Meadowesky:
the Barracuda, CC, and Cheetah are somewhat comparable for size (I think that the CC is the largest of the three, but I'm really not sure so hopefully someone else can comment), where as the lynx is a bit smaller than the rest. No matter which you go with, should be fun! Best of luck with it.
Juln:
Thanks for the clarification. I do remember now that Shane does use those crossfires as well. We make those too, and they are very interestinig to work with. I think Shane also has a Herbie now that I'm thinking about it, but he does use the centerfire of the CC for soft glass, and during a conversation with him a while back, he was surprised to hear that some folks were saying the CC wasn't for soft glass. His comment back to me was, "Well I guess I've been doing it wrong then."
As for the centerfire and turning it off, the main reason this is recommended against is that without some sort of gas (oxygen is acceptable) through the centerfire, it can overheat. An experienced user will know what then can and can't get away with doing this. Fred is a great guy, and if he says it works, I would go with him!