Identify your wheel's tension style before you purchase bobbins or flyers.

See below for photos and additional information.

Louët wheels with treadles can spin in Scotch tension or Irish tension only. Each wheel comes with a Scotch or Irish tension mother-of-all (MOA), flyer, and bobbins.

• S10 Concept and S95/S96 Victoria, can switch between Irish and Scotch tension with accessories.
• The e-spinner Jenn-E can spin in Scotch and Irish tension without accessories.
• S17 spins in Irish tension only.
• For discontinued wheels, see below for photos and additional information.

Flation, Ladybug, Matchless, and the discontinued Schacht-Reeves can spin in all 3 tension styles.

• Flatiron and Ladybug include a poly drive band for Scotch/Irish tension spinning and a cotton drive band for double drive.
• Matchless and the discontinued Schacht-Reeves come with cotton drive bands for Scotch/Irish tension and double drive tension. You'll tie the drive bands differently for double drive.
• The Sidekick cannot spin in double drive mode. It includes a poly drive band.

Scotch tension (flyer lead) works well for beginners, as it's easy to adjust.

It's ideal for any yarn weight from fine to super bulky, for any low-twist yarn, or for art yarns.

The speed of the flyer and the speed of the drive wheel are independent of each other.

• The wheel's drive band turns the flyer, which adds twist to the fiber. The drive band goes over a whorl (pulley) on the flyer.
• The brake—a stretchy cord or a spring and string—goes over a groove in the bobbin.
• The spinner adjusts the brake with a peg or knob. As the cord or spring stretch out, the bobbin slows down and there's more take-up on the yarn.
• With higher take-up, the yarn will draw onto the bobbin more quickly, giving the spinner less time to draft and less time for twist to build up in the yarn.

Irish tension (bobbin lead) also works well for beginners, as it's easy to adjust. It's the opposite of Scotch tension in its operation.

It's frequently used for bulky and art yarns.

The speed of the flyer and the speed of the drive wheel are independent of each other.

• The wheel's drive band turns the bobbin, which adds twist to the fiber.
• The brake controls the flyer's speed. Louët wheels use a brake strap at the orifice. Schacht wheels use the same brake (spring and string) as for Scotch tension, but this brake goes on the whorl (pulley).
• As the flyer slows down, there's more take-up on the yarn.
• With higher take-up, the yarn will draw onto the bobbin more quickly, giving the spinner less time to draft and less time for twist to build up in the yarn.

Double drive tension isn't usually taught to beginning spinners until they're confident at treadling and producing a consistent yarn. Generally spinners use double drive for very fine to fine yarns or any yarn that requires high twist. It's not the best choice for low-twist, bulky, or art yarns.

The speed of the flyer and the speed of the bobbin are completely dependent on each other. A very long non-stretchy drive band loops once around the drive wheel and flyer, then once around the bobbin.

• The wheel's drive band turns the flyer, which adds twist to the fiber. The drive band also acts as a brake on the bobbin.
• Make the loop on the flyer longer, and the loop on the bobbin automatically gets shorter, increasing the take-up. Make the loop on the flyer shorter, and the loop on the bobbin gets longer, decreasing the take-up.
• Wheels that can spin in double drive always have a way to adjust this difference in loop sizes. On some wheels, like the Matchless or Flatiron, the spinner moves the flyer and bobbin farther away from the drive wheel. On other wheels, like the Ladybug, there's a tensioner mechanism that maintains the loops' sizes and tightens up the drive band.

The spinner has to be comfortable treadling, keeping the drive wheel moving consistently in one direction. Scotch and Irish tension are more forgiving of uneven treadling, and they're great for bigger yarns—this is why beginners typically learn Scotch or Irish instead of double drive.