Yes, this tool is expensive. However, I consider it essential for hanging/stretching Cable between trees. This seems to be a quality tool that does what it says. We used it on 1/4" Cable. They say each crimp can hold ninety percent of the cables workload. In relation to everything else the crimps themselves are VERY cheap,. So we used two crimps for each connection. Everything is rock solid. The swage tool worked great for us and did exactly as it's supposed to. No, it's not easy to clamp, but yes, it works perfectly. If too difficult to clamp, you could put larger pipes over the arms for leverage, otherwise you could probably spend several hundred dollars for a hydraulic model.