| Weak arc / no penetration |
Long extension cord, poor clamp, wrong wire speed, dirty work |
Plug directly into outlet, clean steel, inspect clamp |
| Wire stubs into plate |
Wire speed too high, low heat setting, poor work return |
Reduce feed, verify output setting, improve clamp |
| Wire burns back to tip |
Wire speed too low, bad tip, excess stickout |
Raise feed, replace tip, shorten stickout |
| Feed surges or birds-nests |
Wrong roll tension, rusty wire, liner drag, spool brake issue |
Remove tip, test bare feed, inspect wire and roll pressure |