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The present article addresses issues related to the development of a scientifically-based classification of agricultural tractors with consideration of problems associated with international harmonization of testing requirements and classification parameters; it describes the disadvantages of classification of tractors by maximum towing power achieved on a concrete surface, which is used abroad. The authors state the requirements for towing and power classification of agricultural tractors, which should act as a framework for energy harmonization of sets of tractors with sets of machines independently from developers and manufacturers; and demonstrate the need for harmonization of typical size classification series of towing and power parameters with series of preferred numbers recommended by International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

A feature of the present state of the Russian agricultural industry is that productive resources (tractor pool, arable land area and number of workers involved) are diminishing and the reduction does not have a quantified value. In the prevailing conditions of limited resources, agricultural enterprises are forced to operate tractors beyond their amortization periods on a massive scale, which results in an unpredictable service life. This situation calls for an assessment of the optimal composition of the tractor pool in terms of number and age. By way of a solution to this problem, the given article presents a methodological approach as to the analysis of two opposing factors. On the one hand, it takes into account the fact that the use of tractors beyond their depreciation periods leads to increased costs of their operation and further yield losses related to the poor technical condition factor, which is proportional to the number of tractors with expired depreciation periods.