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Straight answers to the questions people ask most when choosing and fitting a feed roll kit for a wire feeder.
A feed roll kit is a set of replacement drive rolls for a wire feeder, matched to one wire type and one wire diameter. Many kits also include the wire inlet guide and outlet guide, because these need to be the right size for the wire as well.Kits are normally made for a particular feeder or range of feeders, so the contents differ. Check what is listed for your unit, and use the data plate and manual to confirm the kit suits your feeder before you buy.
The groove shape is chosen to suit the wire. V-groove rolls are used for solid wire such as steel and stainless. V-knurled rolls, which have small teeth, suit flux-cored and metal-cored wire, because the tubular wire, filled with flux or metal powder, is softer and needs extra grip. U-groove rolls suit aluminium and other very soft wires, because the rounded groove feeds them without squashing them.Using the wrong type is a common cause of slipping, shaving or crushed wire.
Use the least pressure that feeds the wire without slipping. Too much pressure can flatten or deform the wire, which leads to arc instability or burn-back and sheds shavings into the liner. Too little lets the rolls slide over the wire.A commonly used method is to release the tension, feed the wire against a piece of wood, and tighten until the wire stops slipping, then add about half a turn. Reset the pressure every time you change the rolls or the wire.
A four-roll drive spreads the pushing force over more points, so each roll can apply less pressure. That is often helpful with soft wires, flux-cored wire, long cables and heavier-duty work. A two-roll drive is simpler and works well for many everyday jobs.You cannot usually swap between the two types by changing the kit alone, because the feeder itself is built for one or the other. Choose the kit made for your feeder.