Tangle, sometimes bare bones tools make the job so hard you never want to do it again. Cutting EHS cable without the right tool is a cast iron b&^ch, for example, and much worse when you're working off the deck without the ability to adequately brace yourself for leverage. A ratcheting wire rope/cable cutter (Baudat makes great cutters) turns that task into a couple minutes of relatively light exertion. I picked one up used on ebay a couple years ago, and I'd never want to be without one again.
3/8" EHS cable comes in 150 foot rolls for about $90. I buy mine from Treestuff. They also sell a heavy duty Buckingham cable dispenser for another $90, which is worth every penny, both for dispensing and storing cable. Trying to wrestle unwound cable back into a roll and holding it in place while you're taping it (and hoping you'll finish with both of your eyes still functional ), just isn't worth saving the $90 bucks this device cost.. Wedge Grips are a great alternative to dead end grips and eye bolts, and install with a fraction of the effort and headache. None of these tools are cheap, but the time they save on the jobs means they pay for themselves quickly, and the exertion and fatigue they reduce makes for safer work.
If you don't already have it, the ISA Tree Support Systems BMP is a $10 booklet you can get from your chapter bookstore, or ISA International, which really breaks down the processes, tools and materials involved.
