wire feed problems

Date 06-06-2002 02:22

my 120 volt mig will not feed .023 wire. The wire can be pulled out by hand with the drive roller on maximum pressure. I cannot do this when the .030 wire is used. The drive roller has dual grooves for .030 and .024. I cannot find any .024 anywhere. It's all .023. Is this what's causing the problem? It's only .001 difference. The thing is thin wire seems to do a much better job welding. ( When the feed is consistent ) When I purchased the welder used it had .030 wire installed with the drive roller set for .024. Could this have worn the drive roller excessivley. It's a Craftsman welder and I believe Century manufactures it. As always, thanks for any input or insults.

By welder_guy2001 (***)

Date 06-06-2002 09:21

now, THAT could be your problem. yes, the groove could be worn out from using the larger wire w/ the smaller groove. you shouldn't have to change the drive roller pressure at all for switching to a smaller wire size. i'm betting that's what's wrong...find a new drive roller for your machine. and no, .001 isn't enough of a difference to matter on a drive roller. i use .023 or .024 contact tips, and never notice a feeding problem.