The SPIKE tractor engine was the first to be tested on the new Taylor Dynamometer test stand in Ukraine.

On September 16, a landmark event took place in the field of Ukrainian agricultural engineering: the Pogorilyi UkrNDIPVT (Ukrainian Research Institute for Forecasting and Testing of Machinery and Technologies for Agricultural Production) unveiled the first—and currently only—high-tech Taylor Dynamometer (USA) test stand in Ukraine designed for testing tractor engines in accordance with international standards.

The first tractor to undergo engine testing on this new equipment was the SPIKE TK1054, manufactured by the Kropyvnytskyi-based company Agro Car; the tractor was issued certificate No. 001.

In real-time, specialists can measure engine power and torque, precise fuel consumption, harmful emission levels, temperature ranges, and performance characteristics under various loads.

Taylor Dynamometer is an American manufacturer with a long history in the field of dynamometer equipment. Similar technologies are used by leading European testing centers.

For Ukrainian manufacturers, the arrival of this equipment means the ability to test their own designs domestically and obtain objective results based on international ISO regulations. For farmers, it offers the chance to see the machinery's actual performance characteristics rather than just the figures claimed by the manufacturer. For researchers, it provides a unique facility for testing new domestic developments.

This equipment was acquired thanks to the Pogorilyi UkrNDIPVT’s participation in a grant program supporting Ukrainian agricultural research institutions, funded by the Government and people of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Looking ahead, there are plans to develop a Ukrainian testing and certification center for agricultural machinery at the Institute, utilizing procedures and methods harmonized with European requirements.