That price sounds very reasonable compared to one of my brother's John Deere diesel mowers. The 997's that he uses (3 of them) run about $30K a piece now. He plans on using his new tractor for the majority of the mowing duties.
As for diesel fuel, I can tell you, hauling it around in 5 gallon cans in the back of your truck is a lot more dangerous than transporting it in a secured, approved container that looks no more menacing than an aluminum toolbox. It's less flammable than gasoline. Heck, we carry 300 gallons of it everywhere we go!
And then you get to heft those 40 pound greasy cans up and spill them all over the tractor. Having a nozzle with an electric pump is a much cleaner, safer way to dispense fuel. My shoulders still ache when I think of all the times I did this when I was younger.
Or you can buy a 250 gallon tank and have Eli Roberts deliver it to your "farm" for a nominal fee.
Either way, you should make it a point to take advantage of the off road diesel so you can save around fifty cents or more per gallon. And if you have to drive all the way to Woodville or Tallahassee to get it, you may as well buy a large enough quantity so you don't have to do it so often.