Short answer: The GTT Bobcat (about $275) and the Bethlehem Alpha (about $350) are close cousins: both are single-stage surface-mix bench torches that work soft glass and borosilicate, and both are happy on household natural gas and an oxygen concentrator. Pick the Bobcat if you want the lower price, a 7-jet flame that stretches to a 13-inch pencil for medium boro, and a base you can marver on. Pick the Alpha if you want the wider fuel flexibility (it also runs hydrogen and butane), a fully stainless body that stays cool, and a maker whose surface-mix line is aimed at home studios. Neither is a wrong choice for a first bench torch, so let supply, budget, and how far you plan to push into boro decide.
If you are still mapping your whole first setup rather than choosing between two specific torches, start with the best beginner glass torch guide and work back to this head-to-head once you have shortlisted these two.
The two torches at a glance
Both figures below come from each maker’s own pages and manuals where we have them, and are labelled as estimates where they are ours. Oxygen values in particular are ballpark, not headline specs (more on that below). Confirm the current spec with the maker before you buy.
| Spec | GTT Bobcat | Bethlehem Alpha |
|---|---|---|
| Mix type | Surface mix (standard, not Triple Mix) | Surface mix |
| Gas jets | 7 | 6 |
| Stages | 1 | 1 |
| Mount | Bench | Bench |
| Reference price | $275 | $350 |
| Fuels | Propane, natural gas | Natural gas, hydrogen, propane, butane |
| Oxygen (estimate) | ~8.5 LPM | ~10 LPM |
| Glass | Soft and boro | Soft and boro |
A note on the Bobcat’s mix type, because it is the single most common thing people get wrong: the Bobcat is a standard surface-mix torch, not one of GTT’s patented Triple Mix burners. Triple Mix starts higher in the GTT line at the Lynx. On a surface-mix torch the fuel and oxygen stay separate until they leave the face of the burner, which is exactly the calm, forgiving flame most teachers steer beginners toward. See surface mix vs premix torches for why that matters at the bench.
What the two torches share
For a beginner, the similarities are more important than the differences, because they are what make either torch a safe starting point.
Both are surface mix. GTT builds the Bobcat as a 7-jet surface-mix torch; Bethlehem’s own Alpha operating instructions state plainly that “the flame is surface-mixed,” with gas and oxygen staying separate until they leave the face. That means a quieter, slower-moving flame that is more forgiving of uneven rotation and beginner timing than a high-velocity premix flame.
Both run on household gas plus a concentrator. Neither torch needs bulk oxygen or high shop pressures to light up. The Bobcat runs on fuel pressure as low as roughly 1/4 psi, which is why it works on unboosted household natural gas, and GTT rates it well on a 5 LPM concentrator. Bethlehem positions the Alpha the same way: ideal on household gas and a 7 psi oxygen concentrator. This is the practical reason both land in the entry band; you can feed them without a second concentrator or a tank habit.
Both change flame size with the valves, not by swapping tips. You dial the flame up and down by adjusting the oxygen and gas needle valves. There are no interchangeable tips to buy, lose, or learn, which keeps the early learning curve about your hands rather than your hardware.
Both are catalogued for soft glass and boro. Each maker lists its torch as beginner to intermediate, working both soft (soda-lime) glass and borosilicate. Neither is a soft-glass-only starter the way a Hot Head is, so you can follow your curiosity into boro without immediately outgrowing the torch.
Where they differ
Jets and flame reach. The Bobcat carries seven gas jets to the Alpha’s six. On its own that is not a headline, but GTT publishes a wide flame range for the Bobcat: from a 2-inch pinpoint for detail work up to a 9/16-inch diameter, 13-inch-long flame that will melt a 1.5-inch solid boro rod and work boro pendants up to about 3 inches. Bethlehem describes the Alpha’s flame as a quiet, penetrating high-heat single flame without a comparable published length figure, and frames it as a smaller, convenient torch for artists working in a home setting. If a growth path into medium boro is on your mind, the Bobcat’s published reach is the more concrete promise.
Fuel flexibility. This is the Alpha’s clearest edge. Bethlehem’s operating instructions list four fuels: natural gas, hydrogen, propane, or butane. The Bobcat’s catalog entry lists propane and natural gas only. Most beginners will run propane or house natural gas and never touch the difference, but if you specifically want hydrogen (some silver-glass and scientific workers do), the Alpha supports it on paper and the Bobcat entry does not.
Build and size. The Alpha is built entirely of stainless steel, is 5 inches long, weighs 2.5 pounds, and Bethlehem says the body stays cool regardless of flame size or run time. The Bobcat sits on a stainless base with four holes for bolting it to your work surface, and that base doubles as a forming or marver-style shaping surface, a genuinely useful touch on a small bench. It ships with instructions and a cleaning kit. Neither is fragile; they simply solve the “where does it sit” problem differently.
