Thanks, @ruth-atkinson-kendrick and @larry2. I, too, wipe wires between each cut, push the wire through thicker ganache and don't cut caramel. My husband also suggested a new policy of "you break it, you replace it." I had time today to replace all of the broken wires (12!) and as annoying as it was, it was actually good to be able to get some momentum and figure out a good system. When you only replace them on occasion, it's easy to forget the best way to do it. So I'm creating a manual, a policy and scheduling a training session. Larry, I think I will try the .8 wire.
I got a response (2, actually) from Dedy...which was ZERO help. They sent me the manual I already have, which has very little direction and no troubleshooting guidance. And they sent me very lengthy emails telling me about all their great equipment.