One Machine. Endless Possibilities: Why AJ Greaves Maintenance Relies on the Dennis FT Range
For Andrew Greaves, owner of AJ Greaves Maintenance, maintaining professional sports surfaces isn't simply about cutting grass- it's about delivering consistent, high-quality playing conditions for every client, every time.
Based in Staffordshire, Andrew specialises in fine turf maintenance, working with cricket clubs, parish councils and a variety of sports facilities across the county. With multiple sites to visit each week and a wide range of maintenance tasks to complete throughout the season, efficiency and reliability are essential.
For Andrew, that's exactly why Dennis has remained his machine of choice.
"I use Dennis because they've been around for over 100 years," he says. "The reliability is proven by clubs up and down the country and internationally. You know you're buying into a machine with a fantastic reputation. It's also nice that the company is local to me."
Versatility That Makes Every Visit More Efficient
As a contractor travelling between cricket clubs and sports grounds, Andrew needs equipment that can do more than one job.
Rather than transporting several dedicated machines, the Dennis FT Range allows him to complete multiple maintenance tasks using a single power unit fitted with interchangeable cassettes.
"The FT range is fantastic, mainly because of the interchangeable cassette system," Andrew explains. "If I can take one machine and six cartridges to a cricket ground or sports ground, I'm effectively replacing six or seven different machines. That's a huge advantage when you're working across several sites."
Designed and manufactured in the UK, the Dennis FT Range is recognised as one of the industry's leading interchangeable cassette mower systems for professional fine turf maintenance. Available in 17-inch (FT430), 20-inch (FT510) and 24-inch (FT610) cutting widths, each machine accepts the same range of quick-change cassettes, allowing operators to switch between maintenance tasks in as little as 15 seconds.
With twelve cassette options available—including cutting cylinders, scarifiers, verticutters, brushes, sorrel rollers, slitters and spikers—the system provides year-round versatility while reducing the need for multiple specialist machines.
For contractors like Andrew, that flexibility translates directly into greater productivity.
Every Cassette Has Its Place
Throughout the cricket season, Andrew uses several cassettes as part of a structured maintenance programme, with each one performing a specific role in producing high-quality wickets.
Scarifying for Match Preparation
Pitch preparation begins with the scarifying cassette.
"When we're starting a pitch, I'll use the scarifying cartridge first to lift the lateral growth and remove thatch."
Lifting sideways-growing grass before mowing ensures a cleaner, more even cut and helps create the dense, upright sward required for quality cricket surfaces. Removing thatch allows better penetration of water, oxygen and nutrients to the grass roots.
Once the grass has been lifted, Andrew simply removes the cassette and installs the cutting cylinder. "Then I swap straight over to the cutting cylinder to cut those laterals out."
The ability to complete both operations with the same machine saves valuable time while ensuring every pitch receives consistent preparation.
Monthly Verticutting
Another essential part of Andrew's maintenance programme is verticutting.
"I use the verticut cartridge every month on cricket squares. It's fantastic for taking out annual meadow grass as well as lateral runners."
Regular verticutting removes unwanted grasses and organic matter while encouraging stronger, healthier turf. By reducing thatch and improving sward density, the process helps maintain a smoother, truer and more consistent playing surface throughout the season.
Brushing for Presentation and Performance
The brush cassette is one of the most frequently used attachments.
"I use the brush for drying pitches out or simply standing the grass up before mowing or between rolling."
Standing the grass upright allows the cutting cylinder to produce a cleaner finish, while brushing moisture from the surface helps improve presentation and playing performance.
"The brush is also really useful for cleaning wickets between games."
It's a simple attachment, but one Andrew says earns its place throughout the season.
Sorrel Rolling for Wicket Repairs
The sorrel roller also plays an important supporting role.
"I mainly use the sorrel roller for repairing wicket ends because it creates little holes for seed to drop into."
By producing thousands of small holes without causing excessive surface disturbance, the sorrel roller encourages seed-to-soil contact and helps improve germination in heavily worn areas.
