A groover cuts the channel along a seam so the weld rod has a place to sit. Get the groove right and the weld looks clean. Get it wrong and the rod rides high, burns through or pulls out. The right groover depends on how long the seams are, how flat the floor is and what the floor is made of.
Hand groovers: short seams, tight spots and detail work
A hand groover is the simplest option. There is no cord and no motor, and you can feel what the blade is doing.
- Pull groovers. You pull the tool along the seam. The Crain 955 Pull Hand Groover uses adjustable fins that track in the seam to set the depth. It comes with 3 blades and is useful for starter cuts for a power groover, tight areas such as doorways, and floors that are not level. The Wolff Groover is another popular pull style, with an adjustable guide and a 4-sided blade you can turn to a fresh edge.
- Rolling groovers. These roll along the joint as you push. The Crain 973 Rolling Hand Groover has guide wheels that track in the seam and an adjustable blade depth. Start in the middle of the seam with the front blade, then groove close to the wall with the rear blade. A clip-on foot plate lets you groove circles and curves. The Wolff Rolling Groover is a similar rolling hand tool.
- Detail groovers. The Crain 957 Detail Hand Groover is made for coved seams and short detail areas. Its guide fins insert in the seam and pivot out of the way for cleaning.
- Rubber floors. The Wolff Rubber Groover is the one to reach for on rubber and PVC jobs.
Power groovers: long seams and big jobs
On longer seams a hand groover gets slow and tiring. A power groover holds a steady depth and finishes in a fraction of the time.
- Crain 968 Floor Following Power Groover. The Crain 968 has a floor-following wheel that raises or lowers the blade to hold a steady groove on uneven floors. It handles up to 1/8" of variation per foot of seam. It runs on 110V with a 9 amp motor and has a maximum cutting depth of 5mm. It comes with a 12-tooth carbide-tipped blade and a carrying case. A diamond blade for metal-impregnated safety floors is sold separately.
- Wolff Master Electric Groover. The Master Electric Groover is a corded groover with automatic depth control for uneven substrates, grooving depth adjustable up to 3/16" and a 5" carbide disc. It also has an adjustable lateral guiding wheel for studded rubber floors.
- Wolff Master Groover 18V Cordless. The cordless Master Groover has the same kind of depth control, with an 18V battery instead of a cord. It is a good fit when an extension cord gets in the way.
Cove base
Cove base is grooved a different way. The D-Cut CB-060 Cove Base Groover grooves cove base so it folds into inside or outside corners, with adjustable groove depth, groove length and clamp tightness.
How to decide
- Seam length. A few short seams, a hand groover is fine. Long runs or a lot of them, a power groover pays for itself.
- Floor condition. Uneven floors need depth control. A floor-following wheel or automatic depth control keeps the groove consistent.
- Material. Homogeneous vinyl, rubber and PVC can call for different tools. Check the flooring maker's instructions.
- Power source. Corded gives you steady power. Cordless gives you freedom to move. Many installers keep a hand groover for tight spots either way.
Match the groove to your weld rod, and follow the flooring and rod manufacturer's instructions. Practice on scrap first. When a blade starts to drag, swap it. A sharp blade makes a cleaner groove, for example the Wolff replacement groover blades for the Wolff Rubber Groover.
For a ready-made starting point, the Crain 989 Economy Vinyl Welding Kit and the Crain 988 Vinyl Heat Welding Kit bundle the basic welding tools. Browse everything in our heat welding tools collection, read our guide to vinyl installation tools, or contact us and we will help you pick one.