When performing the technological process of soil cultivation, a self-propelled rotary tiller moves due to the adhesion force of the drive wheels to the soil. Engine power is spent on overcoming rolling resistance of driving wheels, friction of the support slide on the soil and resistance to soil cutting by active working elements, and part of the power is lost in the transmission. Given the specific features of the functioning of a self-propelled small-sized rotary tiller with a vertical axis of rotation of active working units, namely its traction-drive nature of work, the equation for traction balance is a condition ensuring its uniform movement. When moving around the field of a self-propelled rotary tiller between the drive wheels and the soil, an FTK traction force arises, which is aimed at overcoming the drag forces when rolling the drive wheels FCK and overcoming the friction force Ffп of the support runner with the soil. In the process of tillage with rotor knives, forces arise, Fy1(Fy2), Fx1(Fx2). The force of gravity Fgм applied at the center of gravity also acts on the tillage aggregate, which can be decomposed into components: gravity Fgк,attributable to the drive wheels and gravity Fgф attributable to the rotary tiller. Based on the analysis of the forces acting on a self-propelled small-sized rotary tiller with a vertical axis of rotation of active working elements, the condition for uneven movement (stability of movement) is made. The solution of the equation regarding the number of rotors allows us to obtain the dependence of their optimal number on the design parameters of the cutter, operating conditions and soil conditions.