"If you have the cash then yes it's best just to buy it with cash, "
I disagree !!!
Those who buy lots of big $$$$ items, rarely pay cash IF THEY can get a low, low rate .......or in this case a ZERO % rate.....
WHY?
CASH value is what the item is worth that day - IN today's dollars.......
NOW lets look at something, in 5 years time, the so called American dollar will be worth a little lesssss than it is today! Let's say it goes down a penny a year, so a year from now the DOLLAR is only worth 99 cents........ 2 years, 98 cents ....etc......so add it all up. year 5 is worth 95 cents! AND you will be paying with a dollar from old that is costing you less every year!
SO paying cash day 1 will actually cost you more!!!!
Most big farmers and businessmen would take the 0% simply because they could take it off their taxes over the 5 year period, and MORE importantly - the money that they WOULD put down on a new tractor, would be used for something ELSE that would NOT be a ZERO % loan.
Someone would be better off to place the large sum in a bank - draw 1% and after 5 years , they would still have a few dollars left! After the loan was paid off!