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R2 Rinaldi Power Harrows
Power Harrows gently stir & work the soil “horizontally”, offering the ultimate in seedbed preparation and secondary tillage/weed control with no soil inversion or hardpan formation (Also called “Rotary Harrow” or Rotary Power Harrow”) Professional market gardeners and farmers in Europe have been using these machines for many years, and folks in North America are finally “catching on” that these tools are the best secondary tillage option, particularly for soils that are worked multiple times during the growing season. Power harrows are also noted for their excellent grading and leveling work, and are used extensively in Europe for landscaping applications (North American landscapers are slowly catching on). Run at a very shallow depth and with the tractor in a higher gear, they are also effective tools for lawn de-thatching and scarification prior to overseeding.
HOW THEY WORK: Multiple sets of tines rotate on vertical axles for totally horizontal tillage of the soil – NO inversion of soil layers and NO vertical compression leading to hardpan formation. Also, the “stirring” action does not over-pulverize the soil such as can be done with a rototiller; the soil stays in better shape, and can be worked more times in a season without risk of seriously damaging soil structure. The mesh roller in the rear perfectly levels and pre-tamps seedbed for precision seeding and good seed-to-soil contact, and the roller adjusts incrementally up & down for perfect depth adjustments ranging from 0” to 5.5” working depth.
We offer TWO brands of power harrows: The “Original” R2 Rinaldi power harrows, built in Italy since 1979 (this is the brand made famous in Jean-Martin Fortier’s book, The Market Gardener…he purchased an R2 Harrow from us in 2008); and also the BCS-brand “Clovis” harrows, produced in Canada.
R2 Rinaldi Harrows | BCS “Clovis” Harrows | |
---|---|---|
Drive type | Heat-treated, hardened steel gears–MOST DURABLE | Chain-drive |
Width options | 20”, 24”, 30”, 36”, 39” | 21”, 30”, 32” |
Adjustable Grader blade | Available, helps with landscaping projects | None |
Optional roller styles | Mesh roller, Solid roller or Bar-type roller | Mesh roller only |
Depth/Height adjustment system: | Fast screw-crank with 1/8” depth adjustment increments | Lever-type with ½” depth increments (lever-type system designed to help offset the extra weight of the BCS/Clovis harrows, which are 20+ lbs. heavier than the R2 and therefore harder to handle) |
Company experience | Building harrows since 1979 | Building harrows since 2014 |
CURRENT PROMOTIONS: | 20% Discount on one of our hand-forged heavy-duty broadforks with purchase of R2 Power Harrow to fit walk-behind tractor (cannot be combined with other discounts on broadfork or harrow) | Free “lightweight” broadfork from BCS with purchase of Clovis power harrow (“light” broadfork will not hold up in heavy soils; for light soils ONLY) |
Obviously, the R2 brand harrows offer many advantages in durability and usability, but if a customer simply must have “everything BCS brand”, then we can certainly supply the BCS “Clovis” harrow.
The current R2 harrows are designed to be the easiest-handling and longest-lasting harrows in each size class. (Revisions were made in early 2016 to the 30” model to improve handling compared to previous R2 30” models.) The power harrows DO have some weight to them, though – this is by design, so they can put enough pressure on the rear roller to “tamp” the soil properly. Based on the tractor model you are applying it to, a front counter-balance weight may be helpful to achieve the best handling (See our Accessories page).
We also recommend that most tractor models be equipped with 5x12x22” or larger wheels for proper ground clearance, particularly when being used on raised beds. (Ask us about our recommendations for wheel size & possible counterbalance weights) NOTE: IF YOU HAVE VERY SOFT / SANDY SOILS, FRONT COUNTER-BALANCE WEIGHTS WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED – OTHERWISE, THE GROUND-PRESSURE OF THE ROLLER MAY “SQUISH” THE SOIL OUT TO THE SIDES TOO MUCH, PARTICULARLY ON RAISED BEDS!
Jean-Martin Fortier with the current EL series R2 Rinaldi 30" Power Harrow...His quote: "The new R2 harrow is really improved (over the old heavier R2 model I started out with)...easier to handle, better balanced, and a great product. I recommend it!"
Due to the fact that the Power Harrows are the only soilworking implement that has an oscillating swivel-joint at the PTO coupling allowing the harrow to “float” independent of the tractor axle, these tools are also coveted by the landscaping industry for leveling out / renovating yards or any lumpy terrain. (On the EL series R2 power harrows, this “floating” feature can be “locked” in the center position if desired) Some of the R2 brand harrows (the “Landscaping” versions) are even available with a small (removable) adjustable-height grader blade at the front to level out the soil in a front-to-rear plane as well. (NOTE: for agricultural work, the grader-blade is typically removed, because when it is place, the harrow won’t go over 3” deep without the grader blade starting to push soil.)
R2-brand 30” units are also available with a full-width drop-seeder attachment mounted between the harrow and the mesh roller for lawn/cover crop seeding.
ALL R2 RINALDI POWER HARROWS CAN BE FITTED DIRECTLY TO OLDER BCS WALK-BEHIND TRACTOR MODELS (provided they have the power & wheel size needed) AT NO EXTRA CHARGE – SIMPLY REQUEST A PTO COUPLING FLANGE ON THE HARROW SPECIFIC TO THE OLDER BCS WALK-BEHIND TRACTOR MODEL YOU HAVE.
Row-marker frame with 3 markers installed
Now available to fit the R2 Rinaldi EL75 30” Power Harrow. Accommodates up to 6 markers on the frame. Markers easily adjusted / added / subtracted with thumb-screws. The markers are rounded on the bottom, so as to avoid catching and dragging organic material (cover crop residue, etc.). Once the support brackets are attached to harrow roller frame (4 bolts, 2 minutes), the row-marker frame installs or removes in about 15 seconds (the brackets can stay on the harrow from then on). Flips “up” when you need to turn the tractor around, back up, etc. -SEE BELOW IN R2 30” HARROW PRICE SECTION FOR PRICES-
Row-marker "down" for marking
Row-marker "up" for turning, etc.
Due to popular demand, we are now offering R2 Rinaldi power harrows to fit 4-wheel tractors. (Tractor must have 540 RPM PTO & category 1 3-point hitch)