Is this a normal "buzz box" sound?

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I am pretty much only used to 120V AC home machines , so my knowledge of how a 220V  250A  AC/DC welder should sound like under load is extremely limited:  I just received a new Campbell Hausfeld WS4469 , and I tested it by welding some plate at about 90 amps. It makes a rather loud "buzzing noise" during either AC or DC welding (louder than the metal-to-stinger arc welding noise itself);  is this normal for a large buzz box, or should the buzzing be more subdued?Thanks,-Bill
Reply:Oh, come on guys, most everyone here has a 220V arc welding machine I'm sure!  Just tell me what sound it makes while welding:  Is it a light buzzing, or is it a heavy buzzing under load, similar in sound to this Youtube video: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RujfDk8Oufs[/ame].Thanks,-Bill
Reply:Hi BillHaven't owned a machine similar to that since I started out years ago.  That noise is  why they call those little welders "buzz boxes". Seriously, I am not familiar with that particular welder but looking at the manual online it looks like the current control is a shunt that is cranked in or out of the transformer core to vary the current to the output.  They tend to vibrate and make a humming sound which gets worse as they get older.  Also depends on the quality of the mechanism, the more sturdy it is the less hum.If your welder sounds like the one in the video, I'd say it is typical for that type of machine."The reason we are here is that we are not all there"SA 200Idealarc TM 300 300MM 200MM 25130a SpoolgunPrecision Tig 375Invertec V350 ProSC-32 CS 12 Wire FeederOxweld/Purox O/AArcAirHypertherm Powermax 85LN25
Reply:All transformers buzz to some degree...some more and some less. I wouldn't worry about it.If you want to learn far more than you ever wanted, then Google "transformer hum."http://www.federalpacific.com/univer.../chapter3.htmlLast edited by Kelvin; 03-04-2011 at 05:16 PM.
Reply:Thanks Norite and Kelvin.  That puts my mind at ease!FYI: I realize that a Campbell Hausfeld welding machine doesn't have the name, quality, or rep that a Lincoln, Hobart, or Miller would have; but I originally bought a great Hobart Stickmate LX 235 AC/160 DC, even though many buyers received them in a dented and damaged condition.  I thought I would get lucky and receive my Hobart in one piece;  unfortunately, such was not the case (looked like a baseball bat had been taken to the box and the welder! ).  I gave up and bought a powerful Campbell Hausfeld  Pro-250 WS4469.  A bonus is that not only do I really like the way it looks, but I also bought it at the normal price of a Pro250 AC-only unit ($588, with free shipping ).CH Pro250:
Reply:My thunderbolt A/C-D/C buzzes somewhat loud. As said that's why they're called buzz box.  I used a Lincoln idealarc 250 for a fella I worked for and it was relatively quiet, so I imagine the cost/quality of the machine is in inverse proportion to the volume of the buzz.                                           MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:Snug up the screws that hold everything together, inside first, then tighten the covers. Probably just some loose sheet metal.
Reply:I does sound like some of the sheet metal is loose or bowed.Have someone listen while you weld, and try using their hand to localize the noise.It seems way louder than simple transformer magnetostriction noise.
Reply:Yeh the noise has to do with how tightly the entire unit is put together from start to finish. You could make one specifically to be a sixty cycle noise maker (buzzer) if that was the original goal .   It could just happen to be the one you bought has some things loose or that whole product line. Who knows. Like others have mentioned, do some pushing and poking around and see if you can figure out if most of the noise is coming from one or two places or if it's little bit from everywhere. You might want to take a look at how the xformer is mounted. Bolts vs rivets and such."The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt