Very true, you see that a lot but it takes an age and perhaps they don't really know about hover mowers. A "weed whacker" is most likely super digital to the swiss scythers!

I would seriously recommend importing a flymo, a large metal bladed one, not plastic. Just be careful; always use it in a swinging motion BELOW you, always move forward not back (incase you trip over the dog) and always wear stout shoes when using... it will make your life far simpler!

I have a sloping part or the bottom of the garden that is a right pain with just a strimmer. My preference is an electric flymo although large you can instantly let go of the trigger if anything untoward happens, the petrol ones scare the bejesus out of me!!! LOL

We used to have a large garden with a sloping area, that took about sixty minutes to cut with a hover mower. We got a small self-propelled petrol engined mower, and it took 25 minutes. We now have a much smaller garden, and the petrol mower is still going strong. So long as the slope is too steep for the drive wheels to get a grip, I recommend petrol, self-propelled.

If anything untowards happens, you let go of the accelerator lever, and everything stops - just like with an electric. I used to be nervous of petrol as well - now I wouldn't use anything else on a large lawn.

Coop Bau sell them - as do Jumbo and Ovi.

True, I agree if it's not too much gradient..

I was under the impression it was a steep bank like mine that you'd have no chance in hell in getting a regular mower on. I tried getting my petrol honda on mine and it nearly ended in disaster as i fought the weight of the damned thing, soon gave up on that..

Ahhh sorry forgot to add...

No nerves over petrol standard mowers as the drive and clutch stops, purely petrol flymos where the blades and lift fans are constantly running... thus it's very easy to hover over say... your foot!!!!

Thanks for all your helpful suggestions.

It is a steep bank (or is that perhaps only from the perspective of someone who has lived long in the Netherlands?) - so I think we will first ask the landlord for something, and if he has no suitable machine or cute little mini-goat for us to use, i will bring a metal bladed flymo over from here....
And i will look forward to happy hours browsing and sniffing the air at Landi!

And i will also try hard not to hover over feet, whether mine or the dogs! nor the flex.....(my daughter managed to do that on our flat pocket-hanky sized square of grass here one time - fortunately nothing exploded afterwards!)

Part 3 of your question was what to do with the grass cuttings.

Answer: it it depends on the local arrangements. Large cities have a collection every few months, but one place I worked refuse to accept grass cuttings as they needed skill with the composting. Without adequate mixing with leaves they can turn into a wet mess rather than a dryish loam.