several visits with both trying to work a deal the prices remained the same. Some just don't seem to want to sell.
My best trade-in offer to date yields to me a $6,000 loss, but most dealers offered $9-11k less than I paid 5 months ago. Financing IS an issue for most buyers but with current interest rates, even on used equipment, comes nowhere close to explaining the difference from a buyer's payment standpoint, as all these dealers also offer financing at low rates, even for used equipment. ASSuming a $3K loss in value as a "Used" tractor with 34 hrs. isn't that a little rich? The dealers reduce the price the same or less for way more hours. I understand the time value of money and costs of doing business but those should be similar to the same costs for their own "as-new" rental returns. Anyway, thanks for talking the time to read this post and hopefully hopefully you can a avoid a similar situation. Take your time and don't rush!

The transition to TIER 4 complicates things but from what I can see has mostly increased the prices on Pre-TIER 4 tractors more than anything else. The local guy now wants $32k for the same interim-TEIR 4 he offered to sell me last Jan for $27k and offered me $5500 less than I paid for my new tractor. Do that math. Increase one $5K and reduce the other $5,500. Pretty good days work in my opinion.

North Idaho Wolfman said:

Clear up my confusion, why do you want to loose a ton of $$$ for 10 more HP?
You can add more weight for far less than your going to a new tractor.
you can load tires, you can add wheel weights, and a ballast box or a heavy blade or implement.

Click to expand...

It was not my desire to take a huge loss but the natural consequence of rushing into something without proper preparation. It is not just the extra HP but the weight of my machine that is bothersome. The L4600 HST weighs about 3200, plus the FEL. The drill weighs right at 1900 empty. My tires are loaded, and with the FEL there is plenty of space up front to add extra weight. My fear is on the steep terrain of the hunt club (some hills I have to back up due to grade) how much can the tractor carry without breaking something? I'm told the loaded tires don't bear on the machine so much as keep you planted with traction on the ground, and that's a good thing. But if I have to put 1500 or so lbs on the front end to keep things upright on a hill how much power is left for work? Am I calculating "balance point" incorrectly? I am new to working on steep terrain so it is probably my ignorance, but my tractor does not feel stable on those roads with a 900 lb harrow, and others have posted their experience with the seed drill I want who speak about "popping wheelies" with much bigger tractors when planting on level ground. My plots are fairly level, but getting to them is another matter. I am hoping a larger tractor weighing 5000 or so, properly loaded tires and FEL would do it. I am just concerned that loading both ends to near maximum working weights before leaving the yard to get to the field means I need a bigger unit. Sure wish I had known of this seeder last spring before I traded the L3800. I'll most likely stand with what I have for a few years till things settle down on the TIER 4 front and try again. It still bothers that "their used" only depreciates 3-4K when "ours" drops double that or more.

The seeder is the Woods PSS72 unless I do get a larger tractor, then I'd go with the 84 inch drill. The 72 weighs about 1800 lbs empty. Guess I worry too much but at some point I figure if I hang 1500-2000 lbs on the front to balance 2000 lbs on the back that 3100 lb tractor just might split? I haven't found a source yet but am curious as to how much total weight it can move/carry. As far as steepness of grade, in 2 places unless I am VERY slow and careful, when you back up the hill the road scrapes the nozzles from the sprayer boom. Such spots are short, maybe 50-75 horizontal feet, but it is quite a climb. I am resigned to the fact I'll have to drive around to the other gate to access those plots, about a 16 mile roundtrip instead of chancing that hill to access the next plot 1/3 mile across the creek, but there are quite a few spots almost as bad. Would probably be cheaper just to find a new hunt lease.
Anyway, my intent here was to vent and whine about loss in value for trade-ins. I'd expect a big hit but can't stand a killing. One might think if TIER4 increased the price of new units, and logically the value of competing nonT4 units, shouldn't the trade-in also benefit? Thanks for the advice. I'll just stand pat for a couple years and try again