Operating across a diverse mix of natural and synthetic surfaces, Cutting Edge Grounds Maintenance has built its reputation on delivering effective, practical solutions for sports turf and grounds maintenance. From schools and grassroots football to rugby, cricket, athletics and synthetic facilities, the business takes a truly all-round approach – and Redexim equipment plays a key role in that strategy.
Managing Director Josh Blackburn explains: “We’re a full grounds maintenance company – it’s not just one area. We look after natural and synthetic surfaces across schools, grassroots sports clubs, rugby clubs, athletics clubs and cricket clubs. The majority of our work is schools, but we really do cover everything.”
That variety of sites and surfaces has led Cutting Edge to invest in a range of Redexim machinery, with the Verti-Quake® 2516 and Verti-Top® 1800 proving to be standout assets.
Having operated the Verti-Quake 2516 for around a year, Josh says it has become an essential part of Cutting Edge’s aeration programmes, particularly on heavy clay soils where surface drainage is often the limiting factor.
“A lot of our land is clay-based, and people really struggle with drainage,” he explains. “Traditional deep-tine aeration does a great job of cracking the ground eight, ten, twelve inches down, but on its own it doesn’t always address surface water movement. That’s where the Verti-Quake really comes into its own.”
The Verti-Quake addresses this challenge through linear decompaction of the upper soil profile, allowing water to move away from the surface more effectively.
“With the Verti-Quake, you’re creating that linear drainage. You’re getting water off the top surface, through the soil profile and away, while your Verti-Drain® holes are still doing their job underneath. Together, you’ve got a solid pocket of drainage. “It works really well hand-in-hand with the Redexim Verti-Drain. If you’re doing four aeration treatments a year and you mix in a Verti-Quake, you’ll see a huge difference in your soils.”
Cutting Edge uses the Verti-Quake across private schools, football pitches, clubs and open spaces, particularly on winter sports pitches where playability is critical.
“We look after Yarm Private School, and the improvement there has been massive,” says Josh. “This year, the only time they had a game called off was when it snowed. They’ve had fixtures every week – not one game lost to waterlogging.”
On the synthetic side, Cutting Edge relies on the Verti-Top 1800 to maintain a wide range of surfaces, including sand-filled and rubber crumb pitches.
“We use it on all of them – sand, rubber crumb, hockey-type surfaces,” Josh explains. “I had a few machines on demo, but the Verti-Top really stood out as the all-round, all-in-one solution.”
The Verti-Top combines powered brushing, interchangeable sieves, optional decompaction tines and an integrated vacuum system, allowing debris to be removed while infill is separated and returned to the surface.
“It’s the only one with decompacting rakes on,” Josh says. “If you’re deep cleaning and decompacting at the same time, you’re saving yourself going back over the surface with another machine. It’s one pass, one man, one tractor.”
For a contractor, that efficiency directly impacts profitability.
“Instead of sending one man with two attachments and being there twice as long, one operator can decompact and deep clean in one go. From a labour point of view, it’s a huge time saver.”
Josh also points to the thoughtful design and features of the Verti-Top, particularly its low horsepower requirement and adjustable sieves.
“You don’t want a big tractor on artificial turf, especially on rubber crumb – all you’ll do is flatten it. The Verti-Top requires low horsepower, the sieves are interchangeable, and the way it vacuums out fine material is really clever. It’s a very well-built machine.”
Alongside performance, Josh is keen to highlight the importance of backup and aftersales support – something he says has been consistently strong.
“The performance of the machine is great, but it’s also the backup you get from Tom Alexander at Rickerby Ltd and Allen Whellans at Redexim,” he says. “If I’ve got a question, they’ll come out at the drop of a hat. It’s very good aftersales service.”
With a growing portfolio of sites and surfaces, Cutting Edge Grounds Maintenance continues to rely on Redexim machinery to deliver measurable improvements for its clients – combining technical performance, operational efficiency and the support needed to back it all up.
For more information, visit https://www.redexim.com/uk/
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