Schlagel Rapid Till RT-1000 User manual

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
1
For RT-1000 Rapid Till Row Unit
Rapid Till
Operator’s Manual


Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
2
RAPID TILL
RT-1000
OPERATOR'S MANUAL
This manual is applicable to models of the
RT-1000 Series.
For inquiries call or write to:
Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc.
4154 Buttermilk Road
Torrington, WY 82240
Toll Free: 888-889-1504
Phone: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Website: www.schlagel.net

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
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GENERAL INFORMATION
The photos and drawings in this manual may differ slightly from your machine due to design changes.
Schlagel Manufacturing reserves the right to change the design of the machine at any time without notify-
ing the customer.
SERIAL NUMBER AND DECAL LOCATION
It is important to have access to your machine’s serial number and keep it on record at all times. The
serial number decal on the Rapid Till is located on the front side of the main frame near the 3-point plates
or planter caddy mount plates. This decal also includes the machines model number. We recommend
the serial & model numbers be written in this manual in the spaces below. Should your sticker become
damaged and/or unable to read, you can obtain a new one by sending us your machine's model and serial
numbers with a return address.
Having your model and serial number ready when ordering replacement parts will help avoid con-
fusion and assure that you get the correct parts.
Serial Number:______________________ Model Number:______________________
WARRANTY
All new Rapid Till machines come with a one year warranty. This warranty covers all non-wear parts
(everything except coulters and points) for one year from the date of purchase. Any labor needed for re-
pairs will not be covered unless labor is provided by a Schlagel Manufacturing employee or is pre-
approved by Schlagel Manufacturing. If warranty parts or repairs are needed, please contact Schlagel
Manufacturing or your local dealer with your Rapid Till serial and model number. Warranty parts and re-
pairs will not be authorized for any part that has been misused, abused, or failed because routine mainte-
nance as specified in this manual was not performed.
Typical serial number location

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
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SAFETY FIRST!
· Always disengage all drives, lower machine, put tractor in park, and shut off
engine before performing any maintenance or repairs on your machine.
· Keep hands and feet away from any moving parts at all times.
· Never crawl under the machine without the bar stands in place.
· Always wear safety glasses and other protective wear as needed when per-
forming any adjustment or maintenance.
· Always watch overhead for power lines and other structures when raising/
folding/unfolding any piece of equipment.
· THINK AHEAD… Before doing any maintenance, preview what needs to be
done and think about the best & safest way to do the job.
· The flat and wavy coulters on your Rapid Till usually have very sharp edges.
Use extreme caution when around all coulters.
· Before doing any maintenance on or under the machine, set the machine on the
ground and lower the bar stands onto solid level ground to prevent if from tip-
ping forward and falling.
· If maintenance requires the machine to be raised, leave the machine attached to
the tractor and lower the bar stands and stand extensions onto solid level
ground before performing maintenance.
· When removing and adjusting components, be aware of the weight of the com-
ponents you will be moving.
· If at any time you have questions about the machine, setting the machine, safe-
ty issues, repair issues, or any other inquiry, don’t hesitate to call us. Our toll
free phone number is 1-888-889-1504.

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
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RAPID TILL ROW UNIT COMMON ASSEMBLIES
Side Body
Assembly
Dual Wheel Packer
Assembly
Wavy Coulter
Assembly
Flat Coulter
Assembly
Row Cleaner
Assembly
Parallel Linkage
Assembly
Shank
Assembly

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
6

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
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Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
8

