39N15 - ESAB Wire Feeder Outlet Guide .045-1/16

Stop Fighting Your Wire Feeder

We've all been there: you're in the middle of a long bead, and suddenly the wire starts stuttering. You check your contact tip, you check your liner, but the problem persists. Often, the culprit is the one part everyone forgets about—the outlet guide. The ESAB 39N15 Outlet Guide is the replacement part you need if you are running .045" or 1/16" wire in your ESAB feeder. This little brass tube sits right after your drive rolls and guides the wire into the gun cable. If it's worn out, grooved, or clogged with shavings, your wire isn't going to feed straight, and your welds are going to suffer.

Why does this part matter so much? Think of it as the funnel that catches the wire coming off the drive rolls. If that funnel is worn into an oval shape (keyholing), the wire can wobble before it hits the liner. This wobble kills the column strength of the wire, leading to birdnesting right at the feeder. The ESAB 39N15 is machined to tight tolerances to keep that wire moving in a straight, low-friction line. It's made of brass, which is slick enough to let the wire slide easily but tough enough to last through spool after spool of heavy use.

Installation is straightforward and should be part of your regular feeder maintenance. Whenever you are changing out your drive rolls or noticing a lot of metal shavings in the feeder cabinet, take a look at your outlet guide. If you see a groove cut into the side of the hole, toss it and pop in a new 39N15. It’s a cheap insurance policy against the frustration of erratic feeding. This specific guide is sized perfectly for the heavier wires used in structural and heavy fabrication work, so you don't have to worry about the wire binding up because the hole is too tight.

Don't let a five-dollar part ruin a thousand-dollar job. Keep a few ESAB 39N15 guides in your toolbox. Whether you are pushing solid steel wire or running flux-core, keeping your feed path clean and tight is the secret to those buttery smooth welds we all aim for. Get your feeder back in shape and get back to burning metal.