A cable preparation machine comprising: a frame forming a cable preparation zone, the frame having a cable opening configured to receive an end of a cable therein along a cable axis wherein the cable comprises a cable insulator (152, 154) and a cable braid; a drive assembly operable in a first drive configuration and a second drive configuration; and a blade assembly comprising a plurality of arms and cutting blades mounted to the corresponding arms, the blade assembly being operably coupled to the drive assembly and such that the blade assembly is rotated about the cable axis; and a mandrel coupleable to the end of the cable between the cable braid and an inner insulator of the cable to provide a hard surface for supporting the cable braid during the cutting operation, the mandrel is operably coupled to a carriage that moves the mandrel relative to the cable opening; the carriage slides the mandrel forward and rearward along the cable axis during operation and the mandrel includes a shear feature defined by an outer surface of the mandrel; wherein each arm comprises an insulation blade configured to cut the insulation (152, 154) of cable and a braid blade configured to cut the braid of cable wherein when the cable is positioned in the cable opening and the drive assembly is operated in a first drive configuration, the insulation blades are actuated thereby to cut the insulation (152, 154) from the cable and when the drive assembly is operated in a second drive configuration, the braid blades are actuated thereby to cut braid from the cable wherein the braid blades have edges configured to engage a cable braid of the cable to cut the cable braid, and wherein when the drive assembly is operated in a second drive configuration the edges of the braid blades are configured to close towards the shear feature to cut the cable braid between the braid blade and the shear feature. a frame forming a cable preparation zone, the frame having a cable opening configured to receive an end of a cable therein along a cable axis wherein the cable comprises a cable insulator (152, 154) and a cable braid; a drive assembly operable in a first drive configuration and a second drive configuration; and a blade assembly comprising a plurality of arms and cutting blades mounted to the corresponding arms, the blade assembly being operably coupled to the drive assembly and such that the blade assembly is rotated about the cable axis; and a mandrel coupleable to the end of the cable between the cable braid and an inner insulator of the cable to provide a hard surface for supporting the cable braid during the cutting operation, the mandrel is operably coupled to a carriage that moves the mandrel relative to the cable opening; the carriage slides the mandrel forward and rearward along the cable axis during operation and the mandrel includes a shear feature defined by an outer surface of the mandrel; wherein each arm comprises an insulation blade configured to cut the insulation (152, 154) of cable and a braid blade configured to cut the braid of cable wherein when the cable is positioned in the cable opening and the drive assembly is operated in a first drive configuration, the insulation blades are actuated thereby to cut the insulation (152, 154) from the cable and when the drive assembly is operated in a second drive configuration, the braid blades are actuated thereby to cut braid from the cable wherein the braid blades have edges configured to engage a cable braid of the cable to cut the cable braid, and wherein when the drive assembly is operated in a second drive configuration the edges of the braid blades are configured to close towards the shear feature to cut the cable braid between the braid blade and the shear feature.