Short answer: The GTT Lynx and the Carlisle CC are not really rivals. The Lynx is a single-stage, 7-jet surface-mix bench torch built around GTT’s Triple Mix idea, priced around $525, and it works soft glass and borosilicate as a versatile all-rounder. The Carlisle CC is a larger hybrid combination burner (a premixed center fire inside a surface-mix outer fire) that starts from about $1,934 and asks for more oxygen and more gas plumbing. If you want one torch to learn on and grow with, the Lynx is the natural pick. If you already run a production bench and want a big soaking outer flame with a hot pinpoint center, the CC is the tool that answers that. They sit in different tiers and solve different problems, so this is a comparison, not a duel.
If you are still mapping out your whole rig, the main buyer’s guide covers oxygen supply and safety gear alongside the torch itself.
The quick verdict: who each torch is for
Buy the Lynx if you want a do-everything bench torch that runs on modest oxygen, handles both soft glass and boro, and can drop to a tiny pinpoint for detail without a tip change. It is the lighter, cheaper, single-stage choice.
Buy the CC if you are running a production bench and want two flames at once: a premixed center fire for penetrating heat and detail plus a wide surface-mix outer fire for soaking larger work. It costs roughly three to four times as much, draws more oxygen, and wants firmer gas pressure. That is capacity you pay for, and you only need it if the work demands it.
Neither is “better.” They are different sizes of tool for different benches.
Specs side by side
Figures below come from our catalog, which draws on each maker’s own pages and manuals where we have them. Oxygen numbers are estimates (see the note under the table), and the CC price is a starting “from” figure that options push higher.
| GTT Lynx | Carlisle CC | |
|---|---|---|
| Mix type | Surface (Triple Mix) | Hybrid (premix center + surface outer) |
| Jets / stages | 7 jets, single stage | Combination head, center + outer fire |
| Mount | Bench | Bench |
| Fuel | Propane, natural gas | Propane, natural gas (hydrogen via CC-H) |
| Oxygen (estimate) | ~9.5 LPM | ~26 LPM |
| Price | ~$525 | from ~$1,934 |
Editor’s note: oxygen figures are estimates, not hard specs. The Lynx ~9.5 LPM is derived from GTT’s own flow table at the largest usable flame on propane (natural-gas consumption runs higher). The CC ~26 LPM is our comparative placement for a typical working flame. The CC manual’s 180 CFH oxygen figure (about 85 LPM) on natural gas is a capacity ceiling, not a working-flame number, so do not read it as day-to-day demand. Confirm the current spec with the maker before you buy.
Two different mixing philosophies
The heart of this comparison is not price, it is how each torch mixes its gases. That difference is covered in depth in surface mix vs premix, but here is how it plays out for these two.
The Lynx is a surface-mix torch: fuel and oxygen stay separate until they reach the face, where the many small jets combine them. GTT describes it as the first Triple Mix torch it developed. Triple Mix surrounds the fuel with oxygen and then injects more oxygen down the fuel stream, which GTT frames as a hotter, cleaner, more complete burn. Two independently controllable oxygen valves (GTT labels them green and blue) let you move the flame across a wide range, from a reducing flame to an over-oxidized one, without changing tips. That is the company’s own framing of the design, and it is what makes a single-stage torch feel versatile.
The CC is a hybrid. Carlisle’s own page describes two distinct flames: a premixed center fire and a surface-mixed outer fire. The center fire behaves like a single-ported tip, similar to a Carlisle hand torch, giving penetrating, detailed heat. The outer fire is the bushy, soaking flame that surface mix is known for. Running both together is the whole point of a combination torch, and it is why we classify the CC (and its larger CC family siblings) as hybrid rather than plain premix.
A useful contrast in community terms: premixed flames tend to run hotter with a longer hot zone but are less stable and can blow out in a draft, while surface-mix flames are wider with a shorter hot zone, let you work in close, and are very stable and forgiving. That is community knowledge from forums like Lampwork Etc., not measured fact, but it matches how these two torches feel. The CC gives you both behaviors on one head; the Lynx gives you one stable, adjustable surface flame.
Flame character and what you can make
GTT states the Lynx works both soft glass and borosilicate, running hot and penetrating for boro up to about two inches of solid work, while still pulling down to a small pinpoint for detail. That span is what makes it a genuine all-rounder for a single bench: beads and small soft-glass work at one end, solid boro sculpture and detail at the other, all without swapping tips. For where the Lynx sits among boro-capable options, see the best torch for borosilicate.
