My 250ex is kinda noisy but it doesn't bother me a bit. Something I just have to live with. I know peoples sensitivity to noise varies from person to person but and as stated above most other tools that are used in preparing the material to get them to the point of welding the materials together are much louder than the welding machines. If the fans/machines are too loud, I'd suggest a using ear plugs. That will really cut down on the noise. And it is a cheap fix too.