Tippman Boss Made Obsolite With Electric Machine?

[15mules]

Here is my situation. I have a Toro machine and have an opportunity to buy a Tippman Boss at a decent price. I am just not sure I need it? My question for those of you with both is. Do you still use your tippman after you purchased a electric machine. I have never used a Tippman. Is there a use for one to do things that an electric machine cannot?? Or does the purchase of the electric machine pretty much make the Boss obsolite??

Thanks for your input

[Techsew Ron]

Anything you can sew with the Tippman can be sewn with your Toro (assuming you have a 441 clone). You don't really need both.

[bruce johnson]

I started off with a Boss when they were the only affordable option for me at the time. The next step for a powered machine was about $4500. I sewed a ton on it, and it was pretty easy for a 14 year old son and wife to use and help me out. Later I stepped up to a 205-64 and then a Ferdco 2000 from there. The Boss still got use. I could sew tooled wear leathers on whatever thickness of saddle pads I could cram under the foot. It was good on repairs. I could replace stitchlines in a lot of hard old leather. I could resew woolskins on curled skirts that the powered machines would skip on. I eventually did sell it, but still some situations I could probably still use it. Mine was one of the original cast iron models and was a tank.

[oldtimer]

I added a cast iron Boss to my machinery, a bottom fed Singer 45 and a Juki 563, and I have sewn a pile of leather on it. A couple of years ago I stumbled on an Adler 205-374 with a Rotan Quick Stop motor with a needle positioning device, and it made my day!. From that day my Boss has been idle, collecting dust. I have been thinking of selling it, but it will be a tough separation. Before I found the cast iron Boss I have had two Aluminium Boss machines ( IMHO junk) , both of them broke down several times, a lot of trouble and spent time. To be true, I don´t think you really need it

[TwinOaks]

Once you have your powered machine, the Boss will really show it's worth when you try to throw your powered machine in a truck bed and drive out to a friend's stable to do some tack repair.......especially when you find out that there's no electricity there.

If you are in a set location like a store front, or a workshop, then you probably don't need both. If you every need to travel with it......the Boss is under 40lbs, and can be set up just about anywhere.

[Rayban]

I didn't throw my hand-stitching gear out when I went electric, nor will I ever.....but the Boss would have to be pretty inexpensive before I would buy it just to have one.....like maybe free, would do it.

I don't make barn calls ...but i guess I can always use a good paper weight.

[sheathmaker]

My fist sewing machine was a Boss.....serial number 3, brand spankin' new. It was about $1000 or $1100. Tom Tippman said it was the first they actually sold. Numbers 1 and 2 were supposedly used up in R&D. It was a cast iron model and didn't even have the plastic back cover, but they sent one a few weeks later after it was developed.

I used that little Boss for about three years until I up graded to a Toro 4000, the 2000 and 3000 had not yet been developed. Yep! I paid about $4500 for that 4000, but it has paid for itself many many times since. I could do anything I wanted on the Boss and the same was/is true for the 4000, so I reluctantly sold the little Boss for within $100 of what I paid for it after about 3 or so years use. I wish I still had it......not enough to buy another one of the new aluminum models. but I still find places where it would be handy because it was so portable.

If I could get a really good shape cast iron model now for a song, I would probably buy it.

It was an excellent choice for me for the first machine and it taught me a lot in preparation for stepping up to the powered machines.

Paul

[mooshi]

I have a Tippman Boss and will not part with it EVER. I found a case I could fit it into when I break it down. I have had many times when a friend called and needed some holsters sewn on site. You just can't do that with a heavy flat bed machine. I think it would be smart to have a stationary home machine and a Boss. You can't go wrong!

Mooshi

[mncarpenter]

Heres the thing-you can always sell the Boss if you find you don't use it. I bought mine for a very reasonable price, and check out fee-bay every so often to see what the Boss's are bringing, I'm not too worried about the investment in my Boss, not to mention I've paid for it several times in the last year. If you don't buy.let me know. I might be interested if it's cheap enough. I wouldn't mind having 2 set up with different thread.