Short answer: The GTT Cheetah is a single-stage, 13-port Triple Mix bench torch at about $645 that packs a lot of heat into a small package, and the GTT Phantom is a two-stage, 22-jet Triple Mix bench torch at about $1,425 (standard bench) that adds a full second outer ring for more reach, more top-end heat, and independent control of that outer flame. Buy the Cheetah for beads and small-to-medium boro on a tighter budget; step up to the Phantom when you need a bigger, more controllable production flame and want to shape the outer envelope on its own.
Both torches sit in the same family and use the same mixing method, so this is not a beginner-versus-expert choice. It is a question of how much flame you need, how much control you want over that flame, and what you are willing to feed it in oxygen and dollars.
Specs at a glance
| Spec | GTT Cheetah | GTT Phantom |
|---|---|---|
| Ports / jets | 13 ports total (3-port center inside a 10-port outer ring) | 22 jets (Lynx 7-jet center + 15-jet outer ring) |
| Stages | Single stage | Two stage |
| Mix type | Surface mix (Triple Mix) | Surface mix (Triple Mix) |
| Mount | Bench | Bench (4-stud) |
| Fuel | Propane, natural gas | Propane, natural gas |
| Glass | Soft, boro | Soft, boro |
| Oxygen (estimate) | ~13 LPM | ~16.5 LPM |
| Price band | Mid (~$645) | High (~$1,425 standard bench) |
| Product page | /torches/gtt-cheetah | /torches/gtt-phantom |
Port and jet counts come from GTT’s own product pages and our catalog. The oxygen figures are estimates, not published specs; more on that below.
What Triple Mix means, and why both torches share it
GTT’s Triple Mix is a surface-mix method: it surrounds the fuel with oxygen and then injects oxygen directly down the fuel stream so the fuel burns more completely, which GTT frames as a hotter, cleaner flame. Two oxygen streams are controlled independently by the green and blue valves, which gives you a wide flame-chemistry range (reduction through neutral, oxidizing, and over-oxidizing) without swapping tips.
That last point matters for both torches equally. Whether you are on the Cheetah or the Phantom, the flame chemistry is adjustable at the valves, and you are not stopping work to change a tip to reduce or oxidize. If you want the full walk-through of the mixing method, see the Triple Mix technology guide. And because both are surface mix rather than premix, they keep fuel and oxygen separate until at or just past the face; the surface mix vs premix explainer covers why that distinction changes how a flame behaves.
To be precise about one thing that is easy to get wrong: the Cheetah’s center is a 3-port center fire, not a premixed element. Both of these torches are surface mix through and through.
The Cheetah: one stage, a lot of heat in a small body
The Cheetah is a single-stage torch with 13 ports total, arranged as a 3-port center fire inside a 10-port outer ring. That is the whole burner; there is no separate second stage to open or close. GTT describes it as capable of a flame from pencil-size up to about three-quarters of an inch wide and roughly 20 inches long, hot enough to work borosilicate up to about 2.5 inches solid, yet soft and clean enough for delicate soft-glass colors.
In practice the Cheetah is known for putting a surprising amount of heat into a compact torch. Its flame is broader and less needle-fine than the smaller Lynx, which is a trade-off rather than a flaw: you get a workable envelope for beads, soft glass, and small-to-medium boro, but if you specifically want the tightest pinpoint flame in the line, that is not the Cheetah’s job. Our Cheetah vs Lynx comparison digs into exactly that difference.
Skill-wise, the Cheetah lands in the beginner-to-intermediate range: forgiving enough to learn on if you are past the very first torch, and capable enough that you will not immediately outgrow it.
The Phantom: two stages and a Lynx at its core
The Phantom is where the design changes shape. It is a two-stage torch: a Lynx 7-jet center fire wrapped by a 15-jet outer ring, for 22 jets total, completely surface mix, on a 4-stud mount. In other words, the Phantom effectively takes GTT’s original Triple Mix torch, the Lynx, and builds a second independently controlled outer ring around it.
That two-stage arrangement is the entire point of the torch. You can run the center fire alone for tighter, detailed work, then bring in the outer ring when you need a large, enveloping flame for bigger boro or production runs. Because the outer ring is a separate stage, you control it on its own rather than being locked to a single fixed flame shape. GTT also lists the Phantom in Standard and Snub Nose versions, and offers a Phantom hand torch with a thumb on/off switch for the outer flame. Our Lynx vs Phantom guide is worth reading if you already own or are considering a Lynx, since the Phantom is essentially that torch with more around it.
