How do I tackle waist-high grass?

You can rent a handheld brush cutter to do the work. Be sure to wear safety goggles to protect your eyes and ear muffs to protect your hearing.

You can rent goats to eat the overgrown grass. They will eat anything.

The old fashioned way an old farmer used to cut the grass at our cottage was with a scythe.

Depending on the acreage, a gas powered weed whacker with a brush cutter attachment is probably the most flexible solution.

Alternatively, you can buy a small scythe at most hardware stores. Cheaper than a weed whacker but requires some practice to get efficient with.

If it's more than a 20 x 20 space, I'd rent a brush cutter.

Before you tackle this project you need to make sure there aren't hidden object in the grass that can become projectiles from any power driven device, such as cans, glass bottles/jars, flower pots, etc. The goats are a good idea, they will also fertilize as they clean.

If you can wait and depending where you live, most of that grass will be dead in the spring and then it would be a lot easier to pick up junk on the ground and mow.

It might work!

I am facing the same problem except I was disabled for 3 years due to a broken arm and then heart surgery. Have finished rehab so drs say I can now weed eat. At least I know there are no hidden objects anywhere so I can get the weed wackier out and cut. Of course then you have to get rid of the weed seed so you will have to cover with layers of newspaper or cardboard for a growing season. Then you can plant whatever you want and not have to worry so much about weeds sprouting. Takes time but is worth it. I do not use chemicals, they kill everything including me.

weed Wacker or see if some one has a cow you can barrow ! be careful of snakes they like tall grass

Let goats do the job for you, we live in a section of acre homes and I see goats doing the job fantastically for the ones that don't have riding lawn mowers. They literally eat anything!!!

rent the space out for sheep or cows to graze...or just do it for free....sheep will eat to root I would go cows plus they fertilize the area

Since you have just moved in and have lots to do-check local newspaper for landscaper-have them look at yard -get prices-Goats are fine too if available- might not get the whole yard tho!!

Rent a goat. Since you prolly have more weeds than grass, you will probably have to reseed later.

You might go to the rental store and ask for a walk behind sickle bar mower. Wear long pants and tall over the calf boots. But If that’s not an option and you wanna go cost efficient... I had a spot in my yard like this. It was to steep to fly over let alone mow. Couldn’t even stand upright to weed eat. Yes, the rest of the yard was perfect but this spot is all I ever focused on. A simple blue tarp became my answer. Threw it over top and held it down with some rocks. Let it bake out there for 3 days. It didn’t kill the grass but it sure laid it down. I’d do this about three times a year to keep things in check but the Same premise applies here. Throw it out there, secure it. Give it a few days it’ll knock the height off so you can get in there and mow or weed eat your way clear. I eventually, left mine out for a week and killed all the grass and planted some Stella d oro daylilies and now that once eyesore is the focal point in the yard!

I'd suggest a weedeater (gas powered). You'll need safety glasses and ear protection. It's not a easy job and if it were me, I'd hire someone to do it. You don't say where you live, but in hot dry weather you can start a fire if you hit something and causes something to spark. Good luck, been there, done that.