Thanks. The lack of noise, no faffing around with string and two stroke mix, all appeals.
I can pick up a cheap scythe for about £40, or a more reputable one for about £120. I'm tempted to get a cheap one to see how I get on, but of course this might just put me off the whole idea if it's badly set up, heavy, and doesn't do as good a job as it could. On the other hand £120 is a lot to fork out on a whim and I couldn't justify having it sat unused in the shed at that money.