It is noted that the urgent need for improving the country's food supply, expanding the range of field crop cultivation led to the shift from the development of single machines to creating machine systems, that is, complexes of well-balanced, coordinated integrated technologies and technical means. (Research purpose) To determine the principles of forming a machine and technology system, that reflect the state and development of mechanized and automated processes of agricultural production in certain periods of the country economy development. (Materials and methods) It is found out that for achieving this goal, it was necessary to fundamentally change the approach to creating new machines and equipment, to shift from the segmental development of single, unrelated machines to creating technical complexes, well-balanced and coordinated technically and technologically, and able to perform full cycles of work on cultivating a wide range of crops, in other words, to start creating Machine Systems. (Results and discussion) It is identified that during the implementation of the Machine Systems, there were created effective complexes of agricultural machinery in our country: high-speed arable and tilled tractors of various classes, self-propelled grain and forage harvesters, and other important types of agricultural machines. (Conclusions) It is proved that the continuously developing scientific and technical potential ensured the solution of major national economic problems, including the creation of Machine Systems. It is established that as the Machine Systems evolved, priority was given to improving reliability, safety, energy and resource saving, power/weight ratio, expanding functionality, multiplicativity, improving operators’ working conditions, quality of work, unifying components, and further increasing productivity.