by
HbJ » Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:50 am
Good question
I found that Edwards pumps (E2M1 and friends) tend to get very loud over time as the rotary blades become worn, the bearings fail and the motors rattle. To sum it up: Their pumps (all I know) are noisy and unreliable toys which don't forgive longer times of immobilization (i.e. bearings fail beyond repair).
For me old Balzers DUO004B pumps did the trick: These are almost absolutely silent (no single fan or other fancy stuff), their rotary slides are of premium quality, the final vacuum is superb and they are engineered to last (not one failed me).
So if you want silent forepumps you have to invest in preventive maintenance or choose the right manufacturer.