Short answer: These are not two different torches so much as one torch in two configurations. The Mid Range is a single Nortel bench burner with a broad flame up to about 1 inch across. The Mid Range Plus is that same burner with a small top-mounted Minor or Mega Minor added, so you get a second, independently controlled fire for fine detail. If your work is broad heat on larger soft glass and boro and you do not need a pinpoint flame, the base Mid Range covers it. If you regularly switch between a wide flame and a small detail flame at the same station, the Plus adds that second burner for a reference price of about $425. Either way this is a hungry bench torch, so plan the oxygen supply first: Nortel says the Mid Range wants three concentrators for best performance.
What the two share
Both are Surface mix Bench burners, which means fuel and oxygen stay separate until they leave the face. That is the quieter, more forgiving flame surface mix is known for, and it is the family the whole Nortel bench line belongs to. For what that implies about flame behavior and noise, see surface mix vs premix torches.
The bottom burner is identical on both models. It is a single-stage fire (the Mid Range is a 1-stage burner) that opens to roughly a 1 inch wide flame, which Nortel positions for large soft glass, boro, and sculpture. Nortel does not publish a port count for the Mid Range, so we do not state one; the catalog leaves its jet count blank rather than invent a figure. It also does not list a base price for the Mid Range on its own, which we note rather than guess at.
What the Plus actually adds
The Plus is a 2-stage configuration: the same Mid Range bottom burner with a Minor or Mega Minor top burner bolted on. Those tops are small surface-mix bench burners in their own right (the Minor is a 7-jet burner that lists around $224, the Mega Minor a hotter sibling near $268), so the top is a genuine second fire with its own valves, not just a pilot.
One honest caution that applies to Nortel’s stacked burners generally: the small top and the main flame are not designed to run at the same time, because the two heads sit close together. Treat the top as a quick switch between a broad flame and a pinpoint, not a simultaneous dual flame. If you were hoping to melt on the big flame while detailing on the small one in the same second, that is not what this configuration is for. It is for working broad, then reaching up for a fine flame on the same piece without changing torches.
Nortel’s own Mid Range Plus page lists Minor or Mega Minor tops. Configurations with a premix top exist at some resellers, but they are not on Nortel’s page, so we do not describe the Plus as a premix torch: the whole assembly stays surface mix as Nortel documents it.
| Mid Range | Mid Range Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Mix | Surface mix | Surface mix |
| Mount | Bench | Bench |
| Stages | 1 (single burner) | 2 (burner + top) |
| Main flame width | ~1 in | ~1 in (same bottom burner) |
| Detail flame | None on the base burner | Optional Minor or Mega Minor top |
| Reference price | Not published by Nortel | ~$425 |
Flame range and control
Because the bottom burner is the same, the broad-flame envelope is identical: both reach about an inch of working flame for melt-ins, gathers, and sculpture. The difference is entirely at the small end. The base Mid Range gives you one flame to shape with its valves. The Plus lets you set the big flame and a separate small flame independently, then move between them. On detailed boro or on soft-glass work that alternates between heat and fine shaping, that second burner saves you swapping tools mid-session.
If most of your work never calls for a pinpoint flame, the top burner is weight and cost you will not use. If it does, the Plus is the cleaner answer than keeping a separate hand torch lit alongside the bench. For where flame size starts to matter on hard glass, see our borosilicate torch guide.
Oxygen supply
Neither configuration has a published oxygen flow figure. Nortel does not list an LPM number for the Mid Range, and our catalog oxygen field is blank for both; any oxygen number you see for these is an estimate, not a spec, so we do not print one. What Nortel does say is directional and important: the Mid Range wants three oxygen concentrators for optimum performance. That is a real supply-planning signal. A single 10 LPM concentrator will not feed this burner at a full flame, and adding the Plus top only raises total demand when both are in use.
The practical reading: budget for multiple concentrators or bottled or bulk oxygen before you buy either version, and size the supply to the flame you actually run. Our how many LPM does my torch need and concentrator vs tanks guides walk through that decision, and Bethlehem’s own FAQ makes the same general point that oxygen supply, not the burner alone, sets your working envelope.
Both run on natural gas and oxygen or propane and oxygen per Nortel’s general torch notes. As always, the manufacturer’s manual and current product page take precedence over anything here for pressures, fittings, and setup; confirm the spec with Nortel before you plumb anything.
Price and configuration
Nortel publishes a reference price of about $425 for the Mid Range Plus and does not list a standalone price for the base Mid Range. Prices move with time, configuration, and which top burner you choose, so treat the figure as a reference and confirm the current number with Nortel. Because the Plus is the Mid Range plus a Minor or Mega Minor, the sensible way to think about cost is: the bottom burner does the broad work, and you are paying for the added detail fire on top. If you are weighing a Minor-class burner on its own instead, our Red Max vs Minor comparison covers that smaller end of the Nortel line.
How to decide
A few questions actually separate these two:
- Do you need a separate detail flame at the bench? If yes, the Plus is the reason to pay more: a real second burner with its own control. If no, the base Mid Range is the same broad flame for less.
- Will you use both flames? Remember the top and the main flame are an either/or, a quick switch, not a simultaneous pair. Buy the Plus for convenience of switching, not for two live flames at once.
- What oxygen can you feed? Nortel calls for three concentrators on the Mid Range. Size the supply to the torch, or the flame you paid for will be starved.
- Is a hand torch a better second flame for you? Some makers prefer a broad bench burner plus a separate hand torch for detail. If that fits your bench, the base Mid Range plus a small hand torch is a valid alternative to the Plus.
If your work is broad heat and you have a detail solution already, the Mid Range is enough. If you want the detail flame built into the same bench torch, the Mid Range Plus is the reason to step up.
Related guides
- Surface mix vs premix torches
- Best torch for borosilicate
- How many LPM does my torch need
- Nortel Red Max vs Minor
- Oxygen concentrator vs tanks for lampworking
Sources
- Nortel, “Mid Range”: https://www.nortelglass.com/mid-range/
- Nortel, “Mid Range Plus”: https://www.nortelglass.com/mid-range-plus/
- Nortel, “Minor Bench Burner”: https://www.nortelglass.com/minor-bench-burner/
- Nortel, “Mega Minor Burner”: https://www.nortelglass.com/mega-minor-burner/
- Nortel, “Torches” (general fuel and oxygen notes): https://www.nortelglass.com/torches/
- Bethlehem Burners, “Frequently Asked Questions” (general oxygen-supply guidance): https://www.bethlehemburners.com/resources/frequently-asked-questions/