Nortel Ranger Hand Torch
Surface mix
$241
US reference price
Hand configuration shown.
Overview
Best for: Hand torch, Beads, General
- Mount
- Hand
- Fuel
- Propane, Natural gas
- Oxygen (estimate)
- Not confirmed
Specs
The Nortel Ranger is a single-stage, surface-mix hand torch that brings the features of the Minor bench burner into a hand-held form, precision needle valves for fuel and oxygen, with rotating valve bodies that adjust to suit the operator.
Beginners and intermediates who want the Minor's forgiving surface-mix flame in a hand-held torch for beads and general off-bench work.
- Jets
- Not confirmed
- Stages
- 1
- Mount
- Hand
- Mix
- Surface mix
Specs
- Mix type
- Surface mix
- Mount
- Hand
- Oxygen (estimate)
- n/a
- Fuel
- Propane, Natural gas
- Skill level
- Beginner, Intermediate
- Glass
- Soft, Boro
- Best for
- Hand torch, Beads, General
- Price
- ~$241 (reference)
Manufacturer page · confirmed · checked and price captured 2026-10-17 · source
- Stages
- 1
Figures come from Nortel's own pages and manuals where we have them; the oxygen figure is a rough estimate, not a specification. Confirm the current spec with Nortel before you buy.
How we source these figures
Treat the oxygen figure as a rough sizing estimate. 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. Where a cell carries an evidence line it says where the figure came from, the date we checked it, and links the source where we hold one; a cell without one rests on the sources at the foot of the page. On a phone those lines show while this note is open. Confirm the exact configuration with Nortel before buying.
Spec provenance: 1 of 7 spec fields on this page cites the manufacturer's own pages or manuals.
Overview
The Nortel Ranger is, in effect, the Minor in a hand torch. It’s a single-stage, surface-mix burner that brings the features of the Minor bench burner into a hand-held form, the same forgiving flame and precision needle valves for fuel and oxygen, with rotating valve bodies that you can turn to suit how you hold the torch. If you like the Minor but want to bring the flame to the work rather than the work to the bench, the Ranger is that option.
What the Ranger gives you
Like the Minor, the Ranger is surface mix, fuel and oxygen meet at the face rather than premixing inside, for a clean, quiet, color-friendly flame that’s easy to read and forgiving to learn on. The precision needle valves give you fine control, and the rotating valve bodies let you orient the controls comfortably whichever way you’re holding it. For the background, see surface mix vs premix torches, and on format, bench vs hand torch.
Who the Ranger is for
This is a beginner-to-intermediate hand torch for beads and general work, well suited to someone who wants the Minor’s easy character in a portable form for off-bench and spot tasks. It’s a friendly entry point in the same spirit as the bench torches on our best beginner glass torch list, just in a hand-held configuration. It isn’t built for large boro or thick solid work; that calls for a larger bench burner.
Glass, fuel, and oxygen
The Ranger runs soft glass and small boro, burning propane or natural gas with oxygen. Nortel doesn’t publish an exact jet count or LPM figure for it, so size your oxygen supply against your work; see how many LPM does my torch need.
Where it sits in the Nortel line
The Ranger is the hand-torch counterpart to the Minor, sitting among Nortel’s hand torches alongside the surface-mix Multimix Junior and the premix Unitorch. It’s the pick when you want the small Nortel flame off the bench.
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 materials for the Ranger (its relationship to the Minor, needle valves, and rotating valve bodies). Nortel doesn’t publish the Ranger’s exact jet count or oxygen flow (LPM). The price is the US-dollar figure on Nortel’s own store, read 2026-10-17; Nortel prices in Canadian dollars, so its US figure is a currency conversion that moves with the exchange rate. Confirm current specifics with Nortel before purchasing.
Fit and tradeoffs
Best for: Beginners and intermediates who want the Minor's forgiving surface-mix flame in a hand-held torch for beads and general off-bench work.
Not for: Large boro tubes, thick solid work, or hands-free production at the bench, a bench burner suits that better.
Pros
- + Brings the Minor's surface-mix flame into a hand-held form
- + Precision needle valves for fuel and oxygen
- + Rotating valve bodies adjust to suit the operator
- + Clean, quiet, color-friendly surface-mix flame
Cons
- − Single small head, not for large boro or production heat
- − Hand-held, so not ideal for hands-free bench work
- − Exact jet count and oxygen LPM aren't published, confirm with Nortel
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet. If you have worked on this torch, yours would be the first, and it is read by the editor before it appears.
Write a review of the Nortel Ranger
Flame notes
Surface-mix hand torch offering the features of the Minor bench burner in a hand-held form. Precision needle valves for fuel and oxygen; valve bodies rotate to suit the operator.
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 Ranger against other torches.
FAQ
- How is the Ranger different from the Minor?
- The Ranger offers the features of the Minor bench burner in a hand-held form. You hold and maneuver it rather than mounting it, but you get the same forgiving surface-mix flame and precision needle valves.
- Is the Ranger surface-mix or premix?
- It's a surface-mix hand torch: fuel and oxygen meet at the face rather than premixing inside, giving the clean, quiet, color-friendly flame the Minor is known for.
- What can the Ranger melt?
- It's suited to beads and general work in soft glass and small boro, in a hand-held format. For large boro or thick solid work you'd want a bigger bench burner.
- Should I get a hand torch or a bench torch?
- It depends on how you work. Hand torches like the Ranger are held and maneuvered, which suits off-bench and spot work; bench torches are mounted for hands-free work. Our bench versus hand torch guide, linked below, walks through the trade-offs.
Researched and edited by Joe Blanchard, sixteen years on the distribution side of the glass industry.