A welding system, comprising: a welding power supply configured to generate a welding waveform; a wire feeder operatively connected to the welding power supply to conduct the welding waveform to a wire electrode in a welding circuit, wherein the wire feeder comprises: a drive motor that advances the wire electrode through a torch; a motor current sensor that senses a current level of the drive motor; and a controller operatively connected to the motor current sensor to receive a current level signal from the motor current sensor, and operatively connected to the drive motor to control operations of the drive motor; and a further sensor that senses a condition of the welding circuit, wherein the further sensor is located with the welding power supply or the wire feeder, characterized in that the controller is configured to discriminate wire electrode contact events with objects electrically connected to the welding power supply from wire electrode contact events with objects electrically insulated from the welding power supply based on the current level signal from the motor current sensor and the sensed condition of the welding circuit, and automatically stop advancement of the wire electrode through the torch upon detecting a wire electrode contact event with an object electrically insulated from the welding power supply. a welding power supply configured to generate a welding waveform; a wire feeder operatively connected to the welding power supply to conduct the welding waveform to a wire electrode in a welding circuit, wherein the wire feeder comprises: a drive motor that advances the wire electrode through a torch; a motor current sensor that senses a current level of the drive motor; and a controller operatively connected to the motor current sensor to receive a current level signal from the motor current sensor, and operatively connected to the drive motor to control operations of the drive motor; and a further sensor that senses a condition of the welding circuit, wherein the further sensor is located with the welding power supply or the wire feeder, characterized in that the controller is configured to discriminate wire electrode contact events with objects electrically connected to the welding power supply from wire electrode contact events with objects electrically insulated from the welding power supply based on the current level signal from the motor current sensor and the sensed condition of the welding circuit, and automatically stop advancement of the wire electrode through the torch upon detecting a wire electrode contact event with an object electrically insulated from the welding power supply. a drive motor that advances the wire electrode through a torch; a motor current sensor that senses a current level of the drive motor; and a controller operatively connected to the motor current sensor to receive a current level signal from the motor current sensor, and operatively connected to the drive motor to control operations of the drive motor; and a further sensor that senses a condition of the welding circuit, wherein the further sensor is located with the welding power supply or the wire feeder, characterized in that the controller is configured to discriminate wire electrode contact events with objects electrically connected to the welding power supply from wire electrode contact events with objects electrically insulated from the welding power supply based on the current level signal from the motor current sensor and the sensed condition of the welding circuit, and automatically stop advancement of the wire electrode through the torch upon detecting a wire electrode contact event with an object electrically insulated from the welding power supply. <EOS>