Carlisle Wildcat Burner??

[ksglass]

Anyone here using a Wildcat? I am looking for a new torch suited for making small to medium boro beads. I am currently on a minor with tanked oxy for working with the boro and concentrator with the soft glass. While this does work I am looking for something a bit faster, hotter, etc. for the boro. I understand that it doesn't work on 1, 2 or 3 concentrators...supposedly it still overheats.

Anyone with any first hand knowledge of this torch before I fork out $400?

Thanks! Elizabeth

[Cosmo]

I worked on one a little bit at BeadFest. Works great. I have never heard of them overheating though. I think for $400 you may be able to find a better torch (a GTT Cheetah is only a $100 or so more), but if you can get one for $300 or so it's a good price.

[Juln]

I'd recommend a Lynx, for $435 it's a huge step up from a minor burner.
it gets larger, hotter and also smaller all at the same time (well, not one flame thats all of those at the same time, you know, I just mean it's much more powerful and adjustable.)

[ksglass]

Originally Posted by Cosmo

I worked on one a little bit at BeadFest. Works great. I have never heard of them overheating though. I think for $400 you may be able to find a better torch (a GTT Cheetah is only a $100 or so more), but if you can get one for $300 or so it's a good price.

This is what I read from someone from Carlisle:

"WildCat tests with an average focal/candle length of 3/8" (normal neutral setting for soft glass)
Propane - 3.25 cubic feet per hour
Natural Gas - 6.5 cubic feet per hour
Oxygen (using Propane) - 24 cubic feet per hour (11.33 Liters Per Minute)
Oxygen (using Natural Gas) - 21 cubic feet per hour (9.91 Liters Per Minute)

These numbers suggest that one could use 2 concentrators with natural gas and 3 concentrators with propane, but that would only be true if you were actually getting a full 5 LPM per concentrator. In practice, I have had a user contact me to let me know that with 3 concentrators on the WildCat using Propane, it produced a workable flame, but was overheating and definitely a little starved for oxygen."

I can purchase the Wildcat for under $330. You mentioned the Chettah, other than being another brand, is it just bigger, more ports? I just don't want to buy something that isn't going to meet my needs. I don't want a huge torch, but I want it to be able to handle small to medium boro with ease.

Thanks for replying!

[ksglass]

Originally Posted by Juln

I'd recommend a Lynx, for $435 it's a huge step up from a minor burner.
it gets larger, hotter and also smaller all at the same time (well, not one flame thats all of those at the same time, you know, I just mean it's much more powerful and adjustable.)

Really?? I have a friend who says the only difference between her minor and her lynx is the needle point flame adjustment. Wonder if it is because she is only running on one concentrator??? Any ideas?

Thanks for replying!

[Cosmo]

Originally Posted by ksglass

This is what I read from someone from Carlisle:

"WildCat tests with an average focal/candle length of 3/8" (normal neutral setting for soft glass)
Propane - 3.25 cubic feet per hour
Natural Gas - 6.5 cubic feet per hour
Oxygen (using Propane) - 24 cubic feet per hour (11.33 Liters Per Minute)
Oxygen (using Natural Gas) - 21 cubic feet per hour (9.91 Liters Per Minute)

These numbers suggest that one could use 2 concentrators with natural gas and 3 concentrators with propane, but that would only be true if you were actually getting a full 5 LPM per concentrator. In practice, I have had a user contact me to let me know that with 3 concentrators on the WildCat using Propane, it produced a workable flame, but was overheating and definitely a little starved for oxygen."

I can purchase the Wildcat for under $330. You mentioned the Chettah, other than being another brand, is it just bigger, more ports? I just don't want to buy something that isn't going to meet my needs. I don't want a huge torch, but I want it to be able to handle small to medium boro with ease.

Thanks for replying!

The Cheetah is cleaner burning, and hotter, but all GTT torches use a lot of oxygen, so a concentrator is out of the question. I'm not sure how many ports the Wildcat has, but I know the flame on the Cheetah is larger. I haven't used a Cheetah (but I have seen one in use) and it seemed to melt glass easier than a Wildcat.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not saying anything bad about the Wildcat. It's a perfectly good torch. It just doesn't have the adjustability that I look for.

[Just Nancy]

I've got to say the cat names crack me up.

I'm looking forward to the time I retire my bobcat and will be switching brands. My goal is a Baracuda. Unfortunately I think the current price is $700 and seems like they have a price increase the around the first of every year. (I started wanting one two price increases ago. ~I've put that lower price out of my mind.)

Good luck.

[cghipp]

Originally Posted by ksglass

Really?? I have a friend who says the only difference between her minor and her lynx is the needle point flame adjustment. Wonder if it is because she is only running on one concentrator??? Any ideas?

Thanks for replying!

Even with only one concentrator, a Lynx is much hotter than a Minor. It's made to run on more oxy pressure, however. With two concentrators or tanks, the Lynx is quite a bit hotter than on one.

Courtney

[Cosmo]

Originally Posted by Just Nancy

I've got to say the cat names crack me up.

I'm looking forward to the time I retire my bobcat and will be switching brands. My goal is a Baracuda. Unfortunately I think the current price is $700 and seems like they have a price increase the around the first of every year. (I started wanting one two price increases ago. ~I've put that lower price out of my mind.)

Good luck.

If you really want one, talk to me around April. I'm getting ready to buy 8-10 of them for our studio, and have talked to several people who have given me really good prices for buying that many. It won't be a problem to add one more to the order.

[sailingzees]

I just "aquired" a wildcat torch. It had only been used a short time and the person I got it from got a Lynx and she loves it. She could not run the Wildcat effectively with 2 oxycons. I have only been using it a short time and I am not familiar with too many different torches. I will say this, first of all I love it, it has a hot flame and can liquify boro in a hurry. It is also an oxy hog! I do not mind this for now and some day I may try and tweak a set up with multiple oxycons. If you want optimal prformance from this torch I would suggest you keep it in mind that you will be buying O2 unless you can get someone to figure out an oxycon set up that will keep the torch well fed with O2.

[Mr. Smiley]

I would suggest an M-20 instead of several concentrators. It put's out 20 PSI and plenty of volume. I'd have to check on the volume for you... but it's only $887 brand new... PM me for more info.

[cakey]

sailingzees I pm'ed you