"It's also useful at the end of the season if I'm carrying out renovations. Sometimes I'll go over the square again just to create a few more holes before overseeding."
One Machine That Travels Everywhere
As a contractor, Andrew's machinery rarely stays in one place for long.
The FT Range regularly travels between cricket clubs across Staffordshire, spending much of its working life being loaded into trailers before heading to the next site.
"In my job I'm constantly putting machines into trailers and moving between clubs."
Despite the demanding routine, reliability has never been an issue.
"They need to be able to stand a little bit of knocking about here and there, but I never really have any problems with maintenance." Andrew believes the key is carrying out simple daily checks.
"As long as you do the basics-grease the nipples, keep a little oil on the cartridge pads and just give the machine a quick check every day- they'll keep going forever."
Forty Years On and Still Working
Perhaps the greatest testament to Dennis durability is another machine in Andrew's fleet. Alongside his FT610, he also owns a Dennis FT510 that's approximately 40 years old."I normally keep that one at another cricket club because it's a lighter machine to lift in and out of a trailer."
Despite its age, it remains an integral part of his business. "It's 40 years old now and still gets used six days a week." For Andrew, that longevity says everything about the quality of Dennis engineering.
Fast Changes, Maximum Productivity
Working to tight schedules means downtime simply isn't an option. One of Andrew's favourite features is how quickly the cassette system can be changed. "With the FT430, FT510 and FT610 you can take the reel out onto the cricket square and swap it for another cassette in about 30 seconds." Instead of returning to the workshop or transporting multiple machines, operators can move seamlessly between mowing, scarifying, verticutting and brushing without interrupting their workflow.
"It's brilliant because you can use several different cassettes within just a few minutes." For contractors juggling multiple jobs in a day, those time savings quickly add up.
Precision Without Compromise
Consistency is everything in fine turf maintenance, and Andrew particularly appreciates the FT Range's tool-free height adjustment system.
"I really like the height adjustment because you can actually feel every click as you're changing the height of cut." The click adjustment allows operators to alter cutting height in precise 0.25mm increments without tools.
"You know both sides are adjusted equally, which gives you confidence you're getting the same cut every time."
Combined with the FT Range's unique roller clutch drive, spring steel comb and precision cutting cylinder, it helps produce the consistent finish expected on professional sports surfaces.
A Finish That Speaks for Itself
Ultimately, the quality of any mower is judged by the finish it leaves behind. For Andrew, the Dennis FT delivers every time. "It's a really good finishing mower. I honestly don't think there's anything that compares to it." Whether preparing cricket wickets, maintaining ornamental turf or producing presentation-quality sports surfaces, he believes the machine consistently delivers outstanding results.
"As long as it's set up properly—which is true of any cylinder mower—it gives a fantastic, uniform finish."
Built for Professionals
The Dennis FT Range combines robust engineering with practical design features developed specifically for professional grounds maintenance. Powered by reliable Honda GX petrol engines, the machines feature smooth roller clutch drive, three-section differential rear rollers for scuff-free turning, a fully adjustable spring steel comb, simple tool-free height adjustment and a choice of 12 interchangeable cassettes. The system allows grounds professionals to build their fleet over time, adding additional cassettes as budgets and operational requirements grow, while reducing machinery inventory and maximising return on investment.
A Recommendation Based on Daily Experience
Having trusted Dennis machines throughout his contracting business, Andrew has no hesitation recommending them to other grounds professionals. "If anyone's looking to buy a mower, I'd definitely recommend a Dennis." For him, the reasons are simple. "They're reliable, easy to maintain and if you ever need anything-whether it's reels or spare parts-you can usually get them off the shelf within a few days."
After decades of proven performance, countless hours of use and thousands of miles travelling between sports clubs, Andrew believes Dennis machines continue to deliver exactly what professional grounds managers need.
"They're just reliable machines. They do the job, day in and day out." For contractors working across multiple sites and sports, that reliability is invaluable-and it's why the Dennis FT Range remains at the heart of AJ Greaves fine turf maintenance programme.
