A welding system in which a motor and set of drive rolls in the wire feeder pushes, or drives, the welding wire toward the welding gun, where another motor and set of drive rolls pulls the wire. This arrangement permits welding to take place 15 to 18 m (50 to 60 feet) away from the wire feeder, or three times the usual operating range for GMAW equipment. The system is especially useful when welding with relatively soft wires like aluminum.