When performing various technological operations in crop production, the working bodies of tillage equipment in contact with the soil wear out under the influence of an abrasive environment. (Research purpose) The research purpose is in theoretical substantiation for a method for quantifying the wear capacity of soils with different abrasive characteristics. (Materials and methods) The article presents the evaluation of the abrasive ability of the soil by the wear of a steel rod vertically immersed in the soil and moving translationally. Authors used the standard rod of steel St0; geometric parameters of the worn rod are diameter d = 25-30 millimeters, height h = 250 millimeters; dynamic characteristics during the test are moving speed V = 3 kilometers per hour, distance of movement L = 100 meters. The worn rod sinks to a certain depth, moves in the soil at a constant speed. A device was used to determine the abrasive characteristics of the soil. (Results and discussion) The numerical characteristic of the wear capacity of the soil was determined as the physical value of the wear of the standard worn rod when moving in the soil as A=Q/L, grams per meter. The lower the value of this ratio, the less abrasive components are in the soil; based on the wear data of a standard rod, it is possible to obtain a characteristic of the wear capacity of various soils. (Conclusions) The proposed method allows us to determine the abrasive and wear characteristics of various types of soils. The results of the study make it possible to install working bodies on tillage machines in accordance with the type and wear capacity of the soil in which they will work, which will reduce the cost of their manufacture and increase the efficiency of the use of equipment.