The CC’s appeal is different. Its center fire uses three tip types, each changing the flame’s character: the #5 tip has the largest orifice and the most heat output and is Carlisle’s natural-gas standard, the #3 is smaller with a more defined flame that suits propane, and a dedicated hydrogen tip is available (hydrogen requires the CC-H variant with a non-piloted tip). The outer shell is brass, with stainless steel optional, and an Air Optimizer option on the CC and CC+ narrows and focuses the propane flame. That is a lot of configurability aimed at production work, where a bigger soaking outer flame plus a hot center earns its keep on larger pieces.
One honest trade-off on the CC: it is a loud torch, and Carlisle’s own materials note it can produce a backfire “pop” if it is shut down out of sequence. That is a documented behavior of the design, not a fault to hold against the maker, and following the manual’s startup and shutdown order avoids it. As always, the manufacturer’s manual for your exact torch takes precedence over any general guidance here.
Oxygen appetite and gas supply
This is where the tier gap shows up most on your gas bill and your plumbing.
The Lynx is friendly to a modest supply. GTT torches are designed to run on fuel pressure as low as a quarter psi, which is why they work on unboosted household natural gas (around 7 inches of water column). At an estimated ~9.5 LPM oxygen at the largest usable flame on propane, a single mid-size concentrator or a reasonable tank setup keeps it fed. Natural-gas consumption runs higher than the propane figure, so size your supply for the fuel you actually burn.
The CC draws more and wants firmer pressure. The CC manual specifies 5 psi gas / 10 psi oxygen on natural gas and 5 psi gas / 25 psi oxygen on propane. Those are the maker’s numbers and they take precedence over any rule of thumb. At an estimated ~26 LPM for a typical working flame, the CC is comfortably into the territory where you plan your oxygen source around the torch rather than the other way around. If you are weighing propane against a natural-gas line for either torch, see propane vs natural gas for torchwork.
Whichever torch you run, fit the flashback protection your torch and gas supply call for, following the maker’s guidance rather than a blanket rule; the details, including why surface-mix and premix designs are not told to use the same thing, are in flashback arrestors explained.
Price and where each sits in the range
The Lynx lists around $525 on GTT’s own store, which places it in the mid band of our catalog: a serious bench torch, not a beginner throwaway, but well short of a production burner’s cost.
The CC starts from about $1,934, and that is a starting price, not a fixed one. Options such as the stainless shell, the Air Optimizer, and different center-fire tips add to it, and the figure comes from a domain-restricted read of Carlisle’s own catalog rather than a live re-confirmation, so treat it as a floor. The larger CC+ runs higher still. In plain terms, the CC is a several-thousand-dollar production tool and the Lynx is a mid-priced generalist.
One point of confusion worth clearing up: the Carlisle Mini CC is a separate, cheaper model, a fully surface-mix 7-jet beginner torch around $330. It shares the “CC” name but not the hybrid design or the price. Do not read anything about the full-size CC here as applying to the Mini CC; they are different torches.
Which should you buy?
If you are building a single versatile bench, or you want one torch that grows with you from soft glass to solid boro, the Lynx is the answer. It is cheaper to buy, cheaper to feed, easy on a modest gas supply, and adjustable enough to cover a wide range of work without tip changes.
If you already know you need production capacity, want a big soaking outer flame with a hot penetrating center, and have the oxygen and gas plumbing to feed it, the CC is the tool built for that job. The extra cost buys capability you will only use if the work demands it.
Most people reading a “Lynx vs CC” comparison are choosing their main bench torch, and for that the Lynx is the more sensible starting point. Step up to the CC (or the CC+) when your work, not the spec sheet, tells you to.
Related guides
- Surface mix vs premix torches
- Best torch for borosilicate
- Flashback arrestors explained
- Propane vs natural gas for torchwork
Sources
- Glass Torch Technologies, “Lynx”: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/lynx
- Glass Torch Technologies, “Triple Mix Torches”: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/triple-mix-torches
- Carlisle Machine Works, “CC Bench Burner”: http://carlislemachine.com/as_benchburners/cc.php
- Carlisle Machine Works, “CC Burner Series Instruction Sheet” (PDF): http://carlislemachine.com/webcatalog/CC_Burner_Series_Instruction_Sheet.pdf
- Lampwork Etc., “Surface mix vs premix” discussion: https://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=228649