The invention relates to a rod transporting device for transporting a welding rod (13) from a rod supply to a point of consumption, and to a method for transporting a welding rod (13). The aim of the invention is to provide a device or a method of the aforementioned kind which can be produced at low costs and carried out easily, respectively, and which allow for a reverse movement of the rod can at rapid reaction times and for an automatic adaptation to welding rods (13) having different diameters. For this purpose, at least one transport element (33) is linked with a drive (37) and at least one additional transport element (33) is linked with the welding rod (13) in a non-positive and/or positive manner, and at least one element (28) for adaptation to the diameter of the welding rod is mounted so as to be displaceable. The transport elements are preferably configured as balls and the drive is a drive sleeve in which the elements are centered and engage with a threaded section of the drive sleeve. |