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
9

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
10

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
11

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
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Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
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INFORMATION REGARDING RAPID TILL
NOTICE
Under all circumstances, these three things are necessary for the Rapid Till to work properly:
1. Flat coulter must cut all crop residue to prevent plugging.
2. Shanks must be set deep enough to break compaction.
3. The groove left by the shanks must be closed by the wavy coulters.
PREPARING THE RAPID TILL TRACTOR
The tractor must have a 3 point hitch in good working order. Duals on the tractor are highly
recommended. Front weights may be required. The number of front weights will vary with tractor size and
type, but usually the maximum number is best.
Tire settings should be as close as possible to two (2) times the row width. For example: for 30" row
spacing, you would set the front tires and inside duals at 60" and the outside duals at 120” . Tires must be
set the same from side to side and centered on the tractor. Make sure to set the toe-in of the front tires to
manufacturer's recommended specifications. Tire pressures should be equal for all rear tires.
The majority of Rapid Till machines with 3-point style hitch have a category 3 hitch. Some are both cate-
gory 3 & 4. A quick coupler is highly recommended. Sway blocks should be set with minimum amount of
free travel. If more than 3/16” of total side play is present, you may have to shim up the sway blocks or 3
point arms.
When a 3-point planter is to be used, the tractors sway block side-to-side clearances and 3-point arm to
quick coupler side-to-side clearances need to be as tight as possible.
Side-to-side clearance between quick coupler and Rapid Till 3 point hitch plates should be as small as
possible.
For tractors without quick coupler, 3 point pin spacers are required. The spacers should take up any side
to side movement of the tractor 3 point arms on the Rapid Till 3 point pins.

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
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SETTING WHOLE MACHINE
You may need to set the whole machine by “rolling” it forward or rearward using the tractor’s 3-point cen-
ter link. The reason for rolling the machine is to apply more pressure on all the rear row unit packer
wheels (rolled rearward) or to make the front flat coulter go deeper on all units. Details are as follows.
· Adjusting the entire machine’s rear packer wheel firmness: Control firmness applied to the rear packer
wheels by lengthening the center linkage of the tractor’s three-point.
· Front Flat Coulter Depth: If the flat coulter of the entire machine is not going deep enough, shorten the
center linkage of the tractor. This is intended to roll the machine forward to lower all the front flat coul-
ters as a whole.
SETTING MACHINE BAR HEIGHT
Rapid Till bar needs to be set at the appropriate height to allow the row unit’s parallel linkage to function
properly. You want the parallel linkage on your row units to be level or angled so they are slightly lower in
the back.
The bottom of the bar will be approximately 32” off the ground with the parallel linkage level and the points
touching the ground. If you are planning on running 10” deep, subtract 10” from 32” and the bottom of the
bar should be approximately 22” from the ground. These dimensions are not exact and should be used
as reference only.
On a three point Rapid Till raise or lower your three point on your tractor to the correct height. If your Rap-
id Till is mounted to a caddy please refer to our Planter Caddy owners manual for adjusting the height of
your bar.
ADJUSTING RAPID TILL

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
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ADJUSTING RAPID TILL
SETTING INDIVIDUAL ROW UNIT
ROW UNIT DEPTH ADJUSTMENT
Rapid Till row unit depth is set by making adjustments to the dual wheel packers on the back of the row
unit and secondary adjustments on the shank. This adjustment is made using the pin (primary adjust-
ment) or the bolt (secondary adjustment) on each row unit.
UNIT DOWN PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT
On the parallel linkage there are two springs that connect the arms to the Rapid Till unit body. More
springs can be added to increase unit down pressure to help push the units into the ground in hard heavy
soil and keep all the row units on the bar at the same depth.
WAVY COULTER ADJUSTMENT
After the shank goes through the soil it leaves a void or area of loose soil directly behind it. The wavy
coulters are designed to pinch the soil back together and remove any air pockets that might have devel-
oped as the shank passed through the soil. If your wavy coulters are not set properly this void has the
potential to cause serious problems when planting. It is essential that the void behind the shank gets
closed.
The wavy coulters should never be set shallower than 4 inches. In most conditions, the wavy coulters
work best when run deep and close together. If you are having problems closing the void, then the wavy
coulters need to be set deeper, closer together, or both. If you are going to till first and plant at a later
date, the more narrow the wavy coulters, the better your planter will follow.
The wavy coulters are adjustable for both depth and width. Angle of the wavy coulters is fixed and should
not be altered.
ROW CLEANER ADJUSTMENT
Row cleaners are designed to clean residue. They are adjustable for height and width, allowing you to
decide how wide of an area is swept clean.

