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 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 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 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 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 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 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 . <EOS>