There are a number of components involved in creating a good MIG weld, and one of those is the drive rollers. The drive rollers in the machine help to guide and feed the wire from the spool and out through the torch. You may need to change your drive rollers depending on the wire you’re using.  

We’ve covered the three types of drive rollers, how to identify them and what they’re each used for. 

V Groove Drive Rollers

V groove drive rollers are used for solid wires, such as mild and stainless steel. They’re characterised by their ‘V’ shape and aren’t knurled or textured. The shape of the roller is ideal for solid wires as it works to feed the wire without it slipping or deforming the wire.

F Groove Drive Rollers

F groove drive rollers, sometimes called knurled drive rollers, are specifically designed for flux-cored (gasless) wires. As their name suggests, these rollers are knurled and can look almost zig-zagged in pattern, or like teeth, in the groove.

These knurls allow the roller to properly grip the wire as it is fed into the torch without any extra tension. That way, the wire isn’t distorted through excessive tension and doesn’t lose its shape, which can cause feeding issues.

U Groove Drive Rollers

U groove drive rollers are used specifically for aluminium wire, which is a softer wire, so it’s more prone to deforming under too much tension. These rollers are also characterised by their ‘U’ shape and are smooth inside. The U-shaped groove helps to maintain the wire’s shape as it is fed through the torch, giving you a smooth wire feed.

Using the correct drive roller with your wire type is essential to getting a smooth, consistent wire feed and a better weld.

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