Carlisle Hellcat: the 21-jet totally surface-mix two-stage burner

The Carlisle Hellcat is a totally surface-mixed, 4-inlet bench burner that covers a wide range from one torch. It carries 7 tubes in the center plus 14 on the outer fire (21 total): run the center alone for smaller, focused work, or bring in the outer fire for heavy heat. Unlike the combination CC, both fires are surface-mix, so it’s calmer and less prone to backfire.

The flame

Everything on the Hellcat mixes at the face — it’s pure surface-mix, with no premix center. The big advantage over a combination torch is manners: it’s quieter and far less likely to produce the backfire ‘pop’ the CC can. The two fires give it real range, from a tight center flame to a broad two-fire flame. For the broader picture, see surface mix vs premix torches.

Two fires, one torch

This is the Hellcat’s standout trait. The 7-tube center fire runs on its own at modest oxygen for finer work; bring in the 14-tube outer fire and you have a big, hot two-fire flame. The 4-inlet design lets the fires be metered independently, which suits foot-controller setups and gives you separate command of center and outer. A stainless nose cone and a stand that sets the head at 45 degrees round it out.

Who it’s for

The Hellcat suits intermediate-to-advanced makers who want one torch that scales from small to large across soft glass and boro. A patient beginner could learn on the center fire alone, but the full two-fire torch is more than most first-timers need — the gentler Mini CC is the easier starting point. If you’re mapping the range, see how to choose a glass torch.

Glass, fuel & oxygen

The Hellcat handles soft (soda-lime) glass and boro, and burns propane, natural gas, or hydrogen with oxygen. Its appetite depends entirely on how you run it: Carlisle lists the center fire only at about 1.5 LPM propane and 7 LPM oxygen, and both fires at about 4.5 LPM propane and 21 LPM oxygen, with recommended pressures of 2-3 psi gas and 5 psi oxygen. Running both fires is a serious oxygen draw, so plan your supply around the way you intend to work — see how many LPM does my torch need and oxygen concentrator vs tanks.

Where it sits in the Carlisle lineup

The Hellcat is Carlisle’s totally surface-mix, two-fire answer to makers who want CC-family range without the combination design’s backfire quirk. It sits alongside the combination CC, CC+, and CC++ and the surface-mix Mini CC and Wildcat as one of the more versatile burners in the catalog.

Before you buy

Budget for the whole system, not just the torch — and size your oxygen for the big flame, not just the small one. Plan for up to ~21 LPM oxygen if you’ll run both fires, the correct propane, natural-gas, or hydrogen regulator, flashback arrestors on both lines, didymium eyewear, and ventilation. New to plumbing a torch? Start with the fittings, hoses & connectors guide and the glass torch safety setup guide.

Editor’s note: spec details (jet count, consumption, and recommended pressures) reflect Carlisle’s own materials. The pressure figures are line pressures, not flow rates, and Carlisle doesn’t publish a current MSRP — so confirm pricing and match your oxygen supply to your work with Carlisle before purchasing.