Short answer: The GTT Mirage and GTT Delta Elite are both two-stage Triple Mix surface-mix torches from Glass Torch Technologies, built on the same foundation: the 7-jet Lynx center fire with rings of jets added around it for heat. The Mirage adds 33 jets in two rings (40 in all); the Delta Elite adds 50 jets in three rings (57 in all), for a bigger heat base aimed at larger and heavier work. Both run on the same GTT instruction sheet and regulator settings, and both are sold as four-stud bench torches and as hand torches. The Mirage is $1,975 and the Delta Elite $2,575 for the standard bench model. For most people the Mirage is the right high-end torch: it covers detail through substantial boro and draws less gas. Choose the Delta Elite if your work is consistently larger or thicker and you can feed and stand in front of the bigger flame.
If you’re still mapping the bigger decision, start with the complete glass torch buyer’s guide; this article zooms in on these two GTT models specifically.
The shared foundation: a Lynx center plus rings
Both torches are surface mix: the fuel and the oxygen stay separate until they leave the torch face and burn at the surface, which keeps the flame quiet and adjustable at high output. GTT’s patented version is Triple Mix, and every Triple Mix torch from the Lynx up uses a secondary oxygen feed to shape the flame. Source: GTT, Triple Mix torches.
Both torches start with the Lynx center fire as their first stage and add an outer stage around it. On GTT’s model pages the Mirage’s outer stage is 33 jets in two rings and the Delta Elite’s is 50 jets in three rings. Because the center fire is its own stage, either torch can run the Lynx alone for detail and bring in the outer rings when the piece needs bulk heat. More outer jets means a wider envelope of soaking heat for thick glass; if that distinction is new to you, see soaking vs penetrating flame. Sources: GTT Mirage, GTT Delta Elite.
GTT Mirage, the do-everything career torch
The Mirage is the torch a lot of serious artists settle on as their one big torch for a career. With the Lynx center plus two rings, it pulls down to a fine detail flame and opens up to substantial bulk heat, so detail, beads and a wide span of boro work happen on one torch. GTT describes it for soft or hard glass.
On GTT’s Flow Rate Chart the Mirage draws ~26 LPM of oxygen at its largest usable flame, against ~30 LPM for the Delta Elite, so it is the easier of the two to supply from the same tanks or concentrator bank. Our catalog rates it for advanced users, and it sits in the high price band at $1,975; this is a buy-once, keep-for-years tool rather than a starter. Sources: GTT Mirage, Flow Rate Chart (PDF).
GTT Delta Elite, the bigger heat base
The Delta Elite takes the same idea further: the Lynx center plus three rings, 50 outer jets where the Mirage has 33. That is the torch for larger and heavier work, assemblies and thick boro, where a broad envelope matters more than fine detail, though the Lynx center still gives you the detail flame when you need it. GTT’s own page also describes it for soft or hard glass.
The trade-off is honest: the bigger flame throws more radiant heat back at you, and it draws more gas. GTT’s Flow Rate Chart gives 65 cubic feet per hour of oxygen and 20 of fuel at the Delta Elite’s largest usable flame, against 55 and 18 for the Mirage, both measured on propane. It is a torch for someone who needs the extra envelope and is set up for it: ventilation, oxygen capacity and comfort with a big flame. Our catalog rates it for advanced users, and it sits in the high price band at $2,575 for the standard four-stud bench model. Sources: GTT Delta Elite, Flow Rate Chart (PDF).
Same setup, different appetite
GTT covers the Phantom, Mirage and Delta Elite with one two-stage instruction sheet: six valves (red fuel, green main oxygen and blue secondary oxygen for each stage), fuel set to 10 psi and oxygen to 35 psi, with 5 psi fuel and 10 psi oxygen as a minimum that gives reduced results. The Flow Rate Chart lists the same 10 and 35 psi for both torches. So moving from a Mirage to a Delta Elite does not change your regulators or how you light the torch; it changes how much volume the supply has to deliver once the outer stage is open. GTT’s pages describe running the center fire on a concentrator and the outer fire on tank oxygen, which the four-stud manifold allows. Sources: GTT two-stage instruction sheet (PDF), Flow Rate Chart (PDF).
