To provide a low-cost wire feeder capable of avoiding an increase in tension working on a wire even when the wire is fed from near the flanged plate of a drum.

This wire feeder 1 includes a motor 2, which feeds a wire 5 by rotating a drum 4, and a tension detection device 10 for detecting the tension of the wire 5 fed. The rotational speed of the motor 2 is controlled on the basis of the output of the tension detection device 10. A traverser 12 guiding the wire 5 is provided between the drum 4 and the tension detection device 10. A stage 8 which can be moved over a linear guide 9 by the action of the stepping motor 12 is provided with a guide ring 7 through which the wire 5 is passed and three photoelectric switches 6a-6c for detecting the position of the wire 5. As the wire 5 is fed from near the flanged plate 4a of the drum 4, the stepping motor 13 operates when the wire 5 is detected by the photoelectric switch 6a, and the stage 8 is moved until the wire 5 is detected by the center photoelectric switch 6b.