One Woman Wants to Mow a Meadow!

I've posted this conundrum on an RHS Forum but if any one out there had any ideas, I'd be only too delighted to hear them!

'With all the hype and encouragement to grow meadows: does anyone have any sensible suggestions regarding mowing a small area of meadow grass in order to make hay?  

In past years I have tried the the following methods: scything (back breaking slow and hazardous - despite having received expert tuition!)  Strimming - useless as the minced grass is thrown everywhere.  Strimming with a brush cutting blade - equally useless!  Inverting a pole hedge-cutter - right action but the cutter bar is dragged into the ground and it proved too difficult to control.  Lastly (and not to be out-done) hiring a power scythe (a modern version of an Allen Scythe)  - it works well but means that I have the world's most expensive hay!  Our ride on mower is, of course, a non- starter for such a job as indeed are the other 2 lawn mowers! 

I did think about buying an old Allen scythe but storing it and maintaining it for 30 minutes use once a year doesn't make sense either! Making hay is SO worth doing just to awake to the smell of it!

You'd think that some one would come up with a garden mower with this capability or am I asking too much???  Are perfect swathes of cut grass too much to ask for in a garden?

PS In case you're wondering why I want the hay at all - it makes perfect garden kneelers when stuffed in an an old potting medium bag tied at the end and it lines the hens' nest boxes!'