Side-by-side: Mirage vs Delta Elite
Figures below come from the manufacturer’s own pages and manuals where we have them, and are labelled as estimates where they are ours. Configurations and prices change; confirm the current spec with GTT before you buy.
| Factor | GTT Mirage | GTT Delta Elite |
|---|---|---|
| Mix type | Surface mix (Triple Mix) | Surface mix (Triple Mix) |
| Center fire | 7-jet Lynx | 7-jet Lynx |
| Outer stage | 33 jets, two rings | 50 jets, three rings |
| Total jets | 40 | 57 |
| Mount | Bench or hand | Bench or hand |
| Instruction-sheet pressures | 10 psi fuel, 35 psi oxygen | 10 psi fuel, 35 psi oxygen |
| Oxygen, largest usable flame (estimate) | ~26 LPM | ~30 LPM |
| Best for | Detail to substantial boro on one torch | Larger and thicker work, assemblies |
| Radiant heat at the artist | Moderate for its power | Higher; plan ventilation and comfort |
| Skill level (our catalog) | Advanced | Advanced |
| Price, standard bench model | $1,975 | $2,575 |
Sources: GTT Mirage, GTT Delta Elite, Flow Rate Chart (PDF).
GTT sells hand-torch versions of both, with or without a switch, at their own prices; the version picker on each torch page lists them, and GTT’s hand torches page covers the range.
Which should you buy?
- Serious artist who wants one high-end torch to do almost everything: Mirage. Two rings on the Lynx center give you detail control and substantial heat with a smaller gas bill.
- You do larger or thicker work, assemblies, or big glass and need maximum heat: Delta Elite. The third ring is built for exactly that, provided you can handle the radiant heat.
- Your oxygen supply is already near its limit: Mirage. Same regulator settings, less volume.
- You are coming from a Phantom and want the next real step in heat: both are steps up; see GTT Phantom vs Delta Elite and GTT Phantom vs Mirage for how big each step is.
A clean way to frame it: the Mirage is about versatility (one torch for a career, manageable heat) and the Delta Elite is about envelope (a bigger base for bigger work). Both keep the Lynx center fire for control, so you’re choosing how much flame you need, not whether you give up GTT’s signature character. For most people, that answer is the Mirage.
Don’t forget oxygen and fuel
At this output level the supply is half the purchase. Size it to the Delta Elite’s larger draw before you buy, not after, and remember GTT’s chart figures are measured on propane: GTT says natural gas draws roughly 2.5 times the propane volume. If you’re unsure how much oxygen your torch needs, see how many LPM does my torch need. Fit the flashback protection your torch and gas supply call for, with strong ventilation, which matters more the more heat you throw. For the full breakdown of oxygen, fuel and budgeting the whole system, see the complete buyer’s guide.
Key takeaways
- The Mirage and Delta Elite are both two-stage GTT Triple Mix surface-mix torches built on the 7-jet Lynx center fire, sold as bench and hand torches.
- Mirage: Lynx center plus 33 jets in two rings, $1,975, the do-everything career torch.
- Delta Elite: Lynx center plus 50 jets in three rings, $2,575 for the standard bench model, a bigger heat base for larger and thicker work.
- Same GTT instruction sheet and pressures; the Delta Elite needs more gas volume at full flame.
- Most people should buy the Mirage; choose the Delta Elite for consistently larger work if you can feed the bigger flame.
Related guides
- Soaking vs penetrating flame
- GTT Phantom vs Delta Elite
- GTT Phantom vs Mirage
- How to choose a glass torch: the complete buyer’s guide
- How many LPM does my torch need?
Sources
- GTT, “Mirage”: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/mirage
- GTT, “Delta Elite”: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/delta-elite
- GTT, “Triple Mix Torches”: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/triple-mix-torches
- GTT, “Hand Torches”: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/hand-torches
- GTT, Flow Rate Chart (PDF; fuel and oxygen at the largest usable flame, tested on propane): https://www.glasstorchtech.com/_files/ugd/0f433e_940fa1536d544665a118116eb9542e62.pdf
- GTT, two-stage instruction sheet for the Phantom, Mirage and Delta Elite (PDF): https://www.glasstorchtech.com/_files/ugd/0f433e_841587b99d6b47e6874cd464bb19219a.pdf
Editor’s note: jet counts and prices are from GTT’s model and store pages as recorded in our catalog; the Flow Rate Chart’s figures are rounded, measured on propane, and describe the largest usable flame, with actual use generally lower. Confirm current specs and prices with GTT before you buy.