If you're cutting yourself on your cables, you need new cables.
I posted this for evans a while back when he was looking at buying a big chain sling:
I keep no chains with me in the cranes. I find with chains, in order to get any kind of capacity, they are too heavy to move around, in and out of the storage boxes. I can handle 2-12' 3/4" cables pretty easily by hand, try carrying 24' of 3/4" chain around (they are the same capacity). I have chains, they just stay at the shop.
Rigging in my tms 300 in the crane all the time: Listed as number of them, diameter, then length, type and capacity in ().
Cables: 4-3/4"dia. cables 16' long, eye on one end, latching hook on other end (10k). 4-3/4"dia. x12' cables, eyes on both ends(10k). 4-5/8"dia. x 12' cables (7k), Eye on one end, hooks with latches on the other end. 4-1/2"dia.x 8' cables (5k), eye to eye. 4-1/4"dia. x2' cable eye to eye (1k)
Nylon's: 4-16'x3" wide nylon eye to eye 3plys (13k). 6-16' 3" nylon eye to eye 2plys (7k). 4-8' green endless round slings (5k), 2-12' red endless round slings (16k).
Shackles: 1-25ton (1 3/4"pin dia.), 2-17t (1 1/2"), 4-12t (1 1/4"), 8-10t (1"),4-6t (7/8"), 4-5t (3/4"), 4-2t (1/2"), shackle can vary by manufacturer in capacity with the same pin size. My 8-10t shackles are actually 1"pin shackles, a columbus mckinnon will be rated for 10t, a crosby will be 8 1/2t. I just like 4 of each size.
I've put the capacity of my rigging in () behind each. That's a eye to eye straight pull capacity in thousands of pounds, and they are approximate off the top of my head, not the exact figure. Example the 3/4" cables are good for actually 11,200 lbs in a straight line pull, basketing the cable doubles capacity.
On my cables I prefer to have individual cables, rather than 2 or 4 cables on a bridle. It makes it easier to mix and match on spreader bars and such if you don't have them tied together. Plus forget about rolling up a 3/4" x16' 4-way bridle with hooks and putting it in your storage box (if you can do that, I won't argue with you about anything). I do have my 3/4" and 5/8"cables made with a 2' long eye on one end, rather than the standard 1' eye. It makes it much easier to put on a 50ton capacity hook block with the bigger eyes.
Nothing in the crane is bigger than 3/4" cables. 4-3/4" cables gives me 40,000lbs of rigging capacity, that's about all I'm going to pick with that crane anyways, plus that's about as big as you can roll up and put in the boxes. All my larger rigging stays at the shop, I usually know if I'm going to need bigger, and then either put it in the pickup or tie it to the deck of the crane. Most used extra rigging at the shop: 4-3/4" x 20' long eye to eye cables. 4- 4" x 20' 2plys (10k), 4 -12' blue endless round slings (20k cap) 4-16' blue endless round slings (20k), 4- 1" x 6" eye to eye cables (16k).
My 70 ton capacity crane has a pickup and gooseneck trailer that goes with it, so it has a few 7/8" and 1" cables and some blue roundups for more capacity. Also more 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" shackles. My 25 ton cranes don't have the 3/4" cables, or the 3ply nylons, or red roundups.
Endless round slings, and flat nylons are great capacity for what they weigh, but don't take abuse (wrapping sharp steel, or even just past edges). Once they've got a cut or fray, they're junk. Cables last forever (or at least a long time).
Also in each crane is a 15'and 50' tag rope. But its usually not in the crane, its on my last job where I left it lay.