Symptom-first troubleshooting

Birdnesting Troubleshooting

Troubleshoot MIG wire birdnesting at the feeder using liner, contact tip, drive roll, gun cable, and setup checks.

Most Common Causes

  • Liner drag, wrong liner size, or worn liner
  • Drive roll pressure, groove type, or drive roll wear
  • Contact tip restriction or wrong tip size
  • Gun cable kinked, sharply bent, or too much feed resistance

Beginner Explanation

What this means in plain English

Birdnesting is when wire piles up at the feeder instead of traveling smoothly through the gun. Start with the liner, drive roll, contact tip, and gun cable path.

Machine and Equipment Pages to Check

Related Support Pages

Long-Tail Search Phrases Covered

MIG wire birdnesting at feederwhy does my MIG wire bunch upbirdnesting liner drive roll contact tip

MIG Quick Shop Tip

Shop tip: check drive-roll tension, liner condition, and contact-tip size before replacing the whole gun. Many feed problems start with setup or a wear item.

Quick Support Links

The most useful nearby paths, kept short for fast scanning.

Need More Help?Troubleshooting, blog guides, and deeper diagnostics

What does this part do?

A contact tip guides the MIG wire and carries welding current into the wire. If it wears, burns back, or does not match the wire size, feeding and arc stability can get worse fast.