Haban Sickle-Mo

Example of a small sickle-bar type mower, and why they are great for stream edges, under fences or treelines, and alongside roads. You can keep to the safe ground and reach out to one side.

The bad thing about them is that they are pretty much giant scissors, so they are tough to sharpen, and just as dangerous to wildlife, kids and misplaced property as any other mowing system. I think snakes would argue that they are even more dangerous, because they are relatively quiet.