Skill-wise the Phantom leans intermediate-to-advanced, aimed at pipes, functional work, and medium boro.
The real jump: single-stage versus two-stage control
The specs make the two torches look like neighbors, and on mix type, fuel, and glass range they are. The meaningful gap is flame control, not raw capability.
The Cheetah gives you one flame that you size and tune at the valves. That is plenty for a lot of work, and its simplicity is a virtue: fewer variables to manage while you are concentrating on the glass.
The Phantom gives you two flames you can dial independently, a focused center and a broad outer envelope, which is what production and larger-boro workers pay for. If your work benefits from switching between a tight center flame and a wide soft one within the same piece, that is the capability the Cheetah simply does not have and the Phantom is built around. If your work does not need that, you would be buying control you will not use.
Heat, flame size, and the glass each one suits
Both torches run soft and boro glass per the catalog, so neither is glass-limited in an absolute sense. The difference is in scale and reach. The Cheetah handles beads, soft-glass color work, and small-to-medium boro comfortably. The Phantom’s second stage extends the usable flame for medium boro, pipes, and functional pieces where you need a larger hot zone and the ability to open up the outer flame.
A useful way to frame it: the Cheetah is the versatile all-rounder that does most bench work well; the Phantom is the torch you move to when the pieces get bigger and the sessions longer, and you want the outer flame on its own control.
Oxygen appetite and running cost (estimates, not specs)
Our catalog lists ~13 LPM for the Cheetah and ~16.5 LPM for the Phantom as oxygen estimates. Treat both as rough figures, not hard specifications: they are derived from GTT’s flow table at the largest usable flame on propane, and natural-gas consumption runs higher. Oxygen is the fuel you use rather than a major buying decision in itself, but the direction is clear: the Phantom’s extra stage asks for more oxygen at full flame.
Editor’s note: the oxygen figures here are estimates at the largest usable flame on propane, and they move with flame size, fuel, and your regulator settings. On natural gas, consumption is meaningfully higher. Both torches benefit from a generous oxygen supply, and at full flame the Phantom in particular is happier with a booster or higher-output setup than with a single small concentrator. Confirm your supply against GTT’s own figures for the flame sizes you actually run.
Price and configurations
The Cheetah sits in the mid band at about $645. The Phantom’s ~$1,425 is the price for the standard bench configuration; GTT lists other Phantom configurations at their own prices, including a variable-switch bench version and a separate Compressed Air option, and offers Phantom and Cheetah hand torches priced separately from the standard bench models. So the roughly $780 gap between these two torches is the standard-bench-to-standard-bench comparison; if you are eyeing a switch or compressed-air Phantom, price that specific configuration on GTT’s own site, since it runs above the base bench figure.
For a wider view of where these two sit in the whole GTT range, the GTT torch lineup pillar maps the ladder from the Lynx up.
A note on safety
Nothing here replaces GTT’s own manual, which takes precedence for pressures, setup, and flashback protection on your specific torch and gas supply. Use the flashback protection your torch and supply actually call for, and read the flashback arrestors guide before deciding where a device belongs; GTT’s arrestors, for instance, need real line pressure to open and are not meant for a concentrator output. Never invent pressures or temperatures from a comparison article; confirm them with the maker.
Which one to buy
- Buy the Cheetah if your work is beads, soft glass, and small-to-medium boro, you want one strong, simple flame, and you would rather put the price difference toward oxygen and gear. It is a lot of heat in a compact, single-stage package.
- Step up to the Phantom if you work medium boro, pipes, or functional pieces, want a bigger flame, and specifically want independent control of an outer ring around a Lynx center. The two-stage design is the reason to pay for it; if you would not use that control, the Cheetah is the smarter spend.
Confirm the current configuration, options, and pricing with GTT before you buy, since the Phantom in particular ships in several distinct versions.
Related guides
- GTT Cheetah vs Lynx
- GTT Lynx vs GTT Phantom
- GTT Triple Mix technology
- Surface mix vs premix torches
- Flashback arrestors explained
- GTT torch lineup
Sources
- Glass Torch Technologies, Cheetah: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/cheetah
- Glass Torch Technologies, Phantom: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/phantom
- Glass Torch Technologies, Triple Mix torches: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/triple-mix-torches
- Glass Torch Technologies, Lynx: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/lynx