13.2# on a P5 spool...

I was recently surprised to find a wire supplier loading 13.2 lbs of wire on my same old P5 spool. Boy was I happy!!! 2.2 more pounds of wire per spool means I can sit on my butt that much longer before having to load a new spool up. Sounds like a no-brainer right???
Eeeeegggggggg (buzzer sounds)!!!!!
It seems that extra 2.2 pounds throws everything out of whack. Don't know if they use more tension when spooling or if the engineer who designed the P5 spool knew what he was talking about when he said 11 pounds is enough, but I have had nothing but headaches until that extra 2.2 pounds comes off. Once I get down to the diameter of an 11 pounder, everything is kewl. Anyone else notice this on the overloaded 13.2's???

What kind of machine are you running, and what problems are you having?

The problem with oversize spools is that is screws with the pretension. Pretension variations will compound into main tension changes. Our newer machines even have a function that comps the pretension as the spool unloads. A larger diameter spool, though heavier, will exhert less of a mechanical advantage into the wire, thus lowering pretension. If your machine has a high speed threader, it the pretension system may have a hard time stopping it after a thread or even when stopping wire feed if you are at a higher setting. This can cause the wire to go slack and fall off of pulleys etc.

Wire tension is such an exact science, you're probably right, the engineer who designed the P5 spool knew exactly what he was talking about