Low-pressure fuel volume. Bethlehem highlights that the Alpha delivers a relatively high volume of fuel at low pressure, quoting 7 cubic feet per hour at only 2 psi, and notes it can also run traditional settings of 5 psi gas and 20 psi oxygen. GTT’s published Bobcat window is fuel at 1/4 to 5 psi and oxygen at 5 to 10 psi. These are the makers’ own numbers at different reference points, so read them as each maker’s operating window rather than a direct efficiency contest.
Price. The Bobcat’s manufacturer list price is about $275; the Alpha’s manufacturer-direct list price is $350. Both are entry band. The roughly $75 gap is real but small next to what you will spend on oxygen, fuel, regulators, and eyewear, so let it be a tiebreaker, not the deciding factor.
Oxygen and gas supply for a beginner
Treat the oxygen numbers on both torches as estimates. Our catalog stores a single max-usable-flame oxygen figure, and the bases differ by maker, so the Bobcat’s approximately 8.5 LPM and the Alpha’s 10 LPM are not measured against an identical yardstick. The Bobcat’s is a working figure from GTT’s flow table at the largest usable flame; the Alpha’s 10 LPM is Bethlehem’s full-flame tanked-oxygen consumption, not a minimum you must hit. In plain terms: both torches are sized for the concentrator-friendly end of the hobby, and both will do more when fed more oxygen.
What that means in practice:
- A single 5 LPM concentrator will light and run either torch for soft-glass beadwork and small boro. GTT says the Bobcat runs well on a 5 LPM, 5 psi concentrator and is optimal on 8 LPM. Bethlehem calls the Alpha ideal on a 7 psi concentrator.
- Push seriously into boro and you will want more oxygen. GTT notes the Bobcat does extremely well on 10 LPM or tanked oxygen; the Alpha likewise opens up on tanked oxygen at Bethlehem’s 8 to 20 psi range.
- For the wider question of how many LPM your work actually needs, see the oxygen concentrator LPM guide.
The community and manufacturer consensus is consistent here: a roughly 5 LPM concentrator suits soft-glass and small-torch beadmaking, while a serious boro habit pushes you toward tanked oxygen. Both of these torches are built for that concentrator-friendly starting point.
Editor’s note: oxygen figures here vary by source and by what each maker measures. The Bobcat’s figure is a working estimate from GTT’s flow table; the Alpha’s is Bethlehem’s full-flame consumption. Confirm current pressures and flows with the maker for your exact configuration before buying gas equipment.
Flashback protection, done right
Do not reach for a blanket “put arrestors on both lines” rule, because the makers themselves do not give one. Bethlehem’s own guidance is that its surface-mix burners do not require a flashback arrestor; its premix torches do, subject to local regulation. Bethlehem even describes the Alpha’s surface-mix flame as a soft single flame without the hazard of flashbacks. GTT’s arrestors, for their part, need roughly 5 to 7 psi to open and must not be placed on an oxygen concentrator’s output, where they may not open and will severely restrict flow.
The correct framing is always the flashback protection your specific torch and gas supply call for, not a universal checklist. Read your torch’s manual, match the device to your own setup, and see flashback arrestors explained for the placement details. The manufacturer’s manual takes precedence over any general advice, including ours.
Which one for you
Choose the GTT Bobcat if: budget is a priority, you want the longer published flame reach for medium boro, and the marver-friendly bolt-down base appeals to you. At about $275 it is the lower entry cost, and its published flame range is the more concrete promise if you expect to grow into boro pendants and larger solid work.
Choose the Bethlehem Alpha if: you value fuel flexibility (natural gas, hydrogen, propane, or butane), you want a compact all-stainless torch that stays cool in a home studio, or you simply have better local or used access to Bethlehem gear. The roughly $75 premium buys the wider fuel list and Bethlehem’s home-studio positioning.
For most first-time buyers focused on soft-glass beads with an eye toward some boro, either torch will serve for years. The honest tiebreakers are price, fuel needs, and which one you can actually get your hands on in good condition. Both are proven surface-mix starters, and neither will hold you back while you build the fundamentals.
Related guides
- Best beginner glass torch: forgiving first torches
- Surface mix vs premix torches
- Flashback arrestors explained
- Oxygen concentrator LPM guide
Sources
- Glass Torch Technologies, Bobcat product page: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/bobcat
- Bethlehem Burners, Alpha product page: https://www.bethlehemburners.com/torches/alpha/
- Bethlehem Burners, Alpha operating instructions: https://www.bethlehemburners.com/resources/operating-instructions/alpha-operating-instructions/
- Bethlehem Burners, “The Alpha Torch”: https://www.bethlehemburners.com/news/alpha-torch/
- Bethlehem Burners, “Oxygen Concentrator Questions”: https://www.bethlehemburners.com/news/oxygen-concentrator-questions/