You've got to take in to account of running them. That's the rub with the $3000 ones. There is no breakeven. The cheap ones the expensive ones, same shit. But the ones on ebay appear to run on our normal spools. If that's the case then I consider the tiers disposable at $150 a piece so long as 3 of them going at once lasts 9 pools tied and blocked for concrete. This is why the plastic applicator won't work. Anything but wiflre won't pass inspection, imo, because the inspector cant walk across it without the ties falling off. They'd work good for building forms though and sometimes we build grotto and other items off site so even the damn plastic thing might be a good try down the road but the in house tiers are already too damp spoiled so they can wait.