Sharp, well adjusted cutter bars are essential. Flax can be straight combined if maturity is uniform and green weeds are not a problem. If flax is swathed and pickup combined later, a tall stubble is desired. Using swath rollers can help settle the swaths into the stubble to reduce wind damage and aid pickup combining. Manufacturers' recommendations should be followed to reduce seed damage during combining.
Some combines have special rolls ahead of the cylinder to fracture the flax boll.
The seedcoat of flax is easily damaged or broken, so proper adjustments are necessary. Yellow seeded varieties are more susceptible to seed damage because of their thinner seedcoat. Flax seed is safe to store at 11 percent moisture. Higher moisture will result in heating and mold formation. Flax seed often comes from the combine with large amounts of green weed seed dockage.