This paper presents vibration characteristics of a wire cut discharge machine in which an electro-rheological brake actuator is used to control the wire tension. The ER brake actuator has several advantages including design simplicity, fast response time and real-time controllability. On the basis of the tension level required in the machine an appropriate size of the ER brake actuator is devised. The ER brake actuator is then incorporated with the machine and the field-dependent wire tension is experimentally evaluated. The straightness of the workpiece is also empirically investigated by changing the intensity of the electric field.