Spreading Most combines today spread straw only about 15 to 25 feet . This is narrower than the width of cut most combines can handle. The Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute says farmers should be concerned with getting straw evenly spread. While choices include sizing the cutting width and purchasing specialized choppers, many farmers have adapted or improved the existing choppers and spreaders on their own combines. PAMI suggests that farmers can do the following to improve existing straw chopper performance.
Spreaders are either mechanically or hydraulically driven.
Most spreaders move the chaff mechanically using paddles - others use air. Some spreaders must be used in conjunction with a deflector to move chaff from sieves to spreader.