Is there such a thing as a low noise small angle grinder. Mine needs ear defenders when its just spinning round.
My welding shed is close to my neighbour so I am trying to reduce the noise as much as possible.
Any suggestions welcomed.

Buy yourself a file?

better quality grinders tend to be a bit quieter/smoother.But not a lot. And start using a grinding disc and the difference is zero.

Absolutely yes. I went from an Aldi special to a Hitachi G12SS. The difference is unbelievable. You can actually have a conversation when it's running. Obviously when it's tearing seven shades of sh*t out of metal then the noise level goes up a bit (who am I kidding, it's a lot!!), but I'm genuinely impressed by how much quieter it is to run.

It's also much easier to control, lighter, smaller but just as powerful. I was glad I paid the extra.

I have a 9" Hitachi grinder which is much quieter but is this down to a slower speed. Can you slow the speed down and still use it effectively.

I have a makita cordless one and that's very quiet, being cordless is also very handy and it will do most things a corded one will.

To confirm what slimey38 said - the difference between my Makita and Aldi special is night and day - until you start cutting. Once you make contact with metal they are all pretty much as noisy as each other. That said, the Makita is much better balanced, etc.

Bit like yourself I am fairly conscious of not annoying the neighbours (any further than I already do) so try and knock angle grinder and compressor activities on the head before 9 at night. I also try and avoid long sessions. TBH I think as long as the neighbours recognise you are showing a bit of consideration and not cutting away at 10:30 at night most people are reasonably ok.

That said, one of the things I did consider was some sound proofing. Would that be an option for you?

My shed is lined with insulation which does help, but in summer the door will need to be open so noise will be greater.

If cutting steel tube, etc., a bandsaw is much quieter (virtually silent) and makes less mess.
A Powerfile is a good deal quieter on smaller jobs.
A compressor driven grinder is a tad quieter (and produces less vibes) if you can put the compressor in a less noise sensitive area.

Not much your neighbour could do unless you were grinding past 10:30. If they complain say instead you're thinking of taking up the bagpipes

Buy your neightours some ear plugs 😎

I'd just further soundproof the shed and close the door when grinding in summer. I have a variety of grinders from cheap to expensive and whilst cutting I'd say there is little noise difference.

Always wear ear defenders for all the grinding jobs even if it is quieter mine would be over 100db when cutting which will damage your hearing potentially forever.

120db or more can cause harm immediately

Angle grinders are noisey things.

1. I wear ear defenders when I'm using mine as I don't want to risk damaging my hearing.
2. Has your neighbour complained about the noise or are you simply wanting to reduce the amount of noise you make?
3. Closing the shed door whilst using it may reduce the noise outside a bit.
4. Personally I'd rather spend money on having a wider choice of grinding/cutting discs and flap wheels than a more expensive angle grinder.

The above said I don't use mine a huge amount.