Nortel Mid Range Plus: a Mid Range with a top-mounted Minor or Mega Minor
Nortel Mid Range Plus · Bench torch · Surface mix
The Nortel Mid Range Plus is a two-stage, surface-mix bench torch, a Mid Range body with a top-mounted Minor or Mega Minor, so you get a flame up to 1in for general work plus a small detailed top flame, with both able to run at once, on natural gas or propane with oxygen.
Specs
- Mix type
- Surface mix
- Mount
- Bench
- Oxygen (estimate)
- n/a
- Fuel
- Propane, Natural gas
- Skill level
- Intermediate, Advanced
- Glass
- Soft, Boro
- Best for
- Production, Soft glass, Boro, Sculpture
- Price
- ~$425 (reference)
- Stages
- 2
Manufacturer page
Manufacturer page
Treat the oxygen figure as a rough sizing estimate, not a specification. Depending on the model it may be manufacturer full-flame consumption, a converted flow figure, or a documented estimate, and delivered pressure and purity matter as much as flow. What actually drives a torch choice is the glass, the work, and the flame, so size your oxygen supply after you pick the torch. Prices may be manufacturer list prices or observed dealer references. Use the evidence label and sources below, then confirm the exact configuration before buying.
Overview
The Nortel Mid Range Plus takes the Mid Range and adds a second flame: it’s a Mid Range body with a top-mounted Minor or Mega Minor, so you get the Mid Range’s main flame up to about 1 inch for general work plus a small, detailed top flame, and both can run at the same time. It runs natural gas or propane with oxygen and makes a flexible choice for soft glass, boro, sculpture, and light production.
Two flames, your choice of top
The Plus’s appeal is the same idea that makes the Major and Red Max so useful, heat and detail on tap, scaled to the Mid Range’s size. The bottom burner handles general heat and soaking, while the top fire (a Minor or a Mega Minor) gives you a small, focused flame for fine work, and you can run them together. Every burner involved is surface mix, so the flame stays clean, quiet, and color-friendly; see surface mix vs premix torches.
Who the Mid Range Plus is for
This is an intermediate-to-advanced torch for soft glass, boro, sculpture, and light production. It’s a natural pick for someone who likes the Mid Range’s manageable main flame but wants a dedicated detail flame and a bit more flexibility on the same footprint. Not sure which glass that points you toward? See soft glass vs boro vs quartz.
Glass, fuel, and oxygen
The Mid Range Plus runs soft glass and borosilicate, burning natural gas or propane with oxygen. Nortel doesn’t publish an exact jet count or LPM figure for it, so size your oxygen supply against your work, two flames running together naturally draw more than one. See how many LPM does my torch need.
Where it sits in the Nortel line
The Mid Range Plus is the two-flame version of the Mid Range, sitting between it and the larger Major and Red Max. If you want a hand-held torch with the Mid Range’s flame character instead, Nortel makes the Multimix Junior, see bench vs hand torch for which format suits you.
Before you buy
Budget for the whole system, not just the torch: oxygen (a concentrator or tanks), the correct propane or natural-gas regulator, flashback protection matched to your torch and gas supply, didymium or boro-rated eyewear matched to your glass, 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 reflect Nortel’s own page for the Mid Range Plus (the top-mounted burner options, flame sizes, and listed fuels), checked July 2026. Nortel doesn’t publish a jet count or oxygen flow (LPM), and our price figure is an approximate reference, so confirm current specifics with Nortel before purchasing.
Fit and tradeoffs
Best for: Intermediate-to-advanced makers who want the Mid Range's flame plus a detailed top fire for soft glass, boro, sculpture, and light production.
Not for: The largest or thickest production boro, a Rocket or a dedicated production burner runs hotter.
Pros
- + Mid Range body plus a top-mounted Minor or Mega Minor for added versatility
- + Bottom flame up to about 1in; small detailed top flame; both can run at once
- + Runs natural gas or propane with oxygen
- + Surface-mix design: clean, quiet, color-friendly
Cons
- − Not built for the largest or thickest production boro
- − Exact jet count and oxygen LPM aren't published, confirm with Nortel
- − More torch (and more to dial in) than a pure beginner needs
Flame notes
Mid Range bench burner with a top-mounted Minor or Mega Minor. Nortel lists natural gas or propane with oxygen, and says both burners can run simultaneously.
Maker
Nortel Manufacturing
Canada · Founded 1967
Focus: Soft, Boro, Beginner
Toronto manufacturer founded by Peter Norton. The current mounted line is surface mix; selected hand torches and optional top burners are premix.
Related reading
Compared with
Head-to-head guides that put the Mid Range Plus against other torches.
FAQ
- How is the Mid Range Plus different from the Mid Range?
- The Plus adds a top-mounted burner, a Minor or a Mega Minor, on top of the Mid Range body. So you get the Mid Range's flame (up to about an inch) plus a small, detailed top flame, and both can run at the same time.
- Can both flames run together?
- Yes, Nortel notes the bottom burner and the top fire can run simultaneously, so you can keep a soaking flame and a detail flame going at once.
- What fuels does the Mid Range Plus take?
- Nortel lists natural gas and oxygen or propane and oxygen for the Mid Range Plus. Hydrogen is not listed on its product page; Nortel's hydrogen-capable hand torch is the Twin Fuel.
- Is the Mid Range Plus surface-mix or premix?
- It's a surface-mix bench burner through and through: the Mid Range body and the Minor or Mega Minor top are all surface-mix designs.