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
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TROUBLESHOOTING
PROBLEM PROBABLE CAUSE CORRECTION
PLUGGING BE-
TWEEN FLAT COUL-
TER AND SHANK
FLAT COULTER NOT DEEP ENOUGH SET MACHINE TO RUN DEEPER
SHANK NOT DEEP ENOUGH ADJUSTI THE DUAL WHEEL PACKERS
MACHINE TILLING DEPTH NOT CONSISTANT
CAUSED BY MANUALLY RAISING AND LOW-
ERING MACHINE IN TOUGH AREAS
GEAR DOWN TRACTOR AND MAINTAIN CONSISTANT MA-
CHINE TILLING DEPTH
FLAT COULTER NOT ALIGNED WITH SHANK ALIGN FLAT COULTER WITH SHANK
ROW UNIT NOT PIVOTING ON PARALLEL
LINKAGE GREASE LINKAGE PINS AS REQUIRED
IF RIDGE TILLING, ROW UNIT IS RUNNING OFF
TO ONE SIDE OF RIDGE SEE: MACHINE NOT TRAILING STRAIGHT
RESIDUE BETWEEN ROWS IS WET ALLOW TO DRY
RESIDUE ON SURFACE IS WET ALLOW TO DRY
RESIDUE WORKED TOO DEEP INTO GROUND
AND IS WET (POSSIBLE FROM DISKING TOO
DEEP)
LOWER FLAT COULTERS
PLUGGING BE-
TWEEN SHANK AND
WAVY COULTER
WAVY COULTERS TOO DEEP RAISE WAVY COULTERS
WAVY COULTERS TOO CLOSE TOGETHER ADJUST WAVY COULTERS APART
WAVY COULTER HUB BEARINGS SEIZED OR
BAD REPLACE BEARINGS
IF RIDGE TILLING, ROW UNIT IS RUNNING OFF
TO ONE SIDE OF RIDGE SEE: MACHINE NOT TRAILING STRAIGHT
ROW UNIT NOT PIVOTING ON PARALLEL
LINKAGE GREASE PARALLEL LINKAGE PINS AS REQUIRED
GAUGE WHEELS
FILLING UP WITH
SOIL
TOO MUCH SPRING TENSION ON ROW UNIT
LOOSEN SPRING TENSION
REMOVE SPRINGS IN SANDY SOIL
WAVY COULTERS TOO CLOSE TOGETHER ADJUST WAVY COULTERS APART
TOO WET ALLOW TO DRY
MACHINE NOT
TRAILING
STRAIGHT
ROW UNITS NOT SQUARE TO BAR SQUARE UP UNITS TO BAR
LOOSE 3-POINT HITCH ARMS REMOVE SLACK IN TRACTOR’S 3-POINT SWAY BLOCKS
EXCESSIVE SPACE BETWEEN 3-POINT QUICK
COUPLER AND MACHINES 3-POINT PLATES
ADD SPACERS BETWEEN 3-POINT QUICK COUPLER AND
MACHINES 3-POINT PLATES
TRACTORTIRE PRESSURES NOT EQUAL OR
TOO LOW PUT ADEQUATE AND EQUAL PRESSURES IN TIRES
TRACTOR TIRES NOT SET TO CORRECT
SPACING ADJUST TRACTOR TIRE SPACING
FIELD NOT UNIFORM
IRRIGATION FURROWS NOT CENTERED
FLAT COUTLER NOT ALIGNED PROPERLY ALIGN FLAT COULTER
UNEVEN SETTINGS ON UNITS SEE SETTINGS PAGE
ROW UNIT NOT PIVOTING ON PARALLEL
LINKAGE GREASE LINKAGE PINS AS REQUIRED
WIDTH BETWEEN GAUGE WHEELS SET IN-
CORRECTLY ALLOWING WHEEL TO RIDE ON
SIDE OF SHANK GROOVE
ADJUST GAUGE WHEELS
LIFT ARMS ON TRACTOR NOT EQUAL
LENGHTS ADJUST TRACTOR LINKAGE

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
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TROUBLESHOOTING
PROBLEM PROBABLE CAUSE CORRECTION
MACHINE NOT PEN-
ETRATING INTO
SOIL
FLAT COUTLERS TOO DEEP (HOLDING UP
UNIT) RAISE FLAT COULTERS
SHANK DEPTH SET TOO SHALLOW LOWER UNIT
INSUFFICIENT SPRING TENSION ON ROW
UNITS INCREASE SPRING TENSION
GAUGE WHEELS TOO LOW RAISE GAUGE WHEELS
POINTS WORN EXCESSIVELY REPLACE POINTS
LIGHT PACKER SET TOO LOW RAISE LIGHT PACKER
ROW UNIT NOT PIVOTING ON PARALLEL ARM GREASE LINKAGE PINS AS REQUIRED
TRACTOR 3-POINT CONTROLS NOT SET TO
ALLOW LINKAGE TO BE LOWERED FAR
ENOUGH
ADJUST 3-POINT CONTROLS
WAVY COULTERS ARE OUTSIDE OF SHANK
TRAIL HOLDING UP MACHINE MOVE WAVY COULTERS INWARD
SOIL TOO DRY IRRIGATE
GROOVE BEHIND
SHANK NOT CLOS-
ING PROPERLY
WAVY COULTERS NOT DEEP ENOUGH LOWER WAVY COULTERS
WAVY COULTERS SET TOO FAR AWAY FROM
SHANK GROOVE MOVE WAVY COULTERS CLOSER TO SHANK GROOVE
WAVY COULTERS SET TOO CLOSE TOGETH-
ER MOVE WAVY COULTERS APART
DRIVING TOO SLOW SPEED UP
SOIL TOO DRY IRRIGATE
SOIL STRUCTURE RUINED FROM COMPAC-
TION (POSSIBLY DUE TO PREVIOUS IMPLE-
MENT BEING USED UNDER EXCESSIVELY
WET SOIL CONDITIONS)
ELIMINATE TILLAGE WITH OTHER IMPLEMENTS
PLANTER TRACTOR
NOT FOLLOWING
CORRECTLY BE-
HIND RAPID TILL
HD
PLANTER BAR HEIGHT SET INCORECTLY ADJUST PLANTER BAR SO THAT PARALLEL LINKAGES ON
THE PLANER ARE LEVEL OR SLIGHTLY LOWER IN BACK
PLANTER DRIVE TIRES NOT EQUAL DIS-
TANCE FROM CENTER
ADJUST PLANTER DRIVE TIRES TO EQUAL DISTANCE FROM
CENTER
WRONG STYLE OF TIRES ON FRONT OF
PLANTER TRACTOR PUT SINGLE RIB TIRES ON PLANTER TRACTOR
WRONG STYLE OF TIRES ON PLANTER PUT SINGLE RIB TIRES ON PLANTER
PLANTING IN SAME DIRECTION AS TILL-N-
PLANT PLANT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION AS TILL-N-PLANT
PULL TYPE PLANTERS TEND TO NOT PULL
STRAIGHT
ADJUST TRACTOR DRAWBAR TO COMPENSATE FOR SIDE
PULL
TRACTOR TIRE PRESSURE SET INCORRECT-
LY
ADJUST TRACTOR TIRE PRESSURE SO IT IS EQUAL ON BOTH
SIDES. INSIDE AND OUTSIDE DUALS MAY REQUIRE DIFFER-
ENT TIRE PRESSURES.
ROW UNITS NOT
FLOATING
PARALLEL LINKAGE STICKING GREASE LINKAGE PINS AS REQUIRED
BAR HEIGHT NOT SET CORRECTLY WHEN
COMPARED TO SHANK DEPTH
SET BAR HEIGHT SO PARALLEL LINKAGE IS ANGLE SLIGHT-
LY TOWARDS THE BACK WHEN AT OPERATING DEPTH.

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
18
PREPARATION AND STORAGE
PRE-SEASON
· Review safety precautions in this manual.
· Check the machine over for material defects and cracks, especially near weld joints. If there are any
faults, repair or replace parts before operating the machine.
· Check all bearings on flat and wavy coulters and replace if not in good operating condition.
· Check all bolts, nuts, lock washers, flat washers, roll pins, cotter pins, etc. for being worn, loose or
cracked and replace or tighten as needed.
POST-SEASON
· Remove any trash and debris from machine
· Wash all soil and excess grease that has accumulated on the machine with pressurized water if avail-
able.
· Remove all rust and repaint areas where paint has been removed.
· Loosen tension on row unit springs.
· Lubricate the machine and apply grease to all adjustment bolt threads.
· Make list of parts that need replacing for next season and order them early.
· Make any needed repairs and replace any damaged or worn parts.

Schlagel Manufacturing, Inc. 4154 Buttermilk Road Torrington, WY 82240 PH:888-889-1504
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