Long distance

If I found a good enough deal on an "N", I'd pick one up in NY, CA, or wherever - it's just a couple of days either way and there's some pretty country to see wherever you go in the U.S. of A. Maybe you know someone with a pickup and a trailer who would make good company on such a trip if you pay for the gas and motels? That would be a lot cheaper than paying a truck line to haul a tractor.

ARB
Put Put Put ...

I have shipped lots of things all over the country. The best advice I can give is to do your homework before you buy, or at least make a deal with the seller to store the item for up to 3 months to allow you to find a transport mode that will not break your wallet.
Somewhere around here is a message 'board' for people to connect for the purpose of transporting tractors.
If you need to go with a common carrier, see if you can find one that will be delivering somewhere near where your tractor is, and then make a deal for them to bring it back. Trucking companies HATE to travel empty, but they do it all the time. They would rather get $500-$1000 for a normally empty trip than $0.00!
I used to have inbound steel sit in Chicago for weeks waiting for a truck to head east empty on a return trip. However, it would save the company 50-75% on the inbound freight costs.
Look for a company that deals in a one-way comodity. I used a company that trucked hay west and came back empty, but was told that the same applies for produce, livestock etc...

HTH