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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.
A roll that is too big or too small for the wire cannot grip it properly. Too large and the wire slips; too small and the wire can be squeezed out of shape or shaved. Either way you get uneven feeding and an unsteady arc.Check the diameter printed on the wire spool and choose a roll or kit for that size. Some rolls carry two grooves for different sizes, so make sure the correct groove is the one facing the wire. The inlet and outlet guides should be sized to the wire too.
In many kit tables, standard feed roll kits are fitted with plastic rolls and heavy duty kits with metal rolls, listed by wire type and diameter. The exact difference depends on the maker and the feeder, and the groove shape for your wire matters more than the roll material.Do not assume a heavy duty kit can replace a standard one or the other way round. Check the kit description, the data plate and your feeder manual, and fit the type the manual lists for your